[Boinky]

Having your case open is definately what caused the cooler temps. I've tested my own system with various setups, up to a dozen fans arranged a dozen different ways and none of them can keep it running as cool as it does when I take it out of the case and run it in open air with a couple fans.

-mahalo

 

[Boinky]

Have you tried completely remounting the BT? I mounted my last heat sink incorrectly somehow the first time, it looked fine to me, but idled super hot.

I removed the heat sink and used some rubbing alcohol and q-tips to clean the thermal paste off the processor lid and the heatsink base, then reapplied some ArticSilver5 and mounted it again. Worked fine the second time... only thing I can think of that I did different was to line up all the mounting pins and start to screw them in then switch to the next, tighten some, switch to the next, tighten and repeat. I'm not sure what the BT's pins are actually like though so my anecdote might be useless.

You did apply some kind of thermal conductive paste right? Just asking cause you didn't mention it.

 

[Boinky]

I don't think you need to be spreading it all over. I myself just put a dot on the center of the processor heat spreader and mounted the heatsink, did this again when I bought my Blue Orb II. Pretty sure the paste is supposed to spread on its own. ...and now that I think about it, the time that my previous heatsink wasn't functioning correctly I had gone a little crazy coating all contact surfaces.

Ahh, retrospect.