Won't read CPU temp

Question

 
I am building a Media Center machine from some new bits and some old. I chose an MSI K7N2 Delta 2 LSR board as it supported my redundant Athlon CPU, a fanless north bridge, serial and parallel hard drives and on board sound. It looked ideal particularly as I am very happy with the MSI board on my main machine.
Put it all together and fired up into BIOS.  All looked OK till I looked at the PC Health bit. CPU temperature given as 125 C/ 1 F. Returned the board  to the supplier (Scan) who found the board faulty (it would not even boot up) and replaced it.  New board gave exactly the same. CPU temp 125 C/ 1 F.  The system temp looks OK at 20 C. Phoned Scan who said it was a mystery. Offered to replace it again.
What do I do? If I go for an identical replacement will I get the same again? Have I missed something and my system is causing this error and not the board? Do I go for something else and if so what?
Thanks 

Answer 1

 
Hi responders,
A little more background might help.  I started this Media Centre with a redundant Abit KT7 board. I then installed Windows XP Media Center. It worked reasonably well but was a little unstable.  This was the reason it was redundant, I had replaced it on my my main machine with the MSI KTN2 Delta ISLR which turned out to be excellent. I then replaced this Abit board on my media Centre with an MSI K&N2 Delta 2 LSR and had to do a Windows repair.  I should have done a clean install.  Anyway it worked up to a point. With this first MSI K7N2 Delta 2 LSR motherboard I got a CPU temperature of 125 C/ 1 F in the BIOS. Carried on into Windows XP and came up with a CPU temperature of -127 C in CoreCell. This motherboard returned and found to be faulty and replaced. Installed this replacement MSI K7N2 Delta2 LSR and it came up with identical results.
Re enginerr 2001.  Both motherboards boot OK.  Yes I ma afraid, but don't believe, the CPU temperature is too high.  The processor is correctly identified. I did not use the same heatsink thermal paste.  Cleaned and used a little Akasa thermal paste.
Re Wananoby. see my signatures which I have updated with more detail.
Re Doctor Stu. I agree the temperature reading, either or both +125 C or 1 F, are incorrect.  Incidently CoreCell gives the CPU as -127 C !!!
My feeling is that there is a fault in the CPU thermocouple or the processing of its output. But the identical fault on two motherboards is too much of a coincidence unless it is a batch fault in which case others would have had the same problem.
Re Fredrik Asenius. I must admit I'm not sure where to look for this.  When I boot up I get
Phoenix Award BIOS v6.00PG
W 6570NMS v11.4 081604 13:34:12
I'd be interested to know what is what.
My next step
Do I
1. Ignore ithe CPU temperature and do a clean reinstall of Windows.
2. Ask for a replacement motherboard, probably from the same batch.
3. Ask for my money back and go for something else?  If so what?
Thanks again