Conclusion
...the latest-generation Killer network controllers have shed the exorbitant fee while delivering meaningful performance gains via mature software.We come away from our time with the E2400 and Wireless-AC1535 feeling as though Killer has turned a corner.
When you consider that the company's first add-in products were expensive upgrades that in some cases showed minimal real-world gains, it's refreshing to find that the latest-generation Killer network controllers have shed the exorbitant fee while delivering meaningful performance gains via mature software.
Best-in-class latency is now only part of the appeal, and Killer's real value-add is Advance Stream Detect's intelligent prioritisation of network traffic to favour latency-sensitive applications. Putting it all together can result in an improved network experience, and though the feature set won't necessarily appeal to all users, we no longer see a reason to avoid Killer hardware, which is progress in itself.
What the team at Killer has shown is that innovation in the networking space can make a genuine difference to our everyday computing experience. Intelligent identification of data packets can play an important role in today's high-traffic environments, and we're intrigued to see where the technology goes from here. Network controllers that detect and control network traffic on a single device are helpful, but a Killer-equipped router capable of prioritising traffic to any number of devices would be all the more impressive.
The Good The Bad Traffic prioritisation adds value
Requires little user configuration
Stable software and drivers
Doesn't cost a lot CPU utilisation can take a slight hit
Killer Ethernet E2400
HEXUS.where2buy*
The Killer Ethernet E2400 Gigabit Ethernet Controller is available as part of various consumer motherboards. The Wireless-AC 1535 can be acquired as part of a laptop or as a standalone adapter from Amazon UK.
HEXUS.right2reply
At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
*UK-based HEXUS community members are eligible for free delivery and priority customer service through the SCAN.care@HEXUS forum.