MacBook 2007: 104°C and fan beyond maximum speed!

Question

Hello.
2 years ago I bought this MacBook Late 2007 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo model. It wasn't new though it worked like it should. I use my MacBook nearly every day for at least 6 hours a day. It has OS X 10.6.8 and Windows 7 running nicely on my SSD, so there's no complaining about it's speed as it still just feels new.
It has one big problem though. As I use my MacBook for watching videos, listening to music and gaming etc., my MacBook always runs very hot (~80-100°C). This became a standard for the last few months. When I turn on my MacBook it's processor about 15°C hotter than room temperature. Though it only warms up when actually doing something, this normally lasts for a minute because I'll start using it immediately. Right now I'm typing this question, my MacBook is 58°C. Safari has 2 tabs open, and iTunes is running in the background. The fan is running at 4500rp/m. This is the lowest temperature I can achieve while using the MacBook. When I first bought this MacBook it would run at 30°C while using it. Now it's around 60°C.
When it's beyond 60°C the fans will start running to their maximum speed, which is 6200rp/m. However this month I started to notice something that I consider dangerous. My Core 2 Duo reaches 104°C while watching a 480p video! That's 1 degree away from turning off. I know that MacBooks are designed to run at these temperatures, but actually acieving this temperature on watching a video or playing a two-dimensional game is just rediculous.
I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the thermal paste, and though I'm specialized in these kind of things, I don't want to screw up the MacBook. It runs super fast because of the SSD. Buying me a new MacBook would be a total loss of money since it still performs very well.
I've tried tools like SMCFanControl. Of course it doesn't help because any CPU will warm up when doing intensive tasks. I don't find it helpful.
Lastly, the fan's maximum speed is officially 6200rp/m. Mine reaches 7600rp/m (this is the fan that came with my MacBook. Not a custom one.) and after a short period of time it shuts off. After a second or two it'll turn on again. When this happens it's at 104°C.
Any advice?
Thanks in advance!.

Answer 1

I have essentially the same computer and I'm wondering if perhaps your fan is failing? That could explain some of the odd behaviors and readings you're seeing!
My computer typically runs at 70C when I'm using it (I'll have Chrome open with several tabs, at least one of which has a lot of Flash content) and the fan runs around 6200 rpm.
Streaming videos always brings up the temperature to levels similar to what you're seeing - and I believe it's always done that. I can't recall a time when it didn't.
Could you give the link for some of the videos you watch that are causing the fan speed and temperature to increase? I'll try them on my machine and see if it exhibits the same behavior.
Also, keep in mind that many sites that stream videos or have games on them use Adobe's Flash plugin, which is terrible on OS X. It will ramp up the CPU usage to an incredible degree, which in turn means the temperature and fan speed will go up.
~Lyssa