New Build Tempture Questions.

It's fine for idle. The max load temperature is the important one. Make sure it does not exceed 70C. Stress with prime95, small ffts.
http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=103

eofu,

As dagger has pointed out, the maximum load temperature is certainly the one to focus on, but there's a little bit more to it than that. The temperature shown in Inte's Processor Spec Finder - http://processorfinder.intel.com/d [...] Spec=SLAWR - for your Q9450 is 71c, which is the spec for CPU temperature, but not Core temperatures, since Intel does not support Core temperatures for it's desktop processors, and still has not revealed that calibration (Tjunction Max) information.

Regardless, according to other supplemental Intel documentation, there's a 5c difference between CPU temperature and Core temperature at 100% workload, with stock clock, auto Vcore and fans at 100% RPM, so the corresponding "hot limit" for Core temperature is 76c.

If you're interested in monitoring Core temperatures only, then the most accurate monitoring utility available is Real Temp 2.6. Unlike the ever popular utility "Core Temp", which reads 10c too high on 45 nanometer processors, Real Temp has proven through research, testing and ananlysis, that when your Q9450 Core temperatures have increased beyond 76c into the overtemp range, it will throttle above 90c, and shutdown (Tjunction Max) at 95c.

On the other hand, if you want complete system monitoring information, including CPU temperature AND Core temperatures, use SpeedFan 4.34, then use my Core 2 Quad and Duo Temperature Guide to calibrate it to an accuracy of within 3c. Use the link shown below in my signature to check out the Temp Guide, and for the link to Real Temp in the Introduction Section, as well as the link to SpeedFan in the Tools Section.

Hope this helps,

Comp