There may be higher cfm units, but at this price-point, you're not going to see one. Smooth is good, finish marks are bad. This unit might perform better with some lapping, but as shipped it is not well finished. I could feel ripples on this one. If you happen to have a razor blade, you can use it to see how flat the base is.
Grease is an absolute, but it's no substitute for a flat base.
The Startech was good on this score. The more fins you see, the more likely the heatsink will perform better than a unit sporting less fins. Average - Yes. The Startech is very easy to mount - it was extremely easy to put on and get off. I can't tell you that the clip force was up to AMD's spec.