CPU Temp Erratic and High in BIOS?

[bevills1]

A MSI PM8M3-V motherboard with 3.2Ghz P4 processor shows high, erratic cpu temp. I tried removing old compound from heatsink and cpu and replacing with arctic silver which didn't reduce cpu temperature shown in bios. However, can temperature shown in bios be wrong? I installed the Motherboard Monitor program that shows cpu temp 30 C and case temp 29 C. Temperature shown in bios is 68 C for cpu and 30 C for case. Also bios cpu temp fluctuates rapidly between temps from 66 C to 72 C while the Motherboard Monitor temp is very stable and changes very slowly as cpu runs various processes, and heatsink feels just slightly warm to the touch. Other systems I've built also have very stable cpu temp shown in bios. Could it be the bios cpu temp is wrong for this motherboard or whether there's a way to determine true cpu temp for this board?

[redwudz]

That seems a bit odd as both the BIOS and the PC software would be using the same temperature processing IC and reading the same sensor. The sensor for newer CPUs are part of the CPU. Then a small integrated circuit on the MB does the reading.

The software program should also be using the same data from the temp IC. You may have a bad temperature sensor in the CPU, it happens. If you can hold your finger at the base of the CPU heatsink comfortably, it's not at 72C (162F).

I would check to see if you have the correct BIOS for your MB. It's possible that that could be the problem.

[aedipuss]

bios temps are not related to windows temps. while in the bios the cpu is running 100%. while sitting in windows near 0%.

[bevills1]

I just bought the motherboard, and it has the bios it shipped with which I'd think would mean it couldn't have the wrong bios. Another thing that stands out to me is the large difference in cpu and case temp shown in bios because temps I've seen in many other systems have never been more than about 7 C difference between cpu and case and usually even less than 7 C difference. This makes me think it's likely a bios bug especially considering it feels only slightly warm when I touch my finger to the heatsink.