I was wondering if replacing the stock hs and fan on my 4200 x 2 AMD is worth it even though I am not planning on OC'ing the thing. I have a gut feeling telling me that cooler is always better no matter what. I am aware that efficient heat dissipation will eventually increase the temperature of the room my systeme is in. I am not basing this ''gut feeling'' on any stats or date but just common sens. Usually, in most cases, you get benifits from running machine or mechanics at lower temperature and more specificelly computer hardware.
Your AMD stock cooler will keep your CPU amply within thermal specifications, so if you are not overclocking you don't need to worry about the life expectancy of your CPU.
However, the single greatest reason for applying a special aftermarket cooler to a non-overclocked CPU is to keep the noise down.
If you value a quiet PC, as I do, then consider models from Zalman, or better still a fanless Scythe Ninja if you are staying at stock and your case is well ventilated. A good, cheaper solution is the Golden Orb II from Thermaltake.
If, however, you aren't too bothered about noise and you're on a tight budget - don't bother wasting money on an aftermarket cooler if you aren't overclocking. AMD's stock cooler will keep your processor alive.
Also, bear in mind that it is impossible to 'destroy' energy.
A better CPU heatsink/fan wont neccessarily make the room any cooler, as your CPU is still creating the same amount of heat in watts. The better CPU cooler is simply moving that heat away from the CPU more efficiently, and it is then expelled from the case.
Heatpipe coolers, however, are different. Energy is used during a change of state (eg liquid to vapour) which means that a cooler featuring heatpipes will actually mean less thermal energy is transferred to the air directed by the fan - and thus less hot air enters the room.
Essentially, thermal energy generated by the CPU is converted to kinetic energy (in this case molecular movement) when the liquid turns to vapour within the heatpipe. The vapour then condenses at the top of the heatpipe (the heatsink) and then falls back toward the heatsource (CPU).
Seeing as room temp is what you mentioned, consider (albeit expensive):
If you really want a cool room, then water cooling is the way to go. Liquids (eg water) generally have a higher specific heat capacity than air, which means that more energy is required to cause a 1 degree celsius real-world temperature increase.
