O.k, well I got my computer about 6 months ago, and my CPU is a Q6600 that I overclocked up to 3ghz. I used Intel's TAT to read the temps and I was idling around 39-42C. Now I'm noticing that I am idling around 55C. I used AS5 and still have the intel stock fan and I don't know why my temps are so much higher. I clean out the dust atleast every other week if not more and I bought my computer in the summer, and its cooler out now (Not that that would even change my temps by 10+ degrees.)

The only thing that I could possibly think of being the culprit here is the AS5, bought alot of people have been saying that it doesn't "creep" that much and it should be lasting a lot longer than 6 months.

What do you guys suggest I do to get my temps back before I go spend 50 bucks on a after market cooler.

...Perhaps your room temperature is higher than just a few months ago considering the fact that it's getting warmer out now in most regions? It's probably going to rise a tad, and perhaps you didn't notice it because of the Winter temperatures? Just a thought anyway..

Well, considering that in my original post I said I got my computer in the middle of summer, and its cooler now then it was then. And even though, 10-15C is a bit more than it should be rising. We have AC in my house so the temp doesn't fluctuate to much.

I don't really know what this means either, I went into the bios and put the clock back to the stock 2.4ghz and my temp actually went up a degree... Now correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't it get colder when the clock is lowered....

Well aside from blowing dust off which you said you've done, the obvious solution before spending $50+ on a new heatsink is to simply pull yours off, clean off the thermal compound with 90+% Isopropyl Alcohol, reapply, and reattach your heatsink.

The only reason I can think of for this to happen is if you have for whatever reason lost complete contact between the processor and the heatsink.

Yes, and no. Really depends on the load the processor is under.

Aye, SNGX's suggestion is about all I can think of as well. Really, there aren't too many variables to consider. If your system is clean and all of the fans are fully operational (and at the same rotation rate as they were when you purchased the system), the best I can can conclude is that for one reason or another contact between the heatsink and heatspreader aren't as tight as they once were. Reapplying fresh compound and reseating your heatsink is pretty much the only practical resolution apart from buying an aftermarket heatsink or installing more chassis fans.

Is it possible that a sensor has malfunctioned or the reporting program has become corrupted? Point being, if you install multiple hardware monitoring software each one will give you a different answer.

I've started to get jaded to the point where I say, "believe the one that makes you happiest".

Or, the possibility you had 40 processes running when you bought the machine, and 70 are running now. Any discussion of CPU temperature by necessity also must include idle CPU utilization. (Zenosincks was alluding to this also). Whether or not Arctic Silver creeps or doesn't really isn't important. It shouldn't be a deal to reseat the fan heatsink in the course of the process of elimination.

Alright, so I took it out and there was a little bit of dust underneath the fins, (I have no idea how it got down that far...) and I reapplied the AS5, and I'm back down to 45-47 range, which is more acceptable, still not quiet the 39-41 I was getting a few months ago, but I can live with it. Under load it went to about the same temp. always, about 65-70, and for a Q6600 thats pretty good on stock cooling, so I guess I'm happy.

Congratulations.

yeah, get along little dustbunnies!

dust is horrible to electronics.

Awww, don't be mean... They give everything a nice, used look about it.