CPU Temp

[refresher]

First, how hot should a P4 3Ghz process get? Mine is running 61C idle

Second, would processes with 0 CPU usage still make it hotter? (I have 51 going on idle)

 

[Cromewell]

As long as there is no load on the CPU it wont get hotter. 61C idle is hot, have you checked that the CPU fan is working and the heatsink is mounted properly? Do you know how hot it gets under load?

When I had a P4 3GHz (prescott) with the stock heatsink it would idle around 40 and would hit 55-60 under load when it was hot outside. With the AC on it was 30/45 for idle/load.

I don't remember off hand, but I think the throttle temperature for a P4 is 75 and the cutoff is 80. It might be 70 and 75 though