CPU idle temperature : 16C ?

[grennis]

I have an Athlon 64 3000+. I have enabled cool and quiet (MSI K8T) and speedfan is reporting 16C idle temp and up 36-38C under load (Prime 95 torture test).

I am using the stock cooler from the retail CPU package.

My question is how can these temps be so low? My case temp is a constant 40-42C and hard drive around 40C. So the CPU is cooler than the case...? Is the temp sensor lying to me or what?

 

[Protoform-X]

Athlon 64 temperature sensors have been known to be dodgy. My K8N Neo2 will often say that my CPU is at 191C and then jump back down to -25C, which is right because I have a Vapochill LS attached to it(properly, mind you, lol). Sometimes it will say 15C or 50C. I don't think it has a clue, just spits out a random number to make me happy... or mad.