There is no bimetal Tstat on PCs of any kind. There is only a thermal sensor that provides feedback for fan regulation. its not an on/off thing. PWM is increased to speed up the fans as the temp increases.
Dont know of anything directly under the number pad but not far from it under the palm rest area is the primary HDD bay, don't know what type of drive you are using. Any clicking sound is not normal.
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, I'm not sure about the former” ~ Albert Einstein