Using Ace's heat pipe mod, the board now has a very noticeable flex to it. Finding a happy medium between torque on teh fasteners and the amount of flex in the board is so far- my challange.

Ace - did yuo keep the springs from the push-pins and use those on the shank of the screw under the nut to help supply force? Or did you just tighten until the nuts snug up?

Doing this as increased my CPU temp becuase now the board flexed enough that my Scythe Ninja can't make 100% contact. Verified by the blot pattern of thermal compound on the base of the Ninja.
Perhaps a "bolt through board" heat sink mounted FIRST, and then tigten teh nuts on the heatpipe. Or, I did'nt use the springs and I was suppoed to. But one thing for sure, PWM thermals are MUCH lower.