Tom's Hardware Modem Router Combo Nighthawk
The All-time Gaming Routers 2022
In that location'southward non exactly a strict definition about what makes a router a gaming router, merely yous'll probably know one when you see one. It will likely sport ambitious angles and, often, a plethora of antennas. But aside from aesthetics, what makes a router a gaming router, let alone the all-time gaming router? In general, you can expect higher-end internal hardware than budget offerings, including extra bands to handle more devices, and oft a faster CPU and more RAM to juggle a larger device load.
Usually, features aimed at gamers are also included in the user interface to help prioritize gaming traffic and packets. And extra granular controls are added for tweaking and streamlining your network performance to make certain information technology all-time serves your gaming needs. Unsurprisingly, this typically comes at a higher cost than near mainstream routers, merely can make for a better gaming feel with less lag, peculiarly if your habitation network and Internet bandwidth are split between several users and dozens of devices.
All that said, the all-time gaming router for you might not be a gaming router at all if you're in a pocket-size apartment without several people clamoring for your limited cyberspace bandwidth. If that sounds like yous, consider a more mainstream router and spend the extra coin on a better CPU, graphics carte, or a bigger SSD so yous can install more games.
Also, keep in mind that while the all-time gaming router can do a lot to prioritize your gaming packets and limit lag, it won't give you ameliorate Internet than what you lot're currently paying for, or make y'all substantially better at competitive gaming. A properly configured gaming router will, at the very least, make sure that the reason you lost has more to do with your skillset (or lack thereof) than anything else.
For much more on this subject, check out our guide to shopping for the correct gaming router. But we'll cover some of the bones considerations below.
How to Cull the Best Gaming Router
There is enough to consider if you're in the market for a router, whether you're after the best gaming router or something less gaming-specific:
- Should you splurge on Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax), or Stick with Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)? Unless you're just going to go a budget router to tide you lot over, you should go at least Wi-Fi 6, though probably not 6E simply yet. For more than on this, check out our Wi-Fi 6/6E feature.
- How many wired ports do you need? While Wi-Fi is user-friendly, wired Ethernet is still platonic when it comes to latency and reliability -- two important factors for gaming. So whenever possible, you'll desire to be plugged into your router via Ethernet when playing competitive games. Most routers ship with four LAN ports for plugging in four Ethernet devices, plus i input for your Cyberspace (WAN).
Four ports is enough for most people, but with the rise of smart abode hubs, set-top boxes, consoles and other devices, yous may want more. Higher-stop options sometimes (but not always) ship with more Ethernet ports. TP-Link's Archer AX6000 impressively has eight Ethernet ports. Alternatively, you could plug in one of the best network switches and add every bit many Ethernet ports as your network needs.
- Consider the size and makeup of your abode. Deciding which model is the best gaming router for y'all likewise comes downward to how large your home is, plus how one-time it is, which tends to dictate what'southward inside your walls. If you lot have a large space and/or your walls are made with things like brick, metallic, or foil-wrapped insulation, consider a mesh router or a router that'due south mesh-compatible so that y'all tin buy additional satellites to identify in areas where bespeak force is weak. Note that most of Asus' recent routers tin role as function of a mesh setup; await for a feature called AiMesh. Range extenders/repeaters can also exist used to improve throughput or fill in expressionless spots. But they are often more complicated to set up and don't work every bit seamlessly as a mesh setup, which your devices will see as a singular network, no affair where you are in your abode and which device yous're connected to.
- How many bands do I demand? That largely depends on how many devices there are in your home connecting to your network. Think of bands like carve up highways for devices to connect to. Simply note that not all of those highways travel at the same speed or take the same amount of lanes. Without getting into details that could turn this whole section into a story unto itself, if gaming traffic is your priority, wait for a router with ii v GHz bands, and then that near of your modern devices can connect to one and you tin go out the other wide open for your gaming packets.
If you have one of the all-time gaming PCs or all-time gaming laptops with Wi-Fi 6E capabilities, you lot may want to consider a router with a vi GHz band. Just know that the range of six GHz tends to exist shorter than 5 GHz or 2.5 GHz, and then you'll want to be sure your router is fairly close to your gaming rig. Remember, though, that ideally you should be plugged directly in via Ethernet so that crowded Wi-Fi bands won't exist a concern at all.
The Best Gaming Routers You Can Buy Today
Information technology lacks RGB lights, and setup could be easier, just Netgear's Nighthawk XR1000 brings its powerful DumaOS iii.0 for fine-tuning of the network to prioritize traffic, as well as Wi-Fi 6 with beamforming. There'due south no Wi-Fi 6E hither either, simply with very few devices actually supporting that spec, plus the fact that its inclusion would come up at the sacrifice of a second useful 5 GHz band, most users are meliorate off without 6E for at to the lowest degree a couple more years anyway. If you lot're after something simpler and much cheaper, D-Link'southward $99 EXO AX1800 delivers Wi-Fi half dozen on the cheap, though it has plenty of limitations.
The Netgear NXR1000 may not exist for anybody, especially given its $300-plus toll. But those who desire a truthful gaming router with granular controls rather than colorful lights should consider this the best gaming router for their needs.
Read: Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 review
The Asus RT-AX82U offers a good combination of Wi-Fi 6 throughput and gaming functioning, all in an attractive, reasonably compact package for a modest $230. Nosotros were impressed past the high fps scores, the pick for gaming-centric QoS settings, and the integrated security.
You also get Aura compatible RGB lighting, which some will appreciate, but yous tin can also turn off. Just know that your Ethernet and USB options are express, and there's no WTFast choice. In that location'southward also no Wi-Fi 6E here, but nosotros wouldn't expect information technology at this cost, and the vast majority of devices can't take advantage of the 6 GHz band yet anyhow.
Read: Asus RT-AX82U review
Asus' ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 was the showtime Wi-Fi 6E router bachelor, and it shows that coming early to a new standard is not without some issues. We applaud this router'south extremely speedy Wi-Fi throughput, ease of setup, integrated security, back up for OutFox, a service which promises less gaming latency, and the flexibility in the wired ports that offering link aggregation.
Just the GT-AXE11000 is extremely expensive; there are very few Wi-Fi 6E devices on the marketplace, and nosotros saw poor QoS performance in our testing with the current firmware at the time. This issue was stock-still by reverting to older firmware, only that firmware introduced latency issues. Conspicuously at the fourth dimension we tested, Asus was even so working out some software bugs.
It's possible or even likely that these performance issues will exist improved past the time you lot read this. Merely Wi-Fi 6E is even so very much in its infancy. So unless money isn't an object and yous but must accept the latest Wi-Fi standard (along with some other very skillful features that this router brings to the table), y'all may want to wait until more than 6E routers are available and the standard has had some time to mature and proliferate to more clients.
Read: Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 WiFi 6E review
TP-Link's Archer AX6000 Next-Gen Wi-Fi Router sits somewhere betwixt a full-tilt gaming router similar the
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000and bones budget options like TP-Link'south sub-$70
Archer A7 AC1750. The Archer AX6000's 'middle of the road' approach results in a router that's larger than some, with lots of antennas (8) and gigabit Ethernet ports (8, plus a ii.5GB WAN). You lot besides get Wi-Fi half dozen, though non the newer 6E that makes utilize of the less-cluttered vi GHz band.
Delivering a good value for most $250, the Archer AX6000 impressed us with its solid 5 GHz throughput speeds, high fps gaming scores when connected via Ethernet or 5 GHz, integrated 8 port switch, and included security subscription. Just know that the gaming-centric and QoS features found in pricier gaming routers are oftentimes absent here, as is a third ring to ameliorate handle lots of devices. But as a general-purpose, mid-range router, there is plenty to like nearly the AX6000, including decent overall gaming operation.
Read: TP-Link Archer AX6000 Next-Gen Wi-Fi vi Router review
Other tested products: In recent weeks, we've tested some other routers that weren't skillful enough to make our best gaming router list. Netgear'due south Nighthawk Mesh Wi-Fi 6 AX3600 looked similar a promising mesh solution, with its solid features and ease of setup. But its inadequate QoS, connection problems and the fact that you need to pay for antivirus (in addition to its already high price) made it hard to recommend.
D-Link's EXO AX AX1800 (DIR-X1870) has more mainstream appeal, thanks to its Wi-Fi vi support and good gaming performance, paired with its $99 price. But 2.4 GHz performance was disappointing, ports are express (with no USB) and the router was painfully boring to accept and enable any configuration changes.
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