Unboxed:

Once we get the V8 out of the box, we see just how solid this thing is.  From the side, we can see the  various heatpipes going everywhere.  The bottom almost looks like it has an exhaust manifold.

In this side view, we get our first look at the fan.  We have seen this "sandwich" style before; and while it promises silence, it makes customization a bit more difficult.  We can also see the potentiometer used to control the fan speed.

Here is the side of the heatsink that makes it the most distinctive.  The plate on the top is obviously designed to look like a valve cover for a muscle car.  It almost makes me want to take it apart to bore out some cylinders.  At least I won't have to worry about replacing the timing belt!

Here, we get a close-up of the junction between the heatpipes and the base.  If there is any warping, you should notice gaps in this junction; in this case the pipes are solidly mounted.

Once we peal off the sticker, we can analyze the surface of the base.  Ideally, this surface should be perfectly smooth.  On the V8, we can see very slight grooves from the machining process.  Lapping may provide a miniscule benefit, but I think it's safe to say that this is plenty smooth for the vast majority of us. 

Finally, we have a close-up of the variable speed controller and the 4-pin connector. 

Also included is all the necessary hardware, as well as some thermal grease.  If you look back to last year, the installation kit is very similar to the GeminII.  In addition to all the necessary brackets and backplates, we also have a PCI bracket for the speed controller.