BigFoot Networks Launches More Affordable Killer NIC K1

by Marco Chiappetta — Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 12:00 PM EDT

BigFoot Networks, the makers of the Killer Network Interface Card, have launched a new, more affordable version of the product. The first Killer NIC, aka the M1, sells for roughly $250. It is equipped with a 400MHz network processing unit, a large "K" heatsink, 64MB of DDR RAM, and a USB 2.0 port for connecting an external flash or hard drive. The drive is used to store files or FNApps which can be executed on the Killer. Our complete review of the original Killer NIC can be found here if you'd like some more in-depth analysis.

The new Killer K1 NIC is similar to the M1, with a few exceptions. Before we list the differences, let's take a look at the K1 in all its glory...

Technical Specifications

Data Rates: 10/100/1000 Ethernet Fast Ethernet Controller
333Mhz Network Processing Unit
Integrated Memory: 64MB DDR PC2100
IEEE Compliance: 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3x, 802.3z
Data Path Width: 32-bit PCI
Data Transfer Mode: Bus-master DMA

General

Connectors: RJ-45
Port: USB2.0
Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista
Typical Power Consumption: 5-10W

Out of the box, the new Killer K1 differs from the original in that the K1 is powered by a 333MHz NPU (as opposed to 400MHz), it lacks the flashy "Killer K" heatsink, and support for FNApps is disabled. It does offer all of the gaming-related enhancements associated with the original, however. BigFoot's goal with the K1 was to offer gamers a lower-priced Killer NIC with all of the game enhancing features (GameFirst, FNA, UltimatePing, MaxFPS, and PingThrottle) of the original, minus a couple of the lesser used items. The end-result is the K1, which is on-sale now for about $150 (after MIR) - a full $70 to $100 lower than the original.

We should also note that the K1 can be upgraded through firmware to enable the FNApps feature should the user so choose. There is a charge associated with the upgrade.

We have not fully tested the Killer K1, but representatives from BigFoot Networks say it will perform virtually identically to the original while gaming. The lower-clocked NPU will not run FNApps quite as fast as the original, however.

Tags: Nic, Network, Killer Nic, Bigfoot Networks, Killer, Work, Bigfoot, launch, ford, GF, dab, affordable, Two, Networks, K1, K

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com