I have an AMD Phenom II HDX 550 that is constantly overheating.  I've worked in the bios a decent amount, just tracking what it runs at when the computer is idling.  My system temperature is idling around 30c. which is fine.  However, with my cpu I'm consistently getting 60c. when it's idling, which, from my understanding, is not normal.

When my computer is running, it can reach temperatures of above 80, but I have never yet had it go to the blue screen or short out on me.  Oddest of all, it only seems to hit above 80 when I'm running adobe flash games.  If I so much as minimize the window the game is in or move to a different tab (if in Firefox), the temperature drops immediately - as in consistenly under a second.

I'm running Windows 7 64 bit.  My motherboard is a Gigabyte 785GMT.My case is well ventilated (it's a coolermaster and I have an additional fan in the front) and my room isn't hot.  I'm using the origional heat sink that came with the processer.  My motherboard, memory sticks, hard drive - they're all fine.  Everything is working perfectly. 

I have only a few ideas of what it might be. I'm not overly computer savvy, so some of these guesses might be totally wrong.  Please bear with me.

1. Adobe Flash hates me.
2. The temperature is somehow being read incorrectly... but I don't know if it can be, since I was working in the bios to begin with...?
   
3. Somehow something else (like my video card) is flipping out and making the cpu overheat.

Can anyone shed a little light?

Is your C.P.U.'s cooler making adequate contact with your C.P.U.?

Did you apply the thermal compound correctly?

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Lad

I play with sand.

All of the work I did building the computer was under the direct supervision of my father.  I made sure that the compound was touching the cpu and the clips holding it in are pressed down all the way, and he checked all my work.  I had problems with my cpu warning buzzer going off just after I built the computer (2 1/2 years ago), so I moved it up to 70, which I had read in many places was still a safe temperature.  It's only been recently (within the past few months) that it's been jumping above 80.  Could the thermal compound be "dying" somehow?

Did you read the sticky?

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Crosshair IV Formula, Phenom II x4 965 w/ Corsair H60, 8 GiB OCZ Platinum DDR3 1600, XFX HD 7970 Ghz, 512GB Vertex 4, 256GB Vector, 240GB Agility 3, Creative X-Fi Titanium w/ Creative Gigaworks S750, SeaSonic X750, HP ZR2440w, Win 7 Ultimate x64