Greg,
Ok, so basically you have only 3 fans. The 2 on your heatsink dont count for case cooling. And the powersupply does not count either since it generates its own heat and therefore cant expell much of the case generated heat.
First off you need to try and take care of the processor problem. If you are running 155f that is 68c. Now it is acceptable to run at that temp, but that is for sure on the WAY HIGH side of what it should be. Generally it is good to run around 50c(that would be 122f). If your heatsink is not making good contact with the cpu then that is most likely the cause of your heat problems. You need to be sure that there is a VERY good bond between the cpu and the heatsink.And make sure only to use enough thermal paste so that the microscopic holes in the heatsink get filled with the paste and not much more. More is not better when it comes to thermal paste.
I would suggest you take the heatsink off and clean it with some alcohol. Get all the old paste off, and reapply it. Make sure there is a good seal.
Now if you really want to get into cooling, you can start by rearranging your fans. As you know heat rises. So there is no need for an exhaust fan to be at the bottom of your case, especially if its a full tower. A very popular method is to put a fan on the top of your case acting as a blowhole. This is where all the heat gathers and its an ideal spot for a large fan.
If your not into cutting new holes for fans then you can add another exhaust fan at the top of the case. Change the bottom fan to an intake fan. You can also add a fan inside the case just to redirect the airflow. So if you have 2 intake fans at the bottom, then you could put a fan in the middle of the case pointing upwards towards your cpu/pci card/chipset area. This will help the cool air get to its destination. It will also make the hot air rise so it can exit the exhaust holes.
My 1.2 tbird runs at 46c/115f. And thats with a slower speed fan. The fan that i originally got for the heatsink was a tad load for the part of the room i was using it in. That fan kept temps down to 38c/100f. It was noisier but did the job very well.
I am building another system right now with a 1.4 tbird that im going to overclock. I have an even bigger heatsink/fan combo ready for it, and even with the extra voltage im gonna give the cpu it will still stay well under 50c/122f.
Anything else you need to know? Please ask..
