Thanks again for all the feedback here. I "pulled the trigger" a few hours ago and placed my order through newegg.
Slaymate, I took your advice both regarding the paste and the mobo. I guess I had just heard of Arctic Silver because it's more commercial, but the Tuniq was a better idea. I also spent an extra $40 on a mobo that wasn't open box after reviewing newegg's open box policy more closely. A few extra bucks to ensure quality just seemed like the right thing to do.
Thanks again!