A heat transfer apparatus comprises a thermally conductive member including a base having one or more surfaces adapted to absorb heat from an electronic component, and a mounting assembly including at least one mounting member directly coupled to the base and for direct attachment to the electronic component so that loading forces for mounting on it the electronic component are not directly applied to the base. The thermally conductive member is a graphite-based material. A compliant force applying mechanism is mounted generally on the base for controlling forces applied on the base.