CPU hot while idle, NOT overclocked

Hi i've been to the site a lot of times just never registered or had to post anything..

I just put together a new computer for myself and im loving everything about it except it seems that the processor reading is pretty hot. Im using Speedfan as well as the Nvidia System Monitor that came with the mobo.

So this is the situation....

I have a Q9650 proc @ 3.0ghz right now with XFX 790 board and the IDLE temperature is 52-54c. The motherboard reading is usually 28-30c, no problems there. So I thought that possibly the stock heatsink would be the problem. So I ran out to get a Zalman (CNPS8700 LED) heatsink + fan. Removed old thermal compound, applied a thin layer of the new stuff. affixed heatsink. STILL reading high temps.

Now the strange thing is here, 50c is hot but when you touch the grill or heat pipe of the heatsink it does not feel like 50c, not at all. Its only when im playing a game and the reading hits 65 is when i start to feel heat.

I've stuck a large fan, you know one to keep yourself cool in the summer, in the side of the open case. the temp will lower 4-8c but still wouldn't 44c be hot for IDLE temperatures?

I have a 120 fan's bringing in air in the front and blowing out the back, Fans off and fans on the temp is still the same. I have a CPU fan speed controller, when adjusted fast or slow the temp only moves 1-2c. I thought perhaps I messed up with the thermal compound so I removed the compound and applied a thin layer again, but everything remains the same. I don't have any instatiblility problems, everything runs pretty good. The only thing I have a problem with is the RAM. its clocked for 2000mhz, but if i move it from 1333 to 2000 I get multiple different blue screen errors. If I keep the ram at 1333 I don't have any problems with the computer freezing at these temperatures.

The only thing I can come up with is the front/rear fans, but i dont think its going to make much of a difference if I get newer ones. When they are off the temp does not move much. BIOS also gives me same reading.

on Nvidia System Monitor it gives me these temps

CPU1 50c
CPU2 40c
CPU3 39c
CPU4 51c