What temperature you might see at idle can vary significantly based upon background activities, effectiveness of cooling solution (based upon TIM applied, etc.), current ambient temperatures, airflow around computer chassis, etc. and etc. and etc. If the minimum temperature that you are seeing when the system is idle is always above 50c, then you need to be concerned with your setup. As for maximum temperature, Intel will tell you that anything below Tjmax (the Maximum Junction Temperature), which is in the vicinity of 100c, is just fine. That's a CYA statement, unfortunately. What I say is that, if you are seeing the processor temperature staying above, say, 90c, for any appreciable amount of time (i.e. measured in minutes, not seconds), then you have a problem with your system. Note that I didn't say "processor", I said "system"; it is rarely (read: almost never) a problem with the processor.
...S
