The point of this article was not just to have fun deconstructing this memory, but to see how it performed with and without the heatspreader in place.  The test system used included the following other components:

• Intel Pentium D 840 (Dual Core 3.2 GHz) processor
• Cooler Master Type II BTX Cooler
• Intel 945GCZ mBTX motherboard
• 500 GB Seagate 3 Gbps SATA hard drive
• Cooler Master CM Media B260 mBTX case and power supply
• Two channel 5.25" bay LCD thermometer
• Windows XP Home Edition SP2

The two channel LCD thermometer was the key, as it was used to monitor the temperatures of the memory, as well as getting a baseline reading of the ambient temperature before starting.  I attached both leads of the thermometer to two locations on the same module before and after removing the heatspreader.  This BTX system was run with the top of the case off for tetsing, and there are no fans to blow on the memory.  The system simply uses the CPU cooler's fan to draw air in and the power supply's fan to exhaust air.

One lead from the thermometer was placed up against the left edge of the last memory chip to the left (when looking at the memory with the "gold fingers" pointing down), somewhat wedged against the chip and the PCB.  With the heatspreader in place, the probe was behind the heatspreader.  The second lead was installed in a similar manner, but on the left edge of the memory chip located just to the right of the notched key in the memory's gold fingers.

The chart below details the findings after running each configuration through a 30 minute loop of SiSoftware's Sandra Memory Benchmark.

As you can see, the heatspreader did in fact prevent the memory from running as cool as possible.  With the heatspreader removed to expose the bare chips to the surrounding air, the surface temperature dropped 7.5 degrees.  While the XTC heatspreader may look cool, it obviously does nothing to aid cooling.  This is just one design of heatspreader, and since the launch of OCZ Technology's XTC design, many other approaches to cooling memory have been launched that could possibly do a much better job.  Some utilize oversized fins connected to the heatspreader, some with a heatpipe leading to an elevated radiator, and some that allow for the connection of fans or liquid cooling.