A Wi-Fi chip 6 built on Intel



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One of the main criticisms of Killer network hardware has been reliability and hardware drivers. On the latest generation product, the company has eliminated these by working with Intel, using Intel hardware and Intel's stack of drivers. Intel's part of the contract was to include Killer team hardware and IP to enable Killer features: advanced flow detection, Killer intelligence engine, and prioritization. This launch is again in collaboration with Intel, for the AX1650 chip compatible Wi-Fi 6, available for integration into devices or as an M.2 module.

Killer and Intel: a "deadly" combination for Wi-Fi 6

Intel has recently announced its Wi-Fi 6 module, the AX200. The Rivet Networks Killer AX1650 is an evolution of this card that supports the same features: theoretical throughput of up to 2.4 Gb / s with a 2×2 best-latency connection in multi-user scenarios, extended battery life in mobile devices and share the same stack of basic drivers. The Killer AX1650 promises to beat the Intel module on the market and will be available on Alienware in April.

The Wi-Fi 6 as standard offers most of these benefits: improved performance up to 40% over the 802.11ac standard, increased throughput in dense environments and a better sleeping sleep environment. The added value for the Killer version comes from its quality of service offering that goes beyond what the Intel solution offers.

A quick summary about the killer: a new killer

The company behind the Killer product line, Rivet Networks, from Qualcomm's Atheros division in 2014, has since developed its latest technology with the most capable partner to offer the best combination of features. For its Wi-Fi modules since 2017, it was Intel and this partnership is now at its second iteration. As mentioned above, Intel integrates the needs of Rivet into its core chip, and this chip is sold as both Intel solution or Killer solution with added features enabled, but with the same hardware underneath and the same stack of basic drivers, with additional adjustments. on the killer side.

These changes allow the Killer product to do several things that the Intel version can not: use proven algorithms to detect the types of network traffic (streaming, games, VOIP, video, downloads) from the traffic patterns, then calibrate the priority queue accordingly, ensuring that priority and latency-sensitive traffic leaves the system first. The software comes automatically with a pre-programmed white list of automatic priority software, and users can set priority on the fly; Rivet also performs its own internal checks each night to ensure the top 1000 applications are always detected correctly. By offloading hardware from network detection algorithms and the prioritization process, one of Killer's promised benefits is lower processor utilization compared to other software optimization solutions.

This means that the two main problems faced by users with the implementation of Killer, hardware and drivers, share the core of Intel's common network. Without the Killer software installed, the hardware works as the Intel solution should.

Additional Killer features

In addition to hardware / software integration Advanced Stream Detect, Rivet Networks has developed the company's offerings, all built using the underlying hardware as a point of acceleration. One of them is Killer Intelligence Engine, which provides a list of optimizations provided by the software to deliver a sharper network experience, as well as recommendations that the user can also make.

Such optimizations include, for example, low priority video stream detection, or preferential traffic transmission over different connections based on reliability, latency, and bandwidth. In speaking with Rivet Networks, KIE has actually been a great tool for diagnosing network problems.

Another important feature is xTend, which allows users to use the Wi-Fi module connected to a Wi-Fi network while also broadcasting as an access point. It uses temporal clipping to handle both, but if users need to expand their network (for example, in a small hotel room), the Killer software can help manage that. For the AX1650 product, this means a complete Wi-Fi access point 6, allowing devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 to take advantage of the connectivity features offered by Wi-Fi 6.

For customers who want to integrate Killer with a laptop or motherboard with multiple Killer connections (Wi-Fi and wired), the package also allows Double Shot Pro, allowing users to configure which channel data can be disabled, by setting priorities for bandwidth. and latency for users who can take advantage of multiple connections or networks.

We have been in contact with Rivet Networks for several years. One of the highlights in talking to them is that they do not fear reactions – they get a lot, as you can imagine. Rivet's team have met me several times over the years to discuss hardware and software offerings, and I've seen the product line evolve over time, with some of my information being built into the final versions. The team is very positive and has the real conviction that it has a differentiating product that offers enthusiasts substantial benefits for their gaming system. Based on the Intel solution, the Killer product is a bit more expensive than Intel. and if it was not good, Rivet's partners would not continue to use next-generation product generation. As an objectively neutral viewer, since I speak the same way with all Rivet's competitors, I can understand where Killer product offerings offer this level of differentiation from the competition and from Intel's solutions. . OEMs such as Dell, Acer and MSI tend to agree on their gaming portfolio and have been using the Killer solution for several generations.

The Wi-Fi killer 6 AX1650 2×2

The first Rivet Networks partner for the AX1650 is Alienware from Dell, which will ship with the new chip in April. Given our conversations with CES vendors, it seems that the Computex show in June will be a hub for many new materials. We can therefore expect to see new ads. For users who wish to purchase the AX1650 separately for their system, an associated M.2 module will be available on Amazon in a timely manner.

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