Hi guys and gals,
 
This is my first post, and just to warn you im completely new to all this having just built my first pc.
 
The problem is this: I have just updated my ASUS P5K Premium with the latest BIOS and now my Q6600 G0 is running loads hotter. It was ideling between 18-19 celsius before the update and now its gone up to a whopping 35 celsius!  
I have a Tuniq Tower 120 heat sink on it with the fan knob set in the middle.
 
Any tips and advice would be most appreciated as I don't know where to start!  
 
Duncan,

Sounds to me like your old bios was reporting the wrong temps.  How could 18-19 degrees be core idle temps when ambient room temps are probable 18-19 degrees. Then tack on a few more for case temps, and then a few for core temps.  35C is not hot, so no need to worry.   What are your load temps?  Stock clocks or overclocked?  

Yup. I suspect the old BIOS was reporting 15 degrees less than correct, because it was not aware of the G0 stepping.

Hi pauldh thank you for your quick response!
 
I have not overclocked anything yet but the plan is to get the speed up to around 3.5 ghz.
 
35C is a normal temp - thats a relief! whats the "ideal" temp for the Q6600 at idle and load?
 
also do you know of any software that will load my system so I can check the temps?
 
Cheers!

What are you running to check the temps?
 
18-19 is impossible for a Q6600 no matter what heatsink, unless your room is 10-15c or cooler.
 
Sounds to me like your boards temp sensors(Socket or Tcase) where not calibrated right and they fixed it.
 
do not worry 35c is still cool and safe.
 
If you want to see the temps from the cpu it self try coretemp
http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/
 
Also check out the guide in my sig by CompuTronix, it will help you to better understand cpu temps.

Wow in the time iv replied iv had two more replies! thanks guys! sounds like a naughty BIOS then.

Your old bios was definitely displaying the wrong temps IMHO.  18C = 64.4F I'd be really impressed if those were your idle temps and I'd wonder what your ambient room temps were...45F?...50F?
 
35C = 95F (35 x 9/5 +32) is a much more common idle temp and as Pauldh has stated, plenty cool for a processor, let alone a quad.

to stress test and get a max temp use prime95

http://www.freewarefiles.com/Prime [...] 19638.html

For temps 35-40 idle (in coretemp)
                 50-60 load   are about average

65(warm)-70(being towards the high end) is still safe so if it takes this to get your goal. so be it

Users preference will vary.

Thanks guys good advice!
@nukemaster; thank you for the links, I have downloaded Core temp (its giving me a slightly lower idle temp of around 30C as opposed from ASUS probe at 35C - im guessing its more accurate?).
 
I have also downloaded Prime95 and have just had it running for just over an hour on the Small FTTs Torture test (first option on the list), im not sure is that was the correct one to use but my cpu temp went to a maximum of 57C on cores 0 and 1, with 56C on the other two. Looking at it it seemed to average about 56C with the hottest cores being 0 and 1.
On the Tuniq Tower I turned the fan knob up to full,
 
The test seemed to want to go on for longer but I had to stop it to check something, was I using the correct test? does it just go on and on or does it conclude at some point?
 
Cheers for your help!

For your reference my Q6600 G0 OC'd to 3.2Ghz with Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme idles at about 32C from Core Temp.
 
I think thats a few below the average.  Any idle under 40C is good, just try to keep your full load temps below 60C if possible.

Your temps are fine. so you don't have to worry.
 
keep in mind several things effect temps
 
-Dust in the heatsink(dust does not conduct heat well)
-Room temp. Its even more then +1c cpu for 1c room. For me a 4c room adds to a 6-7c cpu increase
-Case. Better airflow, lower temps.
 
Either way, you are fine.