Killer E2100 NIC Ethernet

The Killer E2100 NIC Ethernet

As stated the BigFoot Killer NPU has been embedded as well. The Bigfoot Killer E2100 network processing unit (NPU) is a dedicated network co-processor that runs at 400Mhz, features its own 1GB of DDR2 Samsung memory, and uses a PCI-E x1 lane.

The Killer E2100 embedded game networking NIC uses dedicated core logic and Bigfoot Networks Game Networking DNA software to classify and accelerate online game traffic on embedded solutions.

This expensive NIC will allow you to game online with less lag. Now the Killer E2100 gets traffic from the network, to the game, and back out to the network faster than any other PC network card. But we are extremely skeptical about the NIC as we say that lag is created outside your home network, e.g. in-between the router and the destination. The NIC can do very little about that, especially with the excellent Intel and Realtek NIC available these days. The sheer hardware design and next to it the software, is just really good though offering you a wide variety of settings and monitoring options.

In an earlier review we did perform some manual tests. Upload performance on our 120/10 MBit/s internet connection for example:

• Upload 9.4 Mbit/s over Intel NIC
• Upload 9.4Mbit/s over Killer NIC
• Download 122.2 Mbit/s over Intel NIC
• Download 122.1 Mbit/s over Killer NIC

Ping times then, from the Netherlands towards the USA we are pinging comcast

• 98ms on the Intel NIC
• 98ms on the Killer NIC

So we can't see the performance benefit on our end. Admittedly, it is a lovely solution and the software suite is just grand.