On the side opposite the pump, we can see a stylized chrome design cutout placed over the heatsink fins.  The shiny chrome almost looks like a football helmet.

     Another turn, and we have the back of the Gladiator.  Not as exciting as the rest, though we can see the fin density and the heatpipes clearly. 

     One of the more interesting aesthetic features of the Gladiator is the top.  Since this is what most people will be seeing after the unit is installed, Kingwin decided to cover the unit with a highly polished chrome piece.  As we can see, it can be difficult to escape the picture of a mirrored surface. 

Finally, a look at the interface area.  The copper interface area is covered with a protective sticker.

      One of the most important parts of a heatsink is the interface area.  Ideally, the interface should be perfectly flat, and smooth as a mirror.  In the case of the Gladiator, the interface follows the same as the previous Kingwin samples. The copper plate is pretty rough to the touch, and it is plainly visible that this unit needs a good lapping.

Installation:

     Installation of the Gladiator could not get any easier.  For socket 939, all you have to do is remove your old heatsink, and use the existing backplate and bracket.

     Once the old heatsink is gone, use thermal grease like you always would, and place the Gladiator on the CPU.  Once the heatsink is in place, place the clip in the grooves, and over the bracket.  Finally, twist the lever on the clip in place, and you are all good to go.  The clip doesn’t secure the heatsink as tight as I would like, we will see if that affects performance. 

     Here is what we got once everything has been installed.  The look is very different from every other heatsink I have looked at, it is definitely unique.  Unfortunately, it is too tall to let me put the top back on.  At 165mm, it is even taller than the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme.  Let us see how she performs, shall we?