Please help with cooling problem!

Hey Everyone,

Im new here but this place looks like it might have my answer.
Here is what i have:

P4 3.4 ghz prescott processor
Asus P5ad2 Premium mobo
ATI x700xt 256 mb video card
pioneer 16x dual layer dvd burner
2x 250 gig barracuda 7200rpm sata drives (storage)
74 gig raptor 10k rpm sata drive (OS)
thermaltake tsunami case
thermaltake silent tower heatsink/fan

I put this system together (with stock heatsink/fan) the other day and the cpu temps were up at 90 degrees celsius. So then i went and bought new thermal paste and the temp came down to 57 degrees. I still wasnt happy so i bought the thermaltake silenttower heatsink/fan. This helped me get the temperature down to 49 celsius. This still seems high to me. Also just so you all know i dont even have an OS on the system yet. I was getting the temps from the Bios readings.
Anyone have any idea how i can get it lower? into the 30's maybe? if not is it safe/normal where it is?

Thanks in Advance!

It shouldn't be that hot. If your using quality thermal paste like arctic silver, and a good heatsink and fan it should be in the 30s. Is the heatsink positioned correctly on the cpu? Have you used the right amount of thermal paste. You only need a small pea size amount in the middle and the pressure should spread it evenly. To much or too little could be a problem. Is the underside of the heat sink nice an smooth? How many fans do you have in your case, intake and out. And are they blowing in the right direction. The airflow should blow from front to back and bottom to top. Finally is the ambient temperature abnormally high?
Hope that helps

P.s Silly thought but you have a rated 3.4ghz cpu not a lower speed overclocked?

yes it is a rated 3.4 ghz

i have 1 120 mm fan intake and 1 120 mm fan out
then a 90 mm fan on the heatsink blowing towards the out 120mm fan

the heatsink fan should be blowing innto the heatsink towards the CPU no?

If those temps are while idle, then those are a little high....the Prescotts do run warm, as my 3.2 runs at around 38-45 while idle (I have an ABIT MB so I'm not entirely confident in my temp readings) and under load that jumps about 10-15 degrees, but it runs fine without any problems...so I guess yours isn't all that off the mark. Have you tried updating your bios? The readings might be a little off, especially considering you were at ~90 C to start.