Quote Originally Posted by Chipmunk888
if its brand new, I believe there is a bundled or attached thermal pad or paste underneath the heatsink base so no need to buy one. but if its used already, better clean and replace the thermal stuff to have efficient distribution of heat.
the gunk that comes with stock heatsinks, even the better ones like the HSF for the X2 4400 does not compare to AS5... When i removed it, it was like cement... i doubt it would do as well as the AS5...

Its best to buy a tube of AS5, anyway you can also use it tor your mobo's heatsink/fan, and your vidcard...