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#11
The only reason for a pad or paste is due to very tiny irregularities in the surfaces of both the CPU and the HSF. Those create very tiny gaps (often thinner than a piece of paper) that need to be filled with a heat-conductive material.
When you use paste, you generally apply it and then scrape off all but a very thin layer.
I don't understand the comment that the gap is too large to use paste. IF that is true, then the HSF is not seating properly on the CPU chip.