Rivet Networks Killer Wireless-AC 1535 MU-MIMO Card Review

By Ken Brown March 25, 2016

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

This was our first experience working with a MU-MIMO wireless network adapter. When the folks at MSI chose to include the Killer 1535 in their GT-series notebooks, that move turned out to be a huge upgrade over the normal stock Intel-based wireless card.

Going into this review, we wanted to see if the Killer 1535 upgrade was worth the extra bit of money as well as confirm a real-world difference over stock network cards. One of the most used cards in mobile computing is the Intel 7200-series and from using it the MSI GT72, as well as our Dell Latitude laptop, we have seen that it is an incredible useful and reliable card. In out speed tests, we saw that the Intel card was very fast when used in a clean environment with little to no network traffic. Through our tests and every-day use, we see that Wi-Fi cards like the Intel 7265 are ideal if you live alone where you dont have to worry about any network traffic or trying to multitask while gaming.

Things change dramatically when you want to multitask or do any sort of gaming on your network. Our test show that even if you have blazing speeds via a cable modem or running gigabit Ethernet, you should consider the Killer networking card if you are concerned about any drops or slowing down in the connection you have made.

We worked with the MSI GT72 for about a month side by side with a laptop that didnt contain a Killer 1535 network card. Honestly, it was clear that using a Killer-equipped laptop was a total step up in performance. Many times we take for granted our technology especially those that are related to our Wi-Fi and are satisfied with just obtaining a signal. The folks that upgrade their machines to the Killer 1535 will be lucky to experience the dramatic change in experience.

A hardcore gamer will certainly feel the difference between a Killer 1535 and a normally-equipped gaming laptop. The many bells and whistles that Killer has included with the 1535 make this a no-brainer as you are configuring your new system.

Legit Bottom Line:

The Killer Wireless-AC 1535 network adapter is one of the best networking devices we have looked at. If you care about gaming in an environment with other network traffic, you seriously need to consider having a network device that will optimize your network throughput. Having a machine with the Killer Wireless-AC 1535 will do that.