They can use an okay quality thermal joint compound if it is applied well. My Dell's thermal joint compound looked like someone was trying to make a PBJ sandwic

They can use an okay quality thermal joint compound if it is applied well. My Dell's thermal joint compound looked like someone was trying to make a PBJ sandwich with the stuff. Applied too thickly, and it becomes an insulator. Mac used to have this problem in the past. I repasted my Dell and got 5F reduction at load right away. The problem with all high end mobile CPU's is that they are given a tiny heatsink and heatpipes which are simply not up to the job. They quickly become heat soaked and the fans are unable to reduce the heat, so the units throttle.