it appears that all my cores are at about 50c at idle and the CPU temps are about 30c. there is a screenshot. under full load RealTemp reports about 65-70c, but that is on the cores which are hotter than the whole cpu.
as for the question about which thermal paste i used, it was generic stuff that came with my heat sink. i used the right amount, about the size of a pea. just for the record ive never had my CPU temp read this low until i got this new case.
A pea sized glob of paste is a huge amount. It should have been more like a grain of rice.
ive always heard that you should use an amount the size of a small pea.
on to the important question. are the core temps something i should worry about? the CPU temp is the lowest its ever been, especially in the summer time. but for the cores. are they too hot?
I don't know where you heard that, because with that amount of paste, I would be concerned that not only would it reduce cooling, but that it would be squished out from between the spreader and the CPU, getting on items where it shouldn't be.
As I mentioned, I don't know anything about Intel, but this is something that I seriously would be all that different on that brand. Unlike some people, who apply the paste to the spreader, I prefer to apply it to the CPU. The primary reason is that the CPU has printing on it that helps me see if the amount is right. I want the very least amount that will obscure the printing.
it doesnt start pouring over the side of the CPU lol. ive just always been told about that size.
Don't sweat the small stuff. Your temps are ok and the differences between various temp measuring pgms is not worth any more words.
If you want to keep your temps down:
Direct a table/destop/floor fan at the computer,
keep vents clean (compressed air works well),
keep display brightness at a minimum acceptable level.
Alright, let's see here.
I strongly advise against using generic thermal compound, as it is of the lowest quality. I always use either Arctic Silver 5, Arctic Cooling MX-2 or Shin Etsu Micro Si G751 and I've never had anything but the best results(and lowest temps) with them.
Here's an 80 TIM shootout, although 2 years old, the results have not changed much since: 80-way Thermal Interface Material Performance Test. There's also a page in there about proper TIM application, but here's my preferred method: application method-horizontal line v1.1.pdf, it hasn't failed me yet.
So, I really recommend that you reseat the heatsink and at the same time clean off that generic thermal paste, then apply a quality thermal compound. In my experience, it can easily shave off about 5-10°C.
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I guess so.