One of the surprising things about the market since the launch of the i7 CPU is the utter lack of new heatsink designs specifically for the 1366 platform.  And it's not like the i7 couldn't use some new designs, after all, that CPU is fracking hot.  Well, that all changes today, as we have a brand new design from Kingwin specifically for the 1366 socket, and it is called the XT-1264.  This particular design is fairly similar to the Kingwin Revolution design we looked at some time back, except on a larger scale.  So how well does the design handle the beast that is Nehalem?  Read on and find out!

Out of Box Experience:

The packaging is set up very similarly to the original Revolution that we reviewed in late 2007.  There are a few subtle differences, for example, Kingwin has dropped the Revolution name, and "HDT" has been changed to "HTC".  The naming convention has also changed from the RVT series to the XT series. 

If you compare the new XT to the older Revolution from this angle, you will notice two things are different; first, the fan seems to sit a lot closer to the base than previously.  Secondly, the mounting hardware has changed.  For the AMD sockets, the old groove method has been replaced with a square bracket. 

Like the Revolution before it, the XT also has a spoiler-like apparatus.  In this case they are not removable.  Here we can also see that the fins extend further down towards the base. 

The top of the XT also shows some design differences from the Revolution.  Instead of the rubber studs, the fan is attached to the heatsink with two wire clips, and the copper tubing sits flush with the top of the heatsink.

Another important change is evident in the base; the new XT is equipped with four heatpipes as opposed to the three heatpipes on the Revolution.  We also get a better look at the AMD retention system. 

Also included in the box are the retention brackets for both 775 and 1366 sockets, as well as a small packet of thermal grease.  As you can see, the XT uses the same dreaded push-pin mechanism as the stock cooler.  I have always hated it, and while it makes installation easier, I feel performance would be much better with a retention bracket under the motherboard.