Z600 Packaging:
The box that the Z600 is sold in is shown below. While it may just look like a decorative cross design on the front cover, it is actually a fairly accurate representation of a top view of the cooler. The Z600 is unique since it doesn't have the typical round or square profile.
 
The various faces of the box provide information on the product's features and specifications, which was helpful since a detailed list was not available on the Internet at the time this review was completed.
Z600 Basics:
Everything is big with the Z600.... The height, width, weight, heatpipes, and even the thickness of the fins. It may be hard to appreciate in these images, but later in the review it will be shown side by side with another cooler that I used to think was too big! The below left image takes a look at the Z600 from the top, which reveals the large cross shaped profile seen on the packaging. Except for the large Cooler Master logo found on top, everything has a slick, monochrome Nickel finish.
 
The cooling fins aren't the thin flimsy things you might find on most coolers, as these are just a bit thicker, but far stronger. Six somewhat U-shaped heatpipes take the heat from the cooler's base up through the fins. The surface that mates with the processor is smooth and flat, and two bolts are used to sandwich the heatpipes between it and a top plate. Given the size and weight of this beast, the mounting method obviously uses a bolt through the board design. The mounting brackets bolt to the cooler's base using the threaded holes found in each of the four corners, and even though a back plate is provided for the opposite side of the motherboard, the manual lists it as optional!
 
All of the Z600's accessories are shown below. You get a fold out user's manual, warranty card, a bag with mounting brackets and a motherboard backplate, a bag with mounting hardware and a tube of thermal paste, and a bag with four brackets for holding up to two 120mm fans in place.
I found the user's manual to be a bit weak. While there are pictures provided for just about every step, the text instructions are very brief. With so many little screws and washers, and so many steps to complete the assembly, I felt a better job could have been done to detail the process.
While the Z600 is touted as being capable of passively cooling today's hot processors, it includes brackets for you to add two of your own 120mm fans. These brackets have to be bolted on to the fans, and then the assemblies pop on to the cooler with clips. It would be nice if the whole setup was tool-less, something like what Thermalright or Noctua do. While the size of the bare cooler seems over the top, I can't imagine how enormous it will be with fans attached!
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