How hot is hot! for a cpu?

[Tom Horsley]

> >>         How hot does the cpu have to get before one should be
> >>         worried? 

Usually, if you dig deep enough into the intel or amd
chip maker's web site, you can find technical docs with temp
and power specs for any given model CPU. A good rule of thumb
might be "somewhat cooler than the max temp in the specs".

Of course that leaves you needing to discover the exact
model cpu you have as well as determine the meaning of
"somewhat" :-).