- Joined
- Apr 4, 2008
- Messages
- 4,686 (0.80/day)
System Name | Obelisc |
---|---|
Processor | i7 3770k @ 4.8 GHz |
Motherboard | Asus P8Z77-V |
Cooling | H110 |
Memory | 16GB(4x4) @ 2400 MHz 9-11-11-31 |
Video Card(s) | GTX 780 Ti |
Storage | 850 EVO 1TB, 2x 5TB Toshiba |
Case | T81 |
Audio Device(s) | X-Fi Titanium HD |
Power Supply | EVGA 850 T2 80+ TITANIUM |
Software | Win10 64bit |
Just thought I'd post my experience with the Killer NIC K1 for anyone thinking about picking one up, specifically anyone wondering what the effects are on a high-end system. I got the K1 (cheaper one) because it was on sale for $100 and literally the ONLY difference between it and the M1 is the core speed - 333 vs 400 mhz - and in reviews comparing the two there was zero performance difference.
Installation was easy, I used the latest beta drivers from the forum... something I'd recommend doing given how old the non-beta drivers are. I followed all the setting, OS, and router tweaks available on the forum to make sure I'm maximizing my performance. I have the card's firewall and bandwidth control features turned off to free up as much processing power as possible.
For the testing I went to Dalaran, the one place in WoW that seems to bring every pc down to 25-30 FPS. I had a nearby friend with nearly identical pc specs stand in the exact same spot as me facing the same direction. We both got identical framerates, but my ping was 32ms and his was 42ms. We repeated this 5 times at different points in the day, the gap was always 10ms. My ping prior to the card was the same as his, 42ms. I did not experience the "smooth" feeling reviewers reported, as everything was already as "smooth" as you could notice. I also tested Hellgate London but there was no noticeable difference, namely I still had inventory lag.
So to summarize, 10ms is the improvement you can expect on a high-end system. I'm sure the difference is much more noticeable on low end systems. Based on my experience with it I can recommend this for about 3 scenarios. If you're big on competitive FPS multiplayer gaming then 10 ms may very well improve your performance. If your pc is rather low end and struggles in places other than Dalaran then IF you can find it as cheaply as me it might be the most beneficial upgrade for you. Lastly, if you're like me and must offload as much as possible from the cpu for every scrap of performance... then this may appeal to you.
Installation was easy, I used the latest beta drivers from the forum... something I'd recommend doing given how old the non-beta drivers are. I followed all the setting, OS, and router tweaks available on the forum to make sure I'm maximizing my performance. I have the card's firewall and bandwidth control features turned off to free up as much processing power as possible.
For the testing I went to Dalaran, the one place in WoW that seems to bring every pc down to 25-30 FPS. I had a nearby friend with nearly identical pc specs stand in the exact same spot as me facing the same direction. We both got identical framerates, but my ping was 32ms and his was 42ms. We repeated this 5 times at different points in the day, the gap was always 10ms. My ping prior to the card was the same as his, 42ms. I did not experience the "smooth" feeling reviewers reported, as everything was already as "smooth" as you could notice. I also tested Hellgate London but there was no noticeable difference, namely I still had inventory lag.
So to summarize, 10ms is the improvement you can expect on a high-end system. I'm sure the difference is much more noticeable on low end systems. Based on my experience with it I can recommend this for about 3 scenarios. If you're big on competitive FPS multiplayer gaming then 10 ms may very well improve your performance. If your pc is rather low end and struggles in places other than Dalaran then IF you can find it as cheaply as me it might be the most beneficial upgrade for you. Lastly, if you're like me and must offload as much as possible from the cpu for every scrap of performance... then this may appeal to you.