I'm running Win 7 64-bit. No problems for a number of years. I remove dust twice a year, but when I have to delay, it requires a more thorough cleaning: A complete removal of heat sink so it can be blown out, clean old paste off the CPU, reapply with new paste, re-seat the heat sink. This I did, and I'm thorough about it. But this time, I started seeing higher than normal temperatures being reported by Core Temp. I used to see temps in the 85-95 F range, now I'm seeing them above 100, with a max of 115.
First thought was I didn't apply the paste right, although I've done it 50 times before. So I redid that step, using brand new paste this time. Issue continues.
My next thought was to open the case while it was running to see if I was getting spin issues with either the CPU fan or even the case fan. No apparent issues.
If the CPU fan lacked its high speed capability, would that cause my temps? It might cause higher peaks, but in general I would still see the normal temperatures occurring. My fans almost never go into high speed mode. I can't remember the last time they did.
I need an app that shows the CPU fan speed. Anyone?
Please help me identify the cause of my higher temps. From there we can decide if these pose a threat in any way.
Thanks,