Hey. Just got a artic freezer 7 and i am very confused about a few things. this is my first time with a custom CPU cooling system. plz bare with me as i do have a far bit of info.

When i start my system and check temp in BIOS this happens. it will start at 38 (sometimes 37) then will go up and down between the number above it and eventually go up and down between the number above that. ie: 38.39.38.39.40.39.40.41 however not that quickly (maybe 10 times to go up) it gets up to 45*C !!! wtf, thats about the same as the stock intel cooler i used to have also the MB temp starts at 30 and does the same to about 39! i was really pissed when this kept happening and going to 45! however this is really wierd - When i run ASUS Probe, it usu. starts around 40-41 and then will slowly do the opposite of the numbering above down to 37 (ive never gotten less than that, it seems to lock at 37!). My mobo temp is at 39*C which is more than the CPU!!! btw, I didnt make sure cpu was clean before installing/applying new layer of Thermal Paste well now for my questions
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1) Wtf is up with the numbering?
2) is 37 a good temp?
3) should mobo be more than CPU? Is the mobo really hot (starts at 30 in bios)?
4) Because I didnt make sure cpu was clean, is it a bad thing? will the old paste be bad and put down the new? should i completely reinstall this mofo (i hope not as installing sh*t into a LGA775 CPU is ridiculously hard; not the theory [unclip > remove], just the crappy clip-in's that i couldnt get in for about an hour!)
5) What would be the best way to test non-idle temps with extreme usage?
6) how fast can the fan go, i dont care that much for the extra noise! 2537 is my locked current speed! how fast could i make this go and how would i increase it?

many thx in advance! i hope that someone experienced in aftermarket cooling can shed some light for me in this problem! any replys will be greatly appreciated

You should definitely remove any old thermal paste or pads, otherwise heat transfer will be adversely affected. Methylated spirits, isopropyl alcohol or even acetone (use with caution!) applied with a lint-free cotton cloth should make short work of any leftover gunk. Make sure you apply the new paste properly. Here's a guide.

The temps you report are perfectly fine at first glance (I'm assuming you have an LGA-775 Prescott, which are rather warm anyway), but what do they go up to under load?

To really stress your system, a test like Prime95 will do the job.

prime 95 - 50*C
HL2/winamp -49*C

tommorrow i must get rid of the old paste, thx for the tut! btw; i have 3.4.4.8 @200.5 elixir 512mbx2 sticks. could i increase the FSB to 250mhz from 200mhz (lga775 mobos can do it easily...or so i hear)? would i have to change timings?

Those temps aren't out of the ordinary for Prescotts, and I'd expect them to go down a little bit with a fresh application of thermal paste.

Is overclocking necessary for your current setup? You undertake it at your own risk! Make sure you're sufficiently clued up on what exactly overclocking entails by visiting a site like Overclockers Australia.

You should be able to run the RAM async from the front side bus (i.e. at a different speed) should it not like 250Mhz (those high timings should increase the overclock potential though. Lower them if you want higher performance). If the option is available, then an FSB:RAM ratio of 5:4 will result in a RAM speed of 200Mhz when the fsb is at 250Mhz.

thx. i know a lot about it, im a member of OCAU prob just backup BIOS and increase in 10 mhz intervals! mem timing is my only area im crap on still tomorrow ill try for sure! i dont need OC'ing i guess, just want to

wow! re-applying the thermal paste properly gives me a idle of 33-34 (usu at 43) i am amazed at these results as this cooler was such a good price $45. Gigabuye 3d rocket pro was double this and i doubt it would get less than 30 i am still to stresstest on full-load though!