NorthWind GFD 2.0

This card is physically smaller than the others, primarily because of the absence of separate resistor banks or a power connector. This makes it a good choice for space-concerned people. However, the switchblocks are stacked away from the edge connector, so the unit ends up sticking higher off the PCB than the K7OC - roughly the same height as the FreeSpeed Pro. The absence of a power connector is good too, less cable clutter and stress on the PCB.

Documentation is fairly plain - a single photocopied sheet with a table of all the possible multiplier and voltage settings. They include pictures of the switchbanks to make sure you are oriented correctly, but the switchblocks themselves are marked clearly enough so this is not really necessary. Sadly, the settings are not marked on the PCB so you need to hang onto the sheet if you plan on making changes in the future.

An interesting thing about the NorthWind unit is that they have the option of hardware L2 cache control. This is a separate part for an additional USD$20.00. Most people are currently using H-Oda's WCPUA2 program which allows adjustment of the cache in software but there may be advantages to the hardware option. It has also recently become available from Eyo in Australia for $79.00 or $109.00 including the L2 cache kit.