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Realtek/Marvell Ethernet in "high-end" boards

E

eddieck

Gawd
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
1,010
The only X58 board out there with an Intel Ethernet solution is Intel's own DX58SO. ASUS, EVGA, Gigabyte, and MSI are all selling high-end boards with these lame Realtek and Marvell Ethernet solutions (though ASUS seems to use Marvell for higher-end boards like the Deluxe, and Yukons are a little better than Realtek IMO).

But seriously. I can understand cheapo Realtek Ethernet on some bargain basement board, but when you're selling expensive models like R2E or Classified (both around $400) I'm very sure you can afford to spend a bit more on a quality NIC. I've got a P6T SE which is a lower-end X58 board and I can kind of understand their use of Realtek NICs, but what about the Deluxe? Or the R2E? Intel NICs offer higher throughput, less latency, and less CPU utilization (though that's not really what I care about these days).
 
Since very few of the motherboard manufacturing companies offer a quality network interface on any of their motherboards you don't have a choice in the matter. In the end onboard NICs are just another check mark on the list of features that make their way onto the PR handouts and Power Point slides distributed by motherboard manufacturers. They are "good enough" to please most people out there. They allow you to browse the internet, play online games and transfer files on home networks. Given how slow internet connections generally are I'd say this is typically fine. I think the manufacturers believe these are "good enough" solutions, and like onboard audio, anyone that actually cares enough to replace them will do so and then the onboard stuff ends up being more like a freebie than anything. This is despite the fact that we actually do pay for this stuff.

If you really care Intel PRO/1000 PT server cards can be had for less than $90.00 on Newegg. These will actually outperform the onboard Intel NIC and again they don't cost that much.
 
Dan_D said:
If you really care Intel PRO/1000 PT server cards can be had for less than $90.00 on Newegg. These will actually outperform the onboard Intel NIC and again they don't cost that much.
Click to expand...

I actually have a PCIe x1 Gigabit CT NIC. It works great, and less latency than the Realtek onboard solution (I've tested this side-by-side, and a P4 with Intel 10/100 has less latency connecting to the same server, same game, same network, at the same time, than a Realtek GigE). I'm happy with my desktop-class NIC but do the server ones really perform that much better?
 
Realtek nic sucks. Marvell is a little better. I also the Intel Gigabit CT which work alot better then the onboard crap.
 
eddieck said:
I actually have a PCIe x1 Gigabit CT NIC. It works great, and less latency than the Realtek onboard solution (I've tested this side-by-side, and a P4 with Intel 10/100 has less latency connecting to the same server, same game, same network, at the same time, than a Realtek GigE). I'm happy with my desktop-class NIC but do the server ones really perform that much better?
Click to expand...

As far as I've ever been able to tell comparing feature lists, performance and usage, the only real differences are some additional acceleration features for IPsec, iSCSI etc. that don't matter to most home users, a few features unlocked in the Windows drivers (e.g. trunking), and models with more than 1 port available.

As to the original post, I absolutely agree. It's pretty ridiculous. Especially when they include 2 or even more crappy NICs. I think a home user will be much better served by one good NIC than a bunch of crappy ones.
 
keenan said:
As to the original post, I absolutely agree. It's pretty ridiculous. Especially when they include 2 or even more crappy NICs. I think a home user will be much better served by one good NIC than a bunch of crappy ones.
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Especially gamers, considering the Intel has noticeably less lag. There's zero reason for the R2E or Classified or other "built for gaming" high-end boards to be using Realtek or Marvell, other than greed.
 
Dan_D said:
This is true but few people give a damn.
Click to expand...

Sadly. :(

My gaming laptop games better with my intel 5300AGN wireless card than the onboard realtek it has and that not a cheap laptop. $3500, yet you still get a realtek. :(
Funny how my $900 HP 8710w has a intel nic which rock. :)
 
Typically the only machines I see with onboard Intel NICs are servers and a few workstations. Even then most of what you see is Broadcrap which still isn't very good.
 
Dan_D said:
Typically the only machines I see with onboard Intel NICs are servers and a few workstations. Even then most of what you see is Broadcrap which still isn't very good.
Click to expand...

I think it was more common for budget makers to use Intel back a few years ago. That P4 that has the Intel PRO 10/100 is a budget Dell Dimension. Lately though, I haven't seen any consumer OEM machines with quality NICs.
 
I also put together this Newegg comparison list for X58 boards with a decent layout. In my book, decent layout means allowing a single PCI card (sound card or NIC), a single PCIe x1 card (again, sound or NIC), a dual-slot PCIe 2.0 x16 graphics card, a PCIe 2.0 (x8 minimum) SATA 6Gbps card (future expansion), and a PCIe x4 minimum slot for USB 3.0. I did not remove any particular brand so you'll find budget brands (that most [H]'ers wouldn't dare look at) like ASRock and ECS on there.
 
what do you people think of the Xeno Pro? I'm definitely getting a NIC for my next gaming build and was trying to decide between these five.
 
Daemas said:
what do you people think of the Xeno Pro? I'm definitely getting a NIC for my next gaming build and was trying to decide between these five.
Click to expand...


The Intel EXPI9400PT server adapter for $86.00 is the one I'm using in my server. It is a FANTASTIC NIC.
 
Dan_D said:
The Intel EXPI9400PT server adapter for $86.00 is the one I'm using in my server. It is a FANTASTIC NIC.
Click to expand...

as a gamer who does the occasional big downloads/torrents, am i going to see anything different between the 30 dollar NIC and the 85 dollar one? I actually only put the Xeno Pro in there because it's black. It goes along with the rest of my theme for my build. Do you know how it does versus either of those other two NICS?

EDIT: Also, what are the differences bewteen the 30 and 39 dollar NICs and the 75 and 85 dollar ones? what makes those others worth the extra ten dollars?
 
Daemas said:
as a gamer who does the occasional big downloads/torrents, am i going to see anything different between the 30 dollar NIC and the 85 dollar one? I actually only put the Xeno Pro in there because it's black. It goes along with the rest of my theme for my build. Do you know how it does versus either of those other two NICS?
Click to expand...

The Xeno is an overpriced piece of crap. It doesn't work in any OS other than Windows, and I doubt it's any better than the Intel. Sure, it's better than onboard - of course - but why pay $100 for some POS when you can get a quality $30 one just as good, if not better, that also offers Linux drivers?

Daemas said:
EDIT: Also, what are the differences bewteen the 30 and 39 dollar NICs and the 75 and 85 dollar ones? what makes those others worth the extra ten dollars?
Click to expand...

I can't seem to tell a difference between the two Intel NICs - other than model number (one is BLK and the other has no suffix). They both appear to have the same specifications and are both retail models. You should be fine with the cheaper one.

The $75 and $85 Intel NICs are for servers and are probably overkill for your needs.
 
Daemas said:
as a gamer who does the occasional big downloads/torrents, am i going to see anything different between the 30 dollar NIC and the 85 dollar one? I actually only put the Xeno Pro in there because it's black. It goes along with the rest of my theme for my build. Do you know how it does versus either of those other two NICS?

EDIT: Also, what are the differences bewteen the 30 and 39 dollar NICs and the 75 and 85 dollar ones? what makes those others worth the extra ten dollars?
Click to expand...

you could of spray painted it black. ;) :p
 
IIRC, the BLK SKU includes a low-profile PCI bracket and uses screws to attach the bracket instead of it being permanently attached. The card itself is the same.

Actually looking at the pictures it seems both include the bracket. Weird, the BLK one doesn't seem to be an Intel part number either. My only guess is that it comes in a pack of 20 or something that NewEgg unpacks and resells, as opposed to actual Intel retail packaging.
 
This has bothered me for a while, too. I'm just using an Intel Pro/1000 MT PCI card in my desktop.
 
LOCO LAPTOP said:
you could of spray painted it black. ;) :p
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I thought about that. Does that work (i.e. not fuck shit up?) I assume if it didn't fuck it up immediately that it would help trap heat on the card and screw it up anyway. Maybe i could get a full cover water block for it :D
 
Daemas said:
I thought about that. Does that work (i.e. not fuck shit up?) I assume if it didn't fuck it up immediately that it would help trap heat on the card and screw it up anyway. Maybe i could get a full cover water block for it :D
Click to expand...

To get it to look good you likely would have to put the paint on so thick it would actually reduce the thermal performance of the HS despite black radiating heat better.


What I did was put on a black fan (with under-driven pulleys), which improved the fresh air intake on the resistors, ported and polished the capacitors , trimmed the deck height on the inductors, then dyno tuned the entire board. The internet now goes faster but it is still 99% crap.
 
Dan_D said:
The Intel EXPI9400PT server adapter for $86.00 is the one I'm using in my server. It is a FANTASTIC NIC.
Click to expand...

i'm thinking about getting one of these for my domain/file server at home.. but not sure if it will solve my problem.. when i'm transferring files from my workstation to my domain, i can no longer surf the web until the transfer is completed. It is like, the domain can not access the dns records until it's done file transferring. Not sure if its because the NIC is shit or windows is stupid

server hardware:
Asus M3A78-CM - Onboard Realtek Nic
4GB RAM - AMD X2 4850e 2.5GHZ CPU
 
BillParrish said:
To get it to look good you likely would have to put the paint on so thick it would actually reduce the thermal performance of the HS despite black radiating heat better.


What I did was put on a black fan (with under-driven pulleys), which improved the fresh air intake on the resistors, ported and polished the capacitors , trimmed the deck height on the inductors, then dyno tuned the entire board. The internet now goes faster but it is still 99% crap.
Click to expand...

can't i just put a big ass spoiler on it?
 
How about Type R stickers?

In all seriousness, I wouldn't paint it. Who knows what kind of electrical properties each brand/type of paint have? They could even be different across brands, colors, even batches...
 
mjz_5 said:
i'm thinking about getting one of these for my domain/file server at home.. but not sure if it will solve my problem.. when i'm transferring files from my workstation to my domain, i can no longer surf the web until the transfer is completed. It is like, the domain can not access the dns records until it's done file transferring. Not sure if its because the NIC is shit or windows is stupid

server hardware:
Asus M3A78-CM - Onboard Realtek Nic
4GB RAM - AMD X2 4850e 2.5GHZ CPU
Click to expand...

I don't think that will solve your problem. There is something else going on software wise that is causing you this issue.
 
Say you got a great Intel PCI-e network adapter card. How well would it compare to the "benefits" of the Killer NIC?
 
What benefits? Beside somewhat bad drivers and compatibility issues, not much to say about the Killer NIC... I knew what I was buying, but I wanted to try it... Lets just say my next NIC will be an Intel.
 
MooCow said:
Say you got a great Intel PCI-e network adapter card. How well would it compare to the "benefits" of the Killer NIC?
Click to expand...

The Killer NIC is capable of doing things that other network cards really can't, but frankly they aren't really necessary features. The benefits over say an Intel server NIC are few and are of little benefit in the real world. Their so called benefits are really theoretical. (Running programs on its local OS, etc.) Add to that its bad drivers, terrible OS compatibility and what you have is essentially a pretty paperweight. If you are serious about networking, an Intel server adapter in your price range is where its at.
 
can anyone recommend a good Intel nic? Preferably a PCI-e one that fits in the 1x mini slots... I saw an Intel PCI-e NIC on the for sale/trade section a few weeks ago for 20 bucks I really shoulda jumped on that (its sold).
 
MooCow said:
can anyone recommend a good Intel nic? Preferably a PCI-e one that fits in the 1x mini slots... I saw an Intel PCI-e NIC on the for sale/trade section a few weeks ago for 20 bucks I really shoulda jumped on that (its sold).
Click to expand...

The Intel EXPI9400PT server adapter for $86.00 at Newegg is the one I recommend. There are some less expensive models which would probably serve you just as well though. See post #12 for Newegg links.
 
Dan_D said:
Typically the only machines I see with onboard Intel NICs are servers and a few workstations. Even then most of what you see is Broadcrap which still isn't very good.
Click to expand...

Where I work all of our PC's from Servers to Laptops have Intel Nics. We can't afford any downtime.
 
Dan_D said:
The Intel EXPI9400PT server adapter for $86.00 at Newegg is the one I recommend. There are some less expensive models which would probably serve you just as well though. See post #12 for Newegg links.
Click to expand...

would you recommend that one even for me? I'm only doing a gaming build with some 1GB downloads and various torrents sprinkled in. As an aside, how often does Intel put out new NIC models? I was thinking about buying one now versus waiting til sandy bridge to make my purchase.
 
Daemas said:
would you recommend that one even for me? I'm only doing a gaming build with some 1GB downloads and various torrents sprinkled in.
Click to expand...

Go with the $30 one. See keenan's post for more info - the server ones offer extra features that probably wouldn't be useful to a typical gamer.

Daemas said:
As an aside, how often does Intel put out new NIC models? I was thinking about buying one now versus waiting til sandy bridge to make my purchase.
Click to expand...

Don't bother waiting. There is nothing they could really "refresh" in an NIC.
 
Daemas said:
would you recommend that one even for me? I'm only doing a gaming build with some 1GB downloads and various torrents sprinkled in. As an aside, how often does Intel put out new NIC models? I was thinking about buying one now versus waiting til sandy bridge to make my purchase.
Click to expand...

I'd get one when you need one. NIC models rarely get refreshed. When they do the differences aren't earth shattering.
 
I have Marvell on my P6T Deluxe board and have it disabled.

Really does nothing for me
 
Thanks to this thread, I just got the cheapest PCI-e 1x Intel NIC from newegg today. I will test it out with Bad Company 2 later...
 
I haven't found the NIC to make a difference in online gaming. There are more weak links in the average home network and thus, it doesn't do much. Where it does help is in large file transfers.
 
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