What am I doing wrong?

[Steve325]

I was hoping to overclock this machine, but it's impossible when I'm already pushing 53-54C on stock voltage! Sorry I couldn't get a picture and had to make this horrible diagram, but I'm hoping someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong here.

Specs: E8400, Asus P5Q Pro, Antec 300 case, 5 fans - 6 include power supply, 2x HD4830's - only one working right now, 1 HD, 4 gb DDR2 1066.

CPU HSF is a Scythe Katana II. I'm not using Arctic Silver, just the stuff that came with it, but I'm seeing better temperatures from people using stock HSF and the glue that comes with that.

Diagram

My main question and something I do not understand, it's just the way it came is the direction the CPU fan is. Should this be blowing through the heatsink or should it just suck the hot air? Do you think the fan on the heatsink is too close to the top exhaust fan causing a disruption?

 

[geokilla]

Re-seat and re-apply the thermal paste your HSF. High 50s at stock voltage means you're doing something wrong, unless your ambient temperatures are like 40C.

The CPU fan should be facing the exhaust. Since you have 5 fans, get 2 front intake, and the rest exhaust. As for the top fan on the Antec 300, I believe it was better if you had it on intake instead of exhaust.