i dont use thermal paste and i get pretty good temps, i think that thermal paste is a hoax, metal conducts heat when touching metal, not transfering thru a gel.
If the fan is on, then it's ok unless it's turning real slow. What you need to do now is to take off the side panel to your case and touch the heatsink. If it burns you, then damn, you need to get the CPU out of there and reapply thermal grease/pad on it or replace everything all together with some new aftermarket cooler.
i dont use thermal paste and i get pretty good temps, i think that thermal paste is a hoax, metal conducts heat when touching metal, not transfering thru a gel.