Dell E6400 cooler does not reach GPU chip

[Ulfsaar]

I changed the thermal paste on a Dell E6400 Processor, north bridge and GPU. After that the GPU temps were very high because as I discovered after opening it back up, the thermal paste barely dips the cooler, it barely reaches. So I put the thermal pad back on and now the GPU is hotter than it was in the very beginning, I get black screen on some games. I think the pad doesn't reach very well either.

In the very beginning it got to about 80C max. Now it gets to about 87-88C max.

The CPU and north bridge reach well, only the GPU doesn't.

What can be done about it, what would you do about it? Would a shim help?

 

[i7Baby]

What GPU? Fans? Fan Speed? Maybe it gets hot anyway - old ones especially do.

 

[Ulfsaar]

Quadro NVS 160m. There is a fan, not sure the speed.

Currently I ordered some shims and will try those once they get here. It's actually usable right now using the pad. Previously I hadn't connected the fan connector, that's why I got black screen. But it still goes up to 89C in games.