Gaming Network Card

[SUBMAN1]

I like all the cool stuff in my system, but I think this one is a little overkill.

-S

http://www.killernic.com/KillerNic/

[TteFAboB]

What the hell?!



L, O, L, comma-slash, close parenthesis.

Now I know why Server-sized computer cases became so popular. It's not because of style or small penial size. It's a bare necessity for the future. Double-sized video-cards, dual CPUs, physics cards, space required for that real cricket-based Pac-Man game, and now network cards, not to mention the biological human-brain unit required for advanced AI, I mean, plain I, without the A.

Does this thing really decrease Ping times?

Or people out there are simply trying to fill all your mother-board slots for the sake of filling your mother-board slots?

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by TteFAboB

What the hell?!



L, O, L, comma-slash, close parenthesis.

Now I know why Server-sized computer cases became so popular. It's not because of style or small penial size. It's a bare necessity for the future. Double-sized video-cards, dual CPUs, physics cards, space required for that real cricket-based Pac-Man game, and now network cards, not to mention the biological human-brain unit required for advanced AI, I mean, plain I, without the A.

Does this thing really decrease Ping times?

Or people out there are simply trying to fill all your mother-board slots for the sake of filling your mother-board slots?

Net cards used to take a high CPU load, but I think this has gone too far, especially since CPU speeds are so high. This card to me is just snakeoil until I see that it really does some verifyable reduced ping times.

It does offload your CPU (in my case, a dual CPU so I am probably less affected by it), but I doubt it does anyting really useful.

-S

[scandium]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Net cards used to take a high CPU load, but I think this has gone too far, especially since CPU speeds are so high. This card to me is just snakeoil until I see that it really does some verifyable reduced ping times.

It does offload your CPU (in my case, a dual CPU so I am probably less affected by it), but I doubt it does anyting really useful.

-S

Yep, my sentiments as well. Little more than a prettied up Gigabit NIC with its own onboard processor, but on a gaming rig this doesn't mean squat; its tailored made for the crowd with more cash to waste than common sense (ie: a useless gimmick to pretty up the case internals, and useless because any decent board out now already has decent Gigabit lan onboard).

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by scandium

Yep, my sentiments as well. Little more than a prettied up Gigabit NIC with its own onboard processor, but on a gaming rig this doesn't mean squat; its tailored made for the crowd with more cash to waste than common sense (ie: a useless gimmick to pretty up the case internals, and useless because any decent board out now already has decent Gigabit lan onboard).

Exactly. I decided to hold off on the Physics card too. Almost bought Aegia version, but said - what the hell am I actually buying? The Ghost Recon demo didn't impress me either. I guess the only real use for it is 3DMark 2006 (Which will use a physics card). No thanks!

-S

[Wim Libaers]

Also keep in mind that computer games usually do not require much data transfer. Even 10Mbps cards are much more than games need. Such things may be useful for cluster supercomputers, but they already have specific cards available working on other (and better for the purpose) network types than Ethernet.

[JSLTIGER]

To me this is overkill, and quite simply a little silly. No ISP has d/l rates of over 6-7MBps let alone 10, most onboard Ethernet solutions are rated at 100 or 1000 MBps anyway.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by JSLTIGER

To me this is overkill, and quite simply a little silly. No ISP has d/l rates of over 6-7MBps let alone 10, most onboard Ethernet solutions are rated at 100 or 1000 MBps anyway.

It is not about transfer, its about CPU. Ehternet cards can eat up to 60% to 80% (More like half that or probably even less with current CPU's) during hi activity / transfer rates. The point of the board is to offload your CPU just like your soundcard (or should I say - some sound cards! ) does or your video card. An example in the past, extremely high speed NW'ing, 0% CPU overhead cards used what was once termed reflective memory (I used to be involved with these about 6 years ago when the company was just VMIC, but it looks like VMIC has been bought be GE FANUC - http://www.gefanuc.com/en/ProductSer...mivme5565.html), but this is more for real time apps (factory control, etc) in which communication has to happen now and CPU overhead is not an option (6 years ago, paying $10K for this board at half its speed was an easy thing to do, and you need at least 2 of them to make it work and they are probably still very pricey), but putting just a simple ethernet board in our system that offloads the CPU for low speed UDP packets in network gaming leaves me skepticle that you will gain a whole 2 ms, let alone something useful like 40 ms.

I'll quit ranting now, but the board is almost 100% in my mind waste. Yes, your CPU will have less to do, but it should be noted that it will be very little less to do. It's for the guy that spent $5K on his system and wants to show his friend some exotic product that no one needs.

-S

[kiwi_2005]

First grunty looking network card ive come across


I want one too.

[Wim Libaers]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

It is not about transfer, its about CPU. Ehternet cards can eat up to 60% to 80% (More like half that or probably even less with current CPU's) during hi activity / transfer rates. The point of the board is to offload your CPU just like your soundcard (or should I say - some sound cards! ) does or your video card.

So, do you know any multiplayer computer game that causes high network activity (unless you're hosting a server for a lot of players)?

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by Wim Libaers

So, do you know any multiplayer computer game that causes high network activity (unless you're hosting a server for a lot of players)?

Answer - no. And, you won't find one. Online NW play is designed around the 28.8 (56K) modem and is optimized for that, so that all can play. This is just a tiny fraction of a 10 mbit board, let alone the standard 100 mbit board. I have a gigabit setup in my house. Starting to see the picture yet? It's a useless product.

-S

PS. upload speed happens to be your best friend in online play, and I still only have 768K up. No where near 1 gigabit.