Yes and yes. The backplate is not included with the block. There's little difference in performance between the copper and the LT. Pick whichever you like the looks of better. I really like the mounting mechanism of the Heatkiller (though many do not) and did not find it difficult to install. I have also worked with the GTZ and it is the easier of the 2 blocks to install.

Also, the R2E does not have the same chip behind the CPU socket as the X48 version.