Sorta OT: DO NOT trust intel stock heatsink paste

[Ughmahedhurtz]

That's installed on a stock 2600k on an Intel DP67DE motherboard per the manufacturer's instructions. The plastic push-pins combined with the shitty paste on these things is atrocious. They've actually gotten worse with the 2600k, IMO. My i7-950 is a bigger heatsink and had much better paste on it (obviously, as it ran about 15C cooler than these did and the 950 was OC'd from 3.06 to ~3.8GHZ!! /boggle).

Get some good Arctic Silver or Noctua NH-T1 and clean that stock junk off of there. I suspect the stock heatsink would probably do OK with good paste for normal, non-OC situations, though considering big heat-pipe heatsinks can be had for less than $30, there's not much reason to stick with the stock coolers anymore, especially considering the abysmal performance.

[burningforce]

I hate push pins with a passion! I do not know who thought it was a good idea to use something like that where the cheap plastic pins can break easily.

I think the stock heatsink is decent for stock IF you clean off their thermal compund and use mx-2 or ac5 and have a well ventilated case that has great air-flow.
other then that I would not touch the stock heatsink for any overclocking or if you have a bad case with limited air flow.

[EaTCarbS]

I never trusted Intel stock thermal paste or heatsinks.