By sanding your processor and CPU-cooler you can improve the cooling performance significantly. How big this improvement is and how to perform this sanding you can read in this workshop.

If you're not satisfied with the performance of your CPU-cooler and get online to serach for possible solutions, you'll probably have come across it: the phenomenon called "sanding", in other words the smoothing of the heatspreader of your CPU and/or the bottom of your CPU-cooler to improve the contact between the two of them and therefore lowering your processor's temperature. The idea behind sanding is simple: the surface of the CPU and cooler is always quite rought, which means there are miniscule dents in it that can worsen the connection between them. The dents are obviously filled with coolingpaste, but the smoother both of the surfaces are, the better the direct connection is and therefore better cooling. Another thing is that CPU-coolers - and to some extent also CPUs - the surface isn't completely straight, but often slightly spherical. you can also smoothen out this 'sphere' by sanding.