OC3D Review: Bigfoot Networks Killer NIC & Killer K1 Network Cards

[JN]

"Today we've been given the opportunity to take a look at Bigfoot Network's "Killer NIC" and "Killer K1" Gaming Network Cards. With promises of lower pings and increased FPS though its 'LLR' technology, will these card live up to their $180+ price tag."

Read the full review.

 

[nunzio]

Well its a sweet review.

 

[Luffy]

Great review and technology insight.

Nice one XMS

 

[equk]

innovation?

I just looked thru the graphs and laughed at their promo stuff at the beginning. Not sure how it is an innovation?

The idea of sharing the load is ok (3years ago), but the fps test doesn't prove anything (in that it is a graph over time periods). The same with the ping graphs. Altho neither shows a significant difference

The 1ms 'gained' could be due to other factors. (avg gain or loss. 0.9ms)

The same with the fps. (avg gain. 5.6fps)

'Sharing the load' on a dual core system isn't really going to make much difference tbh also what happened to all the software stuff they have been boasting about.

I know I sound like I'm being aggressive or whatever but at the end of the day it's a overpriced NIC (10x the normal price?) with a router spec processor on it (based on routers than can be had for £8-£45).

One thing the tests do prove is that their own marketing tests were probably done on a low spec system.

Not sure how it ends with 70%

Still a good review, even if it is more like an advert (Given the masses of marketing info)

 

[FragTek]

Great review, stupid piece of hardware.

 

[equk]

Great review,stupid piece of hardware.

idd haha

glad someone agrees

 

[JN]

I just looked thru the graphs and laughed at their promo stuff at the beginning. Not sure how it is an innovation?

The reason the card got an innovation award is literally because the first product of its type that has been brought to the market. Sure there are server class nic's that may do a similar thing, but still Bigfoot have put a lot of work into the card regardless whether it pays off on a high spec system or not.

'Sharing the load' on a dual core system isn't really going to make much difference tbh also what happened to all the software stuff they have been boasting about.

Agreed. A large portion of the Killer NIC technology will make very little difference to a Dual core system (pretty much as seen in the graphs).

I know I sound like I'm being aggressive or whatever but at the end of the day it's a overpriced NIC (10x the normal price?) with a router spec processor on it (based on routers than can be had for £8-£45).

One thing the tests do prove is that their own marketing tests were probably done on a low spec system.

Agreed.

Not sure how it ends with 70%

The final score was weighted in exactly the same way as all other reviews on OC3D. It just happens that it done exceptionally well in Presentation that it bumped up the score above the ~60% (but still presentation only counts for 10% total, Pricing 30%, Performance 60%).

Still a good review, even if it is more like an advert (Given the masses of marketing info)

Thanks, and I'm disappointed you found it to be like an advert. I was merely explaining the technology behind the card. I'd hope that readers who have never encountered the Killer NIC before may find it useful.

 

[equk]

New Advert:

Before:

(nice grammar - to keeping up)

After:

 

[NickS]

LOL nice one equk.

 

[Allsorts]

Thanks for the review XMS, I've been waiting patiently ever since your "Need your help on this next one..." thread! :beerchug: I think you hit it on the head when you said "[is] spending ~$200 on a network card ... the most cost effective way of gaining an FPS increase?" I guess most people would get more bang-per-buck from more RAM, better CPU, GPU or even ISP.

Interestingly, the topmost screenshot on page 4 of your review shows an option menu with a 'Promiscuous Mode: Disabled' setting. Is the other setting 'Sven-Göran Eriksson' by any chance?

 

[FarFarAway]

I have to say that saying it's an advert is actually pretty offensive. We would never look at a product review as a way of advertising for a company. We are fully independent and rate a product as we see it.

The pictures have to be put in to show what Killer say it does but when you read the graphs they tell their own story.

The Killer card does what a server class NIC does (but for gaming, not HTTP/IMAP/POP etc), for less money.

However: is it worth the money? I don't think so

 

[equk]

I have to say that saying it's an advert is actually pretty offensive.

soz, I didn't mean to offend or anything. I just thought the first page in particular had so much promo stuff on it (written by bigfoot networks).

The Killer card does what a server class NIC does (but for gaming, not HTTP/IMAP/POP etc), for less money.

I thought most (if not all) server NIC's ran on 64-bit PCI and PCI-X BUS's (66mhz to 133mhz 32bit and 33mhz 64bit)

Even with some newer server NIC's running on PCI-X 2.0.

PCI-X 2.0 Mode II and PCI 2.3 compliant 64 bit, 266 MHz (133 MHz DDR) host interface

 

[equk]

The more of bigfoot networks advertising I read, the more I think they are playing on dumb users to buy their product. A lot of it could be seen as false advertising aswell.

1. Who's computer grinds to a halt when downloading

2. It might not slow down the computer but it will slow down the network

3. You gain nothing from using it and instead are limiting youself to the USB storage

A lot of 'their' apps are merely versions of scripts/apps that have been around on linux routers and systems for years.

"FN Firewall" - IPTables firewall

"PingThrottle™" - IPTables network throttling

The Killer NIC runs a "highly optimized" embedded Linux OS based on a 2.6.16 kernel. It comes with a Windows utility that lets users open a Linux shell on the card, where busybox provides a subset of normal Linux system commands.

Since it is based on Linux, the Killer NIC's OS is open source

Where is the source code can't see it on their website.

 

[FarFarAway]

But what I'm saying is that in order to prioritise UDP your looking at a high-end server NIC

Hell i'm not justifying the price, just saying that other similar solutions cost a lot more.

And if you review a company's product then you tend to have to take what they say about it. I would hardly class it as advertising and to say that to an independent review site is offensive. But I digress.

It's a great idea, but perhaps not needed unless you have stacks of money and want that tiny FPS and ping advantage.

Also "normal" people don't use Linux router systems.

And if you think advertising isn't for the stupid masses then I dunno who you think it's for

 

[equk]

Also "normal" people don't use Linux router systems.

really?

a few linux routers:

Netgear/DG834G

Netgear/DG834GT

Netgear/DG834Gv3

ZyXEL/Prestige 660HW-61

ZyXEL/Prestige 660M-67

ZyXEL/Prestige 660R-61C

Linksys/WRT54G

Linksys/WRT54GS

Linksys/WRT54GC

Linksys/WRT54GX

Linksys/WAG54G

Linksys/WAG54GS

Belkin/F5D7130

Belkin/F5D7230

Asus/WL500G

Asus/WL500B

Asus/WL300G

Buffalo WHR-G54S, WHR-HP-G54, WZR-HP-G54, and WZR-RS-G54

ASUS WL500G Deluxe, Premium & Original

 

[nunzio]

So really.. this NIC gives you nothing that a good router would. besides the low cpu usage

 

[FragTek]

On a happy side-note I just picked up a $200 Intel dual-port PCI NIC for $20 refurbed, w00t!

Wonder if it does a better job than the Killer, we shall see, muahaha.

 

[FarFarAway]

Aye but they don't configure them properly is what I meant. I'm quite aware that some routers run on Linux.

I'm not arguing any more, the review says it all perfectly imo

 

[nunzio]

Indeed the review has all the info you would need to not go and buy the NIC Hopefully they will moving it over to PCI-e and release the source code, as per GPL.

 

[equk]

Aye but they don't configure them properly is what I meant.

In regards to the KillerNIC's "FN Firewall", from looking at it, it is a pre-configured firewall. Much the same as a standard router is. Probably using a SPI script for IPTables (the same as £8 routers).

I've not seen any screenshots of a frontend to the "FN Firewall" at all.

As for properly configuring linux router firewalls, most of them provide good options in the web interface for port forwarding, QoS (including network throttling) & have a SPI firewall built in.

On a happy side-note I just picked up a $200 Intel dual-port PCI NIC for $20 refurbed, w00t!

Wonder if it does a better job than the Killer, we shall see, muahaha.

lol nice