Build
Q6600 G0 @2.4 (Stock) w/ Zalman 9700 HSF (AS5 TIM)
EVGA 680i Mobo (Stock)
EVGA 8800 GTS 512 G92 (Stock)
4x 1 Gig Crucial Ballistix 800
CM 830 Stacker, 7x 120mm Fans
CM 750W PSU
Vista Ultimate 64
 
CPU Temps
Idle: ~37 C
Gaming: ~53 C
Everest Stress Test (4x 100% Cores): ~72 C
 
This is my first self-build, system has been stable and peformed well with all games I've tried, although I have not run the Everest stress test for more than a few minutes because of the high temp it attains. GPU temps seem fine after using RivaTuner to set the fan speeds.
 
Installing the Zalman on the CPU slightly improved my idle and gaming temps, but did nothing for full load temp. (Idle temp with stock HSF was ~44 C.)
 
From everything I've read on various forums, people either say 72 C is fine, or too hot. Aside from reseating the HSF, anything look conspicuous or anything else I should try?
 
Thanks.

Check the vcore voltage settings. It might be set to high. If it is on auto change it to manual and set it to a low voltage like 1.15 and check then.
 
As far as I can tell that has to be why or your chip is just bad.

Those temps look fine dont worry about it but as jimmy said check the voltages they may help u

I'd be kinda weary about that 72C temp, although your stressing all 4 cores with a stress test program, which usually pushes the CPU's harder then apps or games.
 
It looks like you are stating Tcase temps.  The G0 Thermal Specification is 71C:
 
Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q6600
 
I'd perhaps would work on airflow, and try to get the best out of what you can.

 
Those temps are not fine. I have my G0 Q6600 with the same HSF OC'ed to 3GHz at 1.25v and it runs at 32c idle and 50-55c when running Prime95. My tems even dropped to 48c after 12 hours of Prime95.
 
But yes check the voltages by using CPU-Z and it should be at 1.25v, which is the stock voltage for most Q6600 G0, if not lower. Mine would run at 1.12v at idle at 2.7GHz OC and 1.08 while under load @ 2.7GHz OC.

U cant say they arent fine because for everone the temp is different
for example for me there are lots of users whi have their E6600@ 3.2 @ 30c(idle) but mine is 45c and there is no problem with it so we cant say that becuase we have this temp then anything higher/lower than that is bad
 
however 72c seems a little high but the other temps are fine IMO

Thanks, guys. I'll check the voltages when I get home tonight and post some more info. I'd really like to OC this thing, but with that 72 C looking at me, doesn't quite feel ready yet.
 
With regards to the airflow, I have:
 
Front: 2x 120mm Intake
Side: 3x 120mm, 1x 140mm Intake (CM Stacker Fan Rack)
Top: 1x 120mm Exhaust
Rear: 1x 120mm Exhaust
 
(Sorry, misquoted the fan details in the original post.)
 
Cable management w/ zip ties, and tucked away what I could, wish I'd gone with a modular PSU.
 
I'm wondering if I should reverse the 140mm? Right now it intakes onto the Zalman, while the Zalman is blowing into the rear fan. Maybe that's screwing up the exhaust process? Not worried about overpressure, as the case has so much ventilation it's practically a sieve.

Lyrae when you reseated cpu heatsink and fan,did you put new thermal compound back on it!, also what cpu monitoring software did you us, with 7 120 fan that machine should run cool.72c is way to high for that chip.one of two thing can be wrong  1 cpu heatsink and paste not properly applied,2 you temp monitoring is inaccurate.if I had to guess check those thing first.hope this helps you

Heh.. that's allot of fans to figure out.  Thing is, the Zalman 9700 was designed more from a case with a front to back type of airflow.  Having 3 fans on the side of the case, blowing down on the 9700 doesn't exactly help the airflow.

I'd try to run it without the side fans first, then go from there.  Perhaps adding one on the bottom bracket to help the gpu out a lil, but having all 3 there (guessing the 4th won't fit with the 9700 in there ), you prolly should have went with a cooler that was designed to blow down on the MB to help cool other components.

Just my 2 cents.

edit:

Kinda wonder how well this cooler would have worked with that case (though, not sure how much heat it was designed to dissipate):

COOLER MASTER GeminII RR-CCH-ANU2-GP CPU+ Board Cooler

 
Yes, I cleaned the surfaces with 99% Iso Alcohol, and used Arctic Silver 5.    
 
I applied it to the heatsink surface, rubbed it in then wiped it off. (To fill in the cracks and pores.) Then I applied a tiny amount to the CPU surface and used the edge of a credit card to get it thin and even. It was the first time I'd applied thermal compound, so, I don't doubt that I might have done a poor job, and re-applying it definitely on my to-do list. I will probably try not spreading it around on the CPU surface this time, and let the heatsink do the spreading when it gets seated, and see if that helps.
 
Also, I used Everest to monitor temps. I tried SpeedFan initially, but it wasn't reporting accurate temps because it had a -15 C offset. (As in, it reported temps 15 C lower than actual.) Everest reports similar temps to what my BIOS says.
 
To Grimmy:
 
Yeah, the fourth fan bracket slot (that faces the Zalman) wouldn't fit a 120 x 25mm fan because it just barely touched the Zalman when the rack was closed, which seemed bad. So, I removed the bracket and placed a 140 x 20mm fan in there instead. Thanks for the tip on the flow, I'll try removing some of those side fans and see what happens!

I used the NZXT Zero and the Coolermaster Gemini II to get my q6600 at 3 GHz, but at load with all fans a blazin the temp maxed out at 68C.  Spending $100 on a swiftech compact 120 or 220 will gaurantee those temps stay down, but going liquid has its down sides is always a big jump for any system.  with the Compact 220 and just the CPU at 3.2 GHz, temps don't go above 52C unless i slow down the pump and fans and wait about an hour for the radiator to heat up.

Just keep in mind with summer almost here, depending on the ambient temp of your computer room, those temps are bound to be much higher in the heat of summer.  Id say 72c is waaay to high.  Hell I would be nervous if my cpu went above 60c, which it never does, even on full load.

Ok, checked the voltages through Everest in the CPU pane. Again, this is stock, I haven't touched a thing.
 
Core Voltage: 1.325
I/O Voltage: 1.325
 
Secondly, there is a "Sensor" pane. There, the "CPU Core Voltage Value" field is going between 1.16 and 1.23 while idling.
 
Last, there is an "Overclock" pane where I can watch the voltages change in correspondence with the CPU clock. Just idling, the CPU clock seems to flicker between 2400 and 1600 every few seconds. When it's 1600, the voltage drops to 1.163.
 
Any thoughts?

 
Well I would check the BIOS and set the voltage to exactally 1.25v. The fluxuation is due to speedstep. For instance when my Q660 G0 is at idle its clocked to 2GHz(333x6) and has a vcore of 1.246v. When under load it runs at 3GHz(333x9) and the voltage drops a bit to 1.224v.
 
But check the BIOS voltage settings and if need be try to set it to 1.25v and check the temps then. It should stay nice with that HSF.

Thanks, jimmysmitty.
 
So, I reversed the flow of the two rearward side fans, so that they now exhaust. (Saw this recommendation on another forum.) This helped my temps slightly.
 
I then set the core voltage to 1.25. These are the total results:
 
Idle temps dropped 2-3 degrees, to ~ 35 C.
Gaming temps also dropped 4-5 degrees, to ~ 49 C.
Everest stress test dropped 7-8 degrees, to ~ 65 C.
 
So, this has helped! Although, I'm not sure if these temps are where they should be? Should I try 1.21 core voltage?
 
Another thing that's interesting is the temp variation between cores. I have read that with quad cores, two of the cores will usually be up to 8 degrees hotter. This is true of my CPU when under load. (Two of the cores are 65, two are 7-8 degrees cooler.) However, when idle, this variation can be 14-15 degrees! As in, two cores are 35, two are 21. Still within the normal varation, or does this indicate an unbalanced CPU seating?

 
Glad the temps dropped a bit. I would try a lower voltage as yours could be stable at 1.21 or maybe lower. Mine was very low at stock. But as long as it stays at 1.25v or lower I like it.
 
The variation is due to the fact that dual cores have more program,s written for them. So 14-15c is fine. Might want to reseat the HSF to bee safe and the thermal paste as well. Never hurts and better safe than sorry.
 
For the case always have airflow going from the front to the back. Any on the top will pull air up and side will pull air in. PSU should also pull air up and out the back(if dual fan on bottom and back) if dual fan one inf front and back PSU should pull from front to the back. I have a 120mm fan on the side blowing nice cold air on my GPU and my Zalman 9700 and if I open the case and put my hand inside it feels nice.