We are greeted with yet another design from G.Skill both in graphics and package size. There is no race car on the front of this package and it is very simple yet at the same time there is an aura of excitement wrapping itself around this light blue package and I for one cannot wait to get inside.

The very slim but rather large package contains nothing more than a gradient around the lower half and the G.Skill & PI logos annotated with "Where Speed Is!". The backside of the book size package is as simple as the front with a sticker outlining specifications and UPS code for retailers. The package is a bit bigger than most memory packages but that is mostly due to the larger modules inside that the package has to accomodate.

The front flap also opens like a book providing visual access to the actual modules and our first look at the new PI heat spreaders. We can see that the memory is enclosed in a plastic clam shell to protect it and that the package is merely decorative. The inside flap contains the familiar thermal image of with and without heat spreaders. We hate to be skeptical but it looks more like a 'graphical representation' than an actual thermal image. I don't want to say G.Skill is lying but they show an image of two modules that appear to have exact heat signatures, not to mention the fact that the images simply looked created and not actual images. Either way, we have known for years that heat spreaders help distribute the temperature more evenly across the module as the image depicts.

The plastic clam shell G.Skill uses appears to be similar to what other manufacturers are using and what G.Skill has provided in the past for protection during transport. This plastic clam shell works well and provides ample protection for the modules. It seals tightly at all four corners and can act as a carrying case or storage case by itself after opening the package.

The contents of the F3-12800CL7D-4GBPI package are about the same as what we received with the F3-12800CL7D-2GBHZs. There really is no need for an accessory package and G.Skill doesn't provide one. They simply include a G.Skill sticker and a small leaflet with instructions as well as support contact information. The support contact info is really nice to have for those that don't know how to search on Google, and believe it or not, there are plenty out there that need something included in the package with a web site address or e-mail address for support.

We weren't sure what to expect based on the advertising G.Skill had done with the PI heat spreaders. We were assuming something totally revolutionary was going to come out of the package but we were let down a little bit with that expectation. The PI heat spreaders appear to be just a basic aluminum heat sink with small decorative extensions at the top that help increase cooling surface area. I wouldn't expect the cooling loops at the top to really provide any additional cooling abilities that other solutions don't already offer. So calling the PI heat spreader revolutionary would be rather ambitious of us. Instead, we can call the PI heat spreaders a very smart looking light-weight heat sink that aids in cooling of the memory ICs but doesn't push the memory cooling envelope through innovation as we had hoped.

Is the heat sink an upgrade from the previous generation of G.Skill memory? I would have to say yes but of course can't really back up those claims with actual evidence due to lack of thermal imaging equipment or other high-tech devices. The additional cooling of the decorative loops probably does aid in the cooling abilities of these new heat sinks, but I would imagine the improvements in thermal material between the ICs and the heat sink is what is really going to benefit these modules from G.Skill modules of past. In the second image above, we are looking at the ends of the modules with a macro lens on the camera. If you look at the outside of the left module, you can see the square edge of the IC and where it contacts the heat sink. You will notice no big thick thermal pad, instead, there is just a small clear enamel-like substance. This is the thermal adhesive and is similar to the likes of Corsair and what they have been using for years now. When we first received our modules, one of the heatsinks was slightly lifted from the ICs but with a little bit of pressure we were able to sit it down and it has stuck well since. Because of this we don't believe the thermal material is cured to the modules but it is a step in the right direction for G.Skill.

We are now going to have a look at the specifications of these modules.