ThinkPad with Debian is hot

Question

I am using a ThinkPad X201 with Debian (Wheezy) and LXDE. The laptop is very hot even without heavy load. Now, the load of CPU with a top command: load average: 0.04, 0.12, 0.13, But the temperature is 55^o C. I opened the laptop and checked the fan. It is not so dirty. I am sure that there is no any large software running. Can anyone can help me to fix it?

The output of sensors in my system is:

 acpitz-virtual-0
 Adapter: Virtual device
 temp1:        +54.0°C  (crit = +100.0°C)

 coretemp-isa-0000
 Adapter: ISA adapter
 Core 0:       +51.0°C  (high = +95.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
 Core 2:       +48.0°C  (high = +95.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)

 thinkpad-isa-0000
 Adapter: ISA adapter
 fan1:        3265 RPM
 temp1:        +54.0°C  
 temp2:         +0.0°C  
 temp3:         +0.0°C  
 temp4:         +0.0°C  
 temp5:         +0.0°C  
 temp6:         +0.0°C  
 temp7:         +0.0°C  
 temp8:         +0.0°C  

This is the lowest temperature under normal use.

Answer 1

55 is not that hot, sounds fine to me actually. 55 is about the lowest temperature I ever see on my Dell.

One way of checking what the critical (the dangerous) temperature is for your CPU is sensors (the output shown is what I get on my Dell with an i7 processor):

• First, install it and detect available sensors

  $ sudo apt-get install sensors
  $ sudo sensors-detect
  

• Then run it

  $ sensors
  coretemp-isa-0000
  Adapter: ISA adapter
  Core 0:       +56.0°C  (high = +95.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
  Core 2:       +55.0°C  (high = +95.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
  
  i8k-virtual-0
  Adapter: Virtual device
  Right Fan:   87240 RPM
  CPU:          +54.0°C  
  

  That tells me that the CPU is considered hot after 95 degrees and will shutdown to avoid damage at 105, that's twice what you're experiencing.