A64 3200+ with Thermaltake big typhoon

I just installed this on my CPU, AMD64 3200+ at stock 2Ghz, use to idle at 35C, still idles at 35C, sure it doesn't reach the load of 42C as fast, but it still gets there. I check temps in both BIOS and in speedfan, just recently speedfan gave me a core temp.

Im using Artic Silver Ceramique, same as I used to put my Zalman cooler on my 7900 GS, which went from 51C idle to 37C idle.

Is there something I did wrong? I used the alternate install for my Asrock Dual-SataII, and followed Artic's instructions they have on their website for the compound. It looked like I was wiping all of the compound off the HSF (no discoloration), but when I smudged it with my finger I knew it was still there and reapplied it. I just got my Articlean in, so guess I can clean it off and try again, I ws using 70% isopropyl alcohol, guess it may not have been high purity enough.

I want to OC this at some point so I was hoping to lower the temps by a few degrees at least, hoping for around 28C idle as I've seen some on higher AMD64's.

Any suggestions? I noticed when attached the HSF isn't straight aligned, it kinda has turned to the left a little and I can wiggle a bit, should I tighten the screws a bit?

I smudged if after applying with plastic bag and wiping off with athe lint free cloth, so I cleaned and reapplied the same way.

I live in Florida, humidity, but we keep AC at about 70F, roughly 21C, yeah the 70% stuff is cheap store brand, but since I have articlean now I'll just use that.

Airflow is a 80mm fan on front that came in the case, blows over 2 160gig Seagates, side has a 80mm blowing on to the HSF, 120mm fan in back blowing out with speed turned all the way up and my PSU has 2 fans inside, sucking air from off the HSF and one sucking from behind the DVD+RW drive, then blowing out the back, again at high speed, I keep them at high because from my last case setup I've gotten use to the high noise most would find unbearable. So I think I have decent airflow, most heat from the VGA blows out the side vent located on the side of the case.

Guess I'll go home and redo everything, see if cleaning it better will help and tightening the HSF a bit as well. I guess I can use AS5, since I'm not as worried about shorting something like I was on the GPU.

Should I just apply the small drop and let the HSF spread it, or take a plastic card and spread it really thin?

the zalman fan from the GPU blows down, and theres some holes that make a vent located on the side panel next to the PCI slots, so I think the air blowing down might be blowing at the side there, but I'm not good with air physics, so I maybe wrong



theres a decent picture, replace the CPU funnel with a 80mm and you can see the vent below it I'm talking about.