dragonflyrx, please read the Sticky at the top of this Forum.
You are confusing CPU temperature (Tcase) with Core temperatures (Tjunction). Also, you have mistakenly mis-read the specifications for the X6800, which is Tcase Max 60.5c. You have instead posted the specifications for the Quad Core QX6800 G0 Stepping, which is Tcase Max 64.5c.
Additionally, your Tcase (36c) to Tjunction (55c hottest Core) Delta (19c) is inaccurate. The Delta should be 15c +/- 3c. Since you posted temperatrures with a Tcase to Tjunction Delta of 19c, this typically indicates that Tcase is not correct due to inaccurate BIOS thermal algorithms. This can be sometimes be corrected by a BIOS update. Regardless, SpeedFan 4.33 is the preferred temperature monitoring utility, so if it will run on your Vista rig, it will allow for temperature offset corrections to be configured. Section 9 in the Temperature Guide will show you how to properly test and accurately calibrate your temperatures, so you'll know that they're correct.
The answer to your question is that both temperatures are important. From the Temperature Guide:
Section 6: Scale
If temperatures increase beyond
Hot Scale, then ~
5c below
Tjunction Max, Throttling is activated. The
Digital
Thermal
Sensors (
DTS) are used to trigger Intel`s TM1 and TM2 technologies for frequency, multiplier and
Vcore Throttling within individual Cores. If Core temperatures increase further to
Tjunction Max, then Shutdown occurs. Since
Tcase indicates CPU Die temperature only, it is not used for Throttle or Shutdown activation, however, referring to the CPU`s shown below under
Scale 1 as examples,
Tjunction Throttle temperature is ~
95c, so
Tcase would be ~
85c, which would far exceed
Tcase Max. As
Tcase to
Tjunction Deltas are constant,
Tcase Max is always the limiting specification for temperatures.
Scale 1: Duo
E4x00:
Tcase Max
73c,
M0 Stepping,
Tjunction Max
100c,
Vcore Default
1.325, TDP 65w, Delta
10c
E2xx0:
Tcase Max
73c,
M0 Stepping,
Tjunction Max
100c,
Vcore Default
1.312, TDP 65w, Delta
10c
E6x50:
Tcase Max
72c,
G0 Stepping,
Tjunction Max
100c,
Vcore Default
1.350, TDP 65w, Delta
10c
E6540:
Tcase Max
72c,
G0 Stepping,
Tjunction Max
100c,
Vcore Default
1.350, TDP 65w, Delta
10c
-Tcase/Tjunction-
--70--/--80--80-- Hot
--65--/--75--75-- Warm
--60--/--70--70-- Safe
--25--/--35--35-- Cool
The following Scale applies to your X6800, which is B2 Stepping:
Scale 5: Duo
E6x00:
Tcase Max
61c,
L2 Stepping,
Tjunction Max
100c,
Vcore Default
1.325, TDP 65w, Delta
15c
E4x00:
Tcase Max
61c,
L2 Stepping,
Tjunction Max
100c,
Vcore Default
1.325, TDP 65w, Delta
15c
E21x0:
Tcase Max
61c,
L2 Stepping,
Tjunction Max
100c,
Vcore Default
1.312, TDP 65w, Delta
15c
X6800:
Tcase Max
60c,
B2 Stepping,
Tjunction Max
85c,
Vcore Default
1.3525, TDP 75w, Delta
15c
E6x00:
Tcase Max
60c,
B2 Stepping,
Tjunction Max
85c,
Vcore Default
1.3525, TDP 65w, Delta
15c
E6x20:
Tcase Max
60c,
B2 Stepping,
Tjunction Max
85c,
Vcore Default
1.3525, TDP 65w, Delta
15c
-Tcase/Tjunction-
--60--/--75--75-- Hot
--55--/--70--70-- Warm
--50--/--65--65-- Safe
--25--/--40--40-- Cool
Comp