How much do you guys generally use?

a metric ton

That depends on whether or not you mean per application or in general. In general, I use a lot of thermal paste.

Just put enough to cover the entire IHS. I like to spread mine out. I paint that bitch like Bob Ross.

I'm

Same I'm OCD about this.

The pea Method is fine for metal IHS and probably has at best a 1-2C difference.

If it's bare silicone on a GPU or delidded CPU you need to cover every single bit of exposed surface or you're gonna burn that shit out in a week.

A pea size dab is enough. Don't put too much because it can cause higher temps.

school and youtube both told me pea sized. I generally go with close to this. Most important thing is not to use so much it gets in the crevices or under the cpu.