[JohnWhoTwo]

Let's take this and generalize somewhat:

A CPU will generate a certain amount of heat under a specific load.

A specific HSF can dissipate a certain amount of heat.

While the various pastes, for the most part, may be very close in specs to the amount of heat they can transfer from the CPU to the HSF (although some may spec out better), the quality of the installation (complete coverage, no bubbles, etc.) will go a long way toward the overall efficiency of the heat dissipation of a particular installation.

Someone with a near perfect setup with any good paste may be getting very close to the optimum.

The fact that relative "noobs" can remove the "professionally installed" paste and replace it with ICD7 and then report a better (cooler) set of temps would seem to show that overall, the ICD7 will give close to the best results most of the time due to it's ease of installation.

Hello_Moto may have been one of the very fortunate ones who actually had a very well done system, which seems to be supported by the fact that the ICD7 didn't change anything very much.

Except - he should now feel comfortable that he has a system being cooled as well as possible without making any sort of major alterations.

At least, that's my take.