Apply Thermal Compound to new board?

I just got a new GigaByte GA-EP45-DS4P for my new build. Should I remove the heatsinks on it, clean off the factory compound, and then apply my own (MX-2 or Ceramique)? I haven't heard anything on this board about heat, but I've read that after removing the compound from the factory and applying one's own, that there was a great deal of drop in temps on other boards. Give me your opinion on this. Thanks.

If you feel comfortable with removing the heatpipe structure and apply a nice thin layer of thermal compound then go for it. You'll no doubt see better heat dissipation. But if you don't feel comfortable with removing the heatsinks, and if the heatsinks feel hot after a lot of use, then I wouldn't worry about it. The hot heatsinks mean that plenty of heat is getting transfered from the chipset/mossfets to the copper.