E6420 Overheating, Questions About Repair

Thank you. That's a relief. It appears to be working fine, and runs much cooler than before. I think from this point on, I'll always use Arctic Silver over the stock compound.

 

It's more a matter of having a better thermal paste application than the brand of thermal paste used. Factory paste jobs usually range from so-so to bad and even a good application with the stock compound would likely give lower temps. A better paste will net you 1-2C lower, but nothing drastic.