A little more than a year ago, we reviewed the Kingwin RVT-12025 CPU cooler, which earned the OCIA.net Seal of Approval for its good performance, light weight and low cost. In the interim since, Kingwin has released an updated version of that cooler, the RVT-12025D, which used a similar concept but repositioned the cooling fins parallel to the motherboard rather than perpendicular as in the tower-style concept. While still incorporating the HDT or Heatpipe Direct Touch technology, which eliminates the lower half of the cooler base allowing the machined surface of the heatpipes to come in direct contact with the CPU, the 12025D adds a fourth heatpipe to help speed heat away from the core.


New for 2009, Kingwin has replaced the old RVT-9225 and RVT-12025 with newer, updated tower cooler models dubbed the XT-964 and XT-1264. While keeping with a similar concept, Kingwin now refers to their technology as HTC or Heatpipe Touch Chip, which is basically a change in name only. Both models retain their machined individual copper heatpipe base with aluminum fin configuration, coupled with either a 92mm or 120mm fan appropriately sized to the unit. Speaking of size, the new cooler design is a few millimeters shorter than the old RVT but nearly 2½cm thicker for increased fin surface area. Like the horizontal RVT-12025D, heatpipe count has been increased from three to four for better performance and heat dissipation. Support for Intel's socket 1366 is also added.

Join me as I take a closer look at the Kingwin XT-1266 HTC cooler.