A First Look

3 Gold Finger Reviews

This content was originally featured on Amdmb.com and has been converted to PC Perspective’s website. Some color changes and flaws may appear.

As much of an Athlon advocate that I am, I can’t look past these little devices when it comes to ‘bang for the buck.’ As many of you are aware, Gold Finger Devices (GFDs) are external attachments that allow you to increase the multiplier and voltage of the Athlon processor itself, without the needed for an improved motherboard. My original AMD Athlon was a 650 MHz, but as I saw the 1 GHz mark coming closer, I desperately needed to upgrade. Cash flows were low, so buying a new 850 (which were around $600 at that time) was out of the question. I looked toward the GFD companions for my Athlon, and was pleased with the results.

The original design and idea (I am fairly sure) for the GFDs came when Thomas Pabst of Tom’s Hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/) posted on his website the findings he had with some of the first Athlon processors. The original plans called for the soldering of wires to a separate device, but latter evolved into the simple plug-in mode you see today.

Through out the pages of this review, you have to keep a few things in mind. All of the GFDs I tested have the same performance: either they work or they don’t. In other words, all the GFDs are created equal except for the ease of use or aesthetic advantages.

Below is a picture of the three GFDs tested here today: the K7 Overclocker Card, the Ninja Micro FreeSpeed Pro and the Northwind GFD.

3 Gold Finger Reviews - General Tech 33

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