Sorry but spreading is not something I'll ever do.
Why?
Please note my spreading method is not something I just concocted out of mid air. Check the link in my sig to determine if I might have some qualifications on this subject. And the 4th line in my sig to see if I take heat seriously. Then note the "spreading tool" that comes with some of the better TIMs - like
this one or
this one or
here too. Yes, bending the end of a plastic Q-Tip to make a spreader was my idea but it came from the the special spreading tool (similar to those shown) we used in tech school where we were formally taught about TIMs and the proper cooling of heat sensitive devices.
Spreading ensures
thorough,
even coverage and
uniform thickness (important!) AND THERMAL PROTECTION across the entire surface,
starting the instant the computer is powered on the
very first time after application. While your method might be "good enough", it obviously does not provide uniform thickness. There are two ridges with lots of bare space. Your method depends on applied pressure from the heatsink mounting mechanism to distribute the TIM. But obviously again, that distribution will not be across the entire surface, nor will it be immediate. It takes time for the maximum spread to occur.
A CPU can easily go from cool to overheated in just a few clock-cycles. And the 3900x, for example, has at least 3.8
Billion clock cycles in just 1 second! Wouldn't you want the most efficient and thorough coverage starting with the first instant you power on? I sure do.
Remember, even with the world's most efficient TIM, the most efficient
transfer of heat (which is what we want) occurs with direct metal-to-metal contact. The TIM need only fill the imperfections, the microscopic pits and valleys in those mating surfaces - to push out insulating air. So any excess TIM is in the way of that desired heat transfer process. Two "ridges" of TIM, or a big "dab" or "grains of rice" do not cover the most surface area or provide uniform thickness.
In the end, if your temps are fine, then your two ridges method is "good enough" and I would not pull the cooler just to redo your application. But for future applications, I would definitely recommend spreading the TIM out as thin and as thoroughly as possible so you have an "even" thickness of TIM between the mating surfaces, and no ridges that may allow insulating air to get trapped in there.