Dishwasher: Killer nic

Friday, 4 January 2013

Killer nic

The Killer NIC (Network Interface Card), from Bigfoot Networks, is designed to circumvent the Microsoft Windows TCP/IP stack, and handle processing on the card via a dedicated Network Processing Unit. Most standard NIC's are host based, and make use of the primary CPU. The manufacturer claims that the Killer NIC is capable of reducing network latency and lag. The card was first introduced in 2006.The Killer NIC comes in 2 models; the K1 and the M1. Both models contain a Freescale PowerQUICC processor, 64 MB RAM, a single Gigabit Ethernet port, as well as a single USB 2.0 port, intended for use with specialized programs running on the card's embedded Linux operating system.
The primary difference between the models is that the M1 has a stylized metallic heat sink, and a processor running at 400 MHz, while the K1 lacks a heat sink, and runs at only 333 MHz. Currently performance differences between the cards are limited, although it is believed that future programs designed for the cards will be capable of utilizing the increased processing power of the M1.
Killer NIC is offered as a stand alone product or is bundled with computers from OEMs like the Dell XPS 630.[1][dead link]