Thermal paste application is essentially the last step ... with some bits sticking out of the IHS as you can see in the image ...

TL;DR: Thermal Grizzly has launched Duronaut, a high-performance thermal paste with exceptional thermal conductivity and long-term stability. Its unique composition allows for thin application ...

Separating the PCB from the cooling assembly, we witness one of the worst thermal paste messes we have ever ... Subsequent thermal images looked correct, and thus it was time to take the tests ...