CPU temps at 78. Normal?

I'm getting 78 degrees max for my CPU (my m17x-r2 is almost 2 years old now). Should I take it apart and clean(?) it? I know how to blow the dust off the GPUs but I haven't tried cleaning my CPU before.

Is there a fan or something that I should look out for? If someone can drop a hint or two as to how I can lower my temps that would be great. Thanks.

 

Temps vary with how hard the CPU is working, if you're using a notebook cooler or elevating the back of the laptop for better airflow, and always, the environment surrounding your laptop (ambient temp). For example, I live in SoCal (USA) and being summer, the inside of my house right now is about 80F. My system is running 42C-47C. Under full load right now, it can go past 80C. But I know that it's my environment and that my system is cooling properly.
As for what you can do to lower your temps, take the heatsink off the CPU and blow the fins clean like you would the GPU's heatsink. If you feel really innovative, you can repaste your CPU heatsink, just make sure to use a good paste. Search around the forum. There are several threads that address which pastes work better for the Alienwares. As always, its a good idea to use a couple of bottle caps, or a small book, etc., to elevate the back of your laptop in order to create better airflow to the fans.

 

Great advice. Thanks.

My ambient temp is around 30+ Celcius. (Somewhere around 85-90F I suppose) And yeah, I do use a book propped at the back of the notebook for better airflow. This bit is a little worrisome though, my system's CPU idles at 60-61 Celcius. Seems a bit high considering yours idles at 40-ish. I guess I don't have to worry about my max temps since it's barely scratching the low 80s.

What really got me to make this thread was a while ago, when I was playing Assassin's Creed Revelations, I got to a part where the protagonist get buffeted by rain and puddles and all of a sudden my framerate took a massive dive and stayed there until I alt-f4-ed. Felt like my CPU was throttling or something. And the back felt hot, really hot. Hopefully it's something else...

At any rate, I'd probably get some thermal paste from Amazon when I get back to the UK and work on my CPU's temps. Are there any good video guides (preferably) that you (or anyone) can recommend? I would very much prefer to have a look at what I'm supposed to be doing than risk damaging my CPU.

 

This is the only video I could find on youtube: Alienware M17X CPU/GPU Removal Guide - YouTube
The guy does a pretty quick disassembly. Just remember:
1. If your not sure about something (taking it apart or where it goes back into), ASK ASK ASK! Better than to screw something up.
2. After you unscrew the the two screws holding down the media buttons/alienhead power button cover, you will need to use a small screwdriver or plastic pry tool to pop this plastic cover up. Don't yank super hard, but it does take a bit of pull to pop the tabs up. You also have to be very careful with the ribbon cable that attaches the power/media buttons to the motherboard. It get's damaged or pulled out of place very easily. When you reinstall it, make sure to push it squarely into it's connector before you lock it down. Many, many people complain they couldn't get their system to power on after a rebuild and it's because the ribbon cable to the power button was reconnected ever-so-slightly crooked.
3. You DO NOT NEED TO REMOVE THE CPU FROM IT'S SOCKET IN ORDER TO REPASTE IT! In fact it's better that you don't remove it so no dust can make it's way into the socket pin/connectors.
4. MAKE SURE TO WEAR AN ANTI-STATIC WRIST BAND!

 

I would say that those temps are perfectly fine running intensive applications. All of the comments above are very accurate and you can try also this.