Zalman HSF w/ High Temps

[sappling]

Hello, I have just purchased the Zalman CPNS 9500 AM2 for my Althlon AMD 64 +3200 to replace the stock cooler as spinning at around 5k+ RPM to keep it cool was too loud. I also purchased Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound and some 99% Isopropanol.

Since this was my first install it took a some time - cleaning/re-applying the compound off both components. Once I was happy with both surfaces and the amount of thermal compound I finished mounting the HSF. I left my computer on to burn in the thermal compound (heard about doing this somewhere) running GIMPS , and had went to bed with my CPU running at 54C. Now I have just woke up with the computer off (must of overheated?) and turning it on I noticed that at idle (torrent and Firefox) it was running at 43,44,45,46, and now 47. This doesn't seem right to me and could possibly be higher then the stock cooler!

Could air bubbles/bad application make this much of a difference. I'm not even in the 30C's that even higher end cpu's can reach. Oh, and I also only used the BB sized blob in the center method (read that spreading it out would hamper the performance of the IHS on the CPU), and did not 'tint' either surface. Also its directly connected to the MOBO, not through FANMATE 2

I haven't overclocked anything, I also have a chassis fan sucking out the heat from the zalman (exhaust). As this is only the second day maybe the compound needs to settle? Please, any suggestions/idea's are very welcome.

Should I lap the HSF?

 

[vylo]

Well just to give you an idea:

I have a Zalman 9700 which I use on a QX6700 (stock speed). I just recently had to reseat it, due to it coming loose while I was transporting my computer.

I didn't do anything fancy. I literally took a paper towel, wiped off both the cpu and the Heatsink. I reapplied the thermal paste (I used the stock past that come with the Zalman). I spread it out fairly evenly across both surfaces in a thing sheet, then reseated the heatsink and that was that.

Since then the CPU has been running in the high 30's idle, low 40's under load. The temp has not moved noticably since I have done this.

 

[crumble114]

Yeah, check your heatsink is on securely and properly. My CPU got up to insane heats because my heatsink wasn't on properly, thus not giving enough downward force onto the CPU. Push it down hard, harder than you'd think.