Small 10GbE network adapter from Realtek to be integrated into motherboards by year's end
Breaking News: Cheap & Efficient 10GbE Networking for the Masses, Coming Soon!
🔘 5/29 Update: Hey there! A Realtek rep reached out to clarify some finer details on the RTL8127 pricing and CAT5E cable usage. The controller will initially set you back $15, but with increased production, the cost drops to a jaw-dropping $10. As for your old CAT5E cables, Realtek suggests they could work, but if you run into issues (which, let's be real, could happen), you'll need to upgrade to CAT6 cables for optimal performance.
🗓 5/23 Update: Realtek's RTL8127 NIC is making some serious waves. The company recently showed off the RTL8127 working with an unspecified switch using cheap CAT5E cables. But here's the catch: most 10GbE-ready routers and switches prefer CAT6 cabling, so tread carefully and make sure your setup is compatible.
With the surge of higher-end motherboards featuring 2.5GbE or even 5GbE network ports on the rise, finding one with a 10GbE adapter proves challenging due to hefty costs. But hold on tight because Realtek has got you covered – they're prepping an affordable (we're talking around $10 per chip when in bulk!) 10GbE controller. Coming soon to Computex 2025 – hook it up and get ready to ride the 10GbE train!
Weighing in at just 9mm x 9mm and boasting a PCIe 4.0 x1 or PCIe 3.0 x2 interface, the RTL8127 holds its own when it comes to network speeds, supporting 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, and 10 Gbps. Want to save on power? The RTL8127 consumes a modest 1.95W and supports modern standby modes, perfect for laptop-lovers!
Also, the RTL8127 is equipped with hardware-level error correction and cyclic redundancy check features to ensure a rock-solid connection and protect your data during transmission. And let's not forget those built-in self-loopback diagnostic functions that make maintenance a breeze!
The 10GBase-T technology has been playing in the big leagues (servers and high-end workstations, anyone?) for eons, but its penetration into the mainstream PC market has been...glacial, to put it mildly. But all that's about to change, thanks to Realtek's affordable 10GbE solution.
Ideal for a range of applications, including motherboards, laptops, add-on Ethernet cards, and various customer premises equipment (CPE), the RTL8127's charm lies in its wallet-friendly price tag. "We're not selling for $10 in Q4, the current reference price varies for different customers: it would be around $15, some higher, some lower, depending on the quantity," a rep said. "Since the quantities are not large, the $10 target might not happen this year, but it will happen when the quantity grows larger in the future."
So, what does this mean for you? Most likely, 10GbE connectivity will become a coveted feature in high-end desktop motherboards starting late 2025 - early 2026. But remember, that 10GbE goodness will come at a price... literally!
Now comes the million-dollar question: what about the infrastructure (switches, access points, etc.) that supports 10GbE? Well, the cheapest 10GBase-T switch currently available from TP-Link costs a steep $299. And yeah, you guessed it, those CAT6 or CAT6A cables don't come cheap either, making a 10GbE network an expensive endeavor. But no worries! Realtek assures us that – despite the CAT5E cables used in their demos – you'll need to upgrade to standard CAT6A cables for optimal performance.
"Regarding the CAT5E demonstration, we just want to show that the hardware could link up to 10G with some CAT5E cable less than 80m in length," Realtek told us. "[To demonstrate that the] customer has a chance to use their old cable, but if it does not work, they still need to buy a standard CAT6A cable." Cue sigh of relief.
But wait, if there's a flood of motherboards with a budget-friendly 10GbE NIC and increased demand, switches will become more affordable. Guess we'll just have to sit tight and wait for that sweet, sweet day to come!
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The introduction of Realtek's affordable 10GbE controller, the RTL8127, into the market highlights a significant breakthrough in data-and-cloud-computing technology, making 10GbE networking more accessible to the masses. This innovative technology, combined with the increasing popularity of 10GbE-ready motherboards, offers promising changes in the technology landscape, potentially revolutionizing network speeds and performance.
