Ok. I finally got my SATA hardrive working. I got windows installed and chipsets and drivers and all that crap. Almost back to normal, but my CPu seems to have risen in temp quite a lot. It use to be around 38-39 C idle before I reformatted and stuff. Now it idles around 51-55 C. I'm using the same monitoring program I used before that came with my motherboard. I use to could take off a side panel and blow a fan on it to get it around 30 degrees C, now when I do it that takes it to around 45 C. I don't know what could be making it run hotter. I have even touched anything near the CPU. I've only taken a hardrive out, and put a hardrive in. I checked to see if my fan was even on and it's running. The only thing I can think of is that maybe something happened to the thermal paste while my computer was off for 3-4 days (took forever reformatting/installing windows). Hmmmmmmmmmmm.m.

What wattage is your power supply unit? (There's normally a sticker on it that tells you so).

Make sure that there is a fan blowing in, and a fan blowing out.

Everything is exactly the same. Exact same PSU. Exact same case. Everything is exactly how it was before. I haven't removed or touched anything except the hardrive.

I think my PSU is 750. It was more than enough to run my computer before the hardrive change. My Graphics card temp is pretty much the same temp as it use to be. Only the CPU temp shot way up.

That should be enough power. What thermal paste have you used? Have you checked it since you first applied it? May be worth a reapplication, and if you're thermal paste is just some average stuff, I suggest picking up something high quality like arctic silver. Also, how many case fans do you have and how many are in/out? They need to be equal like crumply said. Additionally, make sure the cables and cords are not in the way of the airflow.

Mine idles around 50 as well. Is that too hot?

While 50 C isn't particularly DANGEROUS, it's still ridiculously high to be running at idle and could shorten the lifespan of the CPU. Most CPUs can operate up to like 75-80C, but should never reach that high, even under load. To idle at 50C makes me wonder what you're hitting under load.

When I built my current PC, I bit the bullet and dropped an extra 80-90 bucks and bought a really good CPU heatsink and I've VERY glad with my decision. I got a ZALAMN 9500 or something and it keeps my e6600 at around 25C idle, sometimes closer to 30C since we're in hotter weather atm. Under load, it keeps it below 45C, and that is at the lowest fan setting (it has a adjustable fan control that I set on the top of the case). The fan coolers than come with retail boxed CPUs are generally pretty weak and will do the bare minimum to keep your CPU from overheating.

This doesn't really apply to you though since this is sort of a strange problem. Are you sure everything with your CPU heatsink is functioning correctly and you didn't accidentally knock any wires loose or anything when you installed your hard drive?

I'm positive I haven't done anything to it. Nothings in the way of the cpu fan. And my case fans and stuff are exactly the same as they were before. And about the thermal paste may be old or something. I just got these parts brand new like 2-3 months ago, and haven't moved them since I first installed them (except the hardrive). Should I pick up some artic thermal crap?

I'm positive I haven't done anything to it. Nothings in the way of the cpu fan. And my case fans and stuff are exactly the same as they were before. And about the thermal paste may be old or something. I just got these parts brand new like 2-3 months ago, and haven't moved them since I first installed them (except the hardrive). Should I pick up some artic thermal crap?

it couldn't hurt but like 20C temperature increase just from degradation of thermal paste seems bizarre, especially since you didn't even touch the paste and just left the PC off for a few days. There has to be some more to the problem than that!

It's not supposed to be at all like glue. I did find that the air pressure between the flat surface of the copper heatsink and the CPU caused them to stick once but that was resolved by twisting them apart gently.

What concerns me when these components are running so hot is how much energy they are wasting. My PC and PS3 combined keep my room warm on cold days and people comment on how much warmer my room is (and we don't have central heating). Electricity in the UK is another thing that is massively inflated in price recently!

It's not supposed to be at all like glue. I did find that the air pressure between the flat surface of the copper heatsink and the CPU caused them to stick once but that was resolved by twisting them apart gently.

What concerns me when these components are running so hot is how much energy they are wasting. My PC and PS3 combined keep my room warm on cold days and people comment on how much warmer my room is (and we don't have central heating). Electricity in the UK is another thing that is massively inflated in price recently!

On the plus side, this is energy you don't need to waste on heating during the winter!

No. Same ole Xp. Can anyone link me to a good cpu monitoring freeware thing? I mean I doubt theres something wrong with the one that came with my motherboard, but still. Gah that's probably not it. My GPU monitor that came with my Graphics Card says the GPU is around 42-43, the monitor that came with my motherboard also monitors GPU temp and it reads the same temp.

I reseated the CPU fan with Arctic Silver thermal paste as well as added a 120mm fan to the side of my Antec Nine-Hundred case and it seems to have dropped the idle down to 43.

Also, get the latest driver for your processor, the newer power saving features like on the amd athlon x2 series could possibly lower your temp when idle. Your case would also be best on the floor where the air is the coolest. Make sure that there's also 8-12 inches or more of breathing space on the sides that have fans. Too near a wall or the side of a desk could influence that. Also any appliances that generate any noticable heat should be far enough away from them as well. If you want to go even further, you may consider getting a cheap PCI fan, that would help direct some of the heat from the video card from rising up toward your cpu, and should help lower your average case temp as well.