Gamers value their time online. A lot. Anything which can enhance game time, improve frame rate or targeting performance is a huge asset. The Killer NIC is a necessary development in computer gaming, adding almost an additional system on a card, rather than a traditional Network Interface Card. Powered by Lag and Latency Reduction (LLR™) Technology, Killer gives you superior speed and performance, with more Frames Per Second and lower Pings when they matter most: during intense online gaming action. Killer NIC does this by several innovative methods.
Network packets from your game are prioritized and delivered before other network activity. UltimatePing Technology maximizes the speed of your PC because the 400MHz Network Processor Unit (NPU) delivers data to games faster, reducing your Ping. If some opponents complain that your ping is “too low,” then PingThrottle allows you to adjust it a little higher – then dial it back down to go in for the kill. MaxFPS technology offloads network processing to Killer, allowing your CPU to prioritize what you need it to: your game. The sooner you get one, the sooner you’ll be smoking the competition!
400 MHz Network Processing UnitThe built-in 400 MHz Network Processing Unit (NPU) runs a highly-optimized version of embedded Linux to remove the packet processing burden from your CPU and delivers the packets extremely fast and efficiently.
USB 2.0 PortThe included USB 2.0 port works with Killer's Flexible Network Architecture (FNA) to enable gamers to access hardware accessories (USB Drive, Microphone, etc.) while running FNA applications.
Nickel-Plated Aluminum HeatsinkThe Nickel-Plated Aluminum Heatsink helps to dissipate heat from the NPU while it runs advanced networking and Flexible Network Architecture (FNA) functions.
64MB DDR MemoryThe onboard 64MB DDR memory works in conjunction with the NPU to support the network offloading functionality and the Flexible Network Architecture.
Pros: So now, to answer the burning question… is the card worth the money? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: It does just what it says it is going to do. I play World of Warcraft and KillerNIC dropped my ping by 20-30ish ms and has boosted my FPS in situations where there is LOTS of action going on the screen and my FPS is dropping like flies. It reduces times where you would normally see lag in the game making for a smoother experience over all. Now I’ve got a higher end gaming system and I did not see worlds of difference in my games… could I live without this card, you bet. Am I having a better gaming experience so far? Yeah… and that’s what this card is aiming for. I am looking forward to doing some more graphic’s intense stuff later where there is going to be even more crazy stuff going on to really put this thing to the test and I’ll keep ya posted.
Cons: My first card was DOA & while it would load & the OS saw that it was there, something was hosed & it would not get an IP address (it took six hours of solo troubleshooting to confirm it was hosed, I was getting really annoyed). Called Bigfoot & they heard me out, did a basic troubleshoot, & suggested I put in a ticket on their website (to some not the best way to handle tech support but to me this is the best way to describe every little thing that I tried to do to troubleshoot the card). Bigfoot sent me an email thanking me for attempting to troubleshoot with them & that they believe the card is dead (well duh); setup next day RMA cross ship & wait. Next day- no replacement card… *gurr* oh well I did get my credit card info to them at the last minute to have them cross-ship me another card. Day two of waiting- Replacement card arrives, uninstall bad card, & drop in new card… lights up to start… that’s a good sign; installed drivers and everything works. That’s MORE LIKE IT!
Overall Review: Well the NIC is shiny right out of the box with a sweet “K” shaped aluminum nickel-plated heat sink… put it in though and it kind of disappears in-between my other cards so you can’t see it, oh well. . Lights on the card flash like a warning beacon on a cell tower at night… not to annoying, has a cool effect to it. Tentative final impressions: Tech support is there to work stuff out, I’m happy with the support, second card working as advertised, if you have the money to blow and you would call yourself a hardcore gamer that needs that little extra edge or your looking for a better online gaming experience this card is what your looking for.