EVGA Bigfoot Networks Killer Xeno Pro Review
Introduction and Specifications
Bigfoot Networks generated quite a bit of buzz back in 2006 when the company launched the original Killer NIC M1. As many of you probably remember, the original Killer NIC was / is a PCI-based device that featured an on-board network processor, or NPU, that was supposedly able to lower in-game ping times and free up CPU resources, which in turn could increase framerates. The Killer NIC performed these duties by bypassing the Windows networking stack through the use of custom software and offloading network related tasks from the host CPU. And generally speaking, the Killer NIC delivered on all fronts to some degree.
The $250+ price tag of the original Killer NIC was tough to justify, however, and almost immediately there were calls for a PCI Express version of the card. Instead, a few months later the market was treated to the more affordable Killer NIC K1 which had less elaborate cooling and a lower clocked NPU.
Fast forward to today, and Bigfoot Networks is ready with a completely re-vamped PCI Express version of the Killer NIC, dubbed the Xeno Pro. We actually told you about the Xeno a few months back, but the product hit the market just a few weeks ago. We should also note that a Killer Xeno Ultra which sports more memory and an LED readout is also planned, but that product hasn't arrived just yet. We've had a Killer Xeno Pro in the lab for a few weeks though, and have the full scoop laid out in the pages ahead. First up the specs, and then we'll dig into the juicy particulars...
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Speeds |
10/100/1000 Mbps |
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Electrical |
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Power Requirements |
Max 10W, Typical 3W |
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Network Processing Unit |
400MHz |
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Memory |
128 MB DDR PC2100 266MHz |
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Connector |
PCIe |
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Ports |
RJ-45, USB 2.0, 3.5mm audio input and output |
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Physical |
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Individual Card |
4" x 4.5" x .75" |
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Weight |
4 oz. |
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Operating Systems |
Microsoft Windows XP 32 bit |
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Microsoft Windows Vista 32 bit; Microsoft Windows Vista 64 bit |
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Certification/ Compliance |
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Microsoft Certification |
WHQL - XP and Vista |
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IEEE Compliance |
802.3, 802.3u, 802.3x, 802.3z |
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Regulatory |
FCC Class B (CFR 47, Part 15, Subpart B) |
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CE |
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RoHS Compliant |
As the specifications above show, the Killer Xeno Pro is essentially a gigabit ethernet card, equipped with a 400MHz network processor and 128MB of DDR2 RAM (the original Killer NICs had only 64MB). There is also a USB 2.0 interface and audio input and output jacks. We'll explain why this network card needs all of these additional components on the next page, but specifications alone should tell you that the Xeno is no standard NIC.
