Regardless of whether there is pre-applied paste on your cooler or not, don't forget to peel the protective film off the cold plate / paste area before installing the cooler.
Regardless of whether there is pre-applied paste on your cooler or not, don't forget to peel the protective film off the cold plate / paste area before installing the cooler. If you skip this step, you'll have to tear half of your system apart later when you realize your CPU temperatures are abnormally high.