MSI Releases Its First Wi-Fi 6E Gaming Router For Super-Fast Performance

Gamers know the importance of latency. When playing a game with others online, even the slightest delays in the network can be the difference between winning and losing; every millisecond counts. Those who don’t play computer games may not understand the lengths that an avid gamer will go to ensure their network functions as fast as possible.

MSI is a world-leading gaming brand and has just announced a raft of new networking products, including the RadiX AXE6600 Wi-Fi 6E tri-band gaming router, the RadiX AX6600 Wi-Fi 6 tri-band gaming router, plus the AX1800 Wi-Fi USB adapter. MSI says it aims to provide gamers with a home network that is ultra-fast and with low latency and no jitter.

That’s quite a claim, so I decided to test that out by looking at the Radix AXE6600 Wi-Fi 6E tri-band gaming router. This beast of a router is the Ferrari of networking and comes with all the accouterments you’d expect from an advanced gaming router. It is also compatible with the latest Wi-Fi 6E tri-band coverage to ensure that wireless signals are strong, uncongested, and very responsive.

The MSI Radix AXE6600 has the spaceship-style design that seems so popular with gamers and it has a slick-looking shield with an illuminated dragon logo. All six antennas also feature LEDs that change color depending on the router’s operating mode. Those LEDs can also be customized to suit the user’s tastes.

At the rear of the Radix AXE6600 is a power switch, USB 3.0 port for network storage, and a 2.5GBps WAN port for connecting to high-speed internet or cable modems. This feature is essential for people with a fiber-to-the-door connection. In addition, there are four Gigabit Ethernet ports for hard-wiring devices to the router.

On the top of the router is a series of buttons for disabling the LEDs, turning off the Wi-Fi and invoking WPS for one-button pairing with wireless clients. The rest of the top panel is a strip of illuminated indicator symbols that show Ethernet port activity and the state of the connection to the Internet. Overall, this well-designed router will appeal massively to gamers and should take pride in place next to the slickest-looking gaming machines.

The MSI RadiX AXE6600 uses Wi-Fi 6E technology which means you get 2.4, 5, and 6GHz wireless bands and theoretical aggregate data throughput of around 6,600 Mbps. That figure is spread across 2.4GHz at 573.5Mbps, 5GHz at 1,201Mbps and 6GHz at 4,804Mbps.

The 6GHz band offers blisteringly fast speeds and is less congested; however, you need a computer or wireless adapter to use the 6GHz band and its seven high-speed 160 MHz channels. The 6GHz band enables gamers to soak up all that bandwidth when playing. Compared to older wireless technologies, Wi-Fi 6E transfers data dramatically faster and can support bandwidth-hungry devices like gaming systems and hi-res movie streaming.

AI QoS (Quality of Service) is a breakthrough technology in managing wireless bandwidth. With the RadiX AXE6600, AI QoS is already set up and ready to go. The technology automatically prioritizes network traffic and dynamically adjusts the bandwidth to use the available spectrum efficiently. AI QoS comes with four preset modes: gaming, streaming, work from home and AI-auto.

All four modes can be toggled between at any time, depending on the user’s needs. The RGB lights indicate the AI QoS modes on RadiX AXE6600 and the configuration can be fine-tuned using the built-in dashboard interface, which can be accessed with a web browser, the MSI Router app or MSI Center software.

At the heart of the router is a quad-core CPU which ensures the router operates at top speed. MSI says that the RadiX AXE6600 is the world’s first gaming router with heat pipes and graphene-coated heatsinks to keep the hard-working processor cool, even under fire. The ability to dissipate heat efficiently should ensure that RadiX AXE6600 operates with stability and deliver a long service life, even under strain.

Everything about this sleek router is top-notch. It’s set up so the user can take it out of the box, plug it in and start gaming. It’s optimized for games but has many advanced options that can be configured through the built-in web browser interface, MSI Router mobile app, or MSI Center for PC. The dashboard also lets the user watch throughput statistics. The menus are easy to use and user-friendly enough for people new to managing a network and those adept at tweaking network performance.

Verdict: The MSI RadiX AXE6600 is a beast of a gaming router and akin to a high-performance sports car, both in its looks and speed. To get the most from this advanced router, the user will need to use a laptop or desktop with Wi-Fi 6E compatibility to fully utilize the massive bandwidth that the seven 160MHz channels offer. It is possible to get a Wi-Fi 6E adapter for a desktop or laptop, but without it, the full potential of what this router can deliver won’t be appreciated. For a serious gamer who wants to take wireless networking to its limit, the MSI RadiX AXE6600 is a sure bet.

Pricing & Availability: The MSI RadiX AXE6600 is available now and costs $349.99 / £282.99. For a limited time, there is also an exclusive Newegg promotion running from February 16 through March 15, where buyers can get $100 off using the special promo code “LUCKYHUNDRED”.

More info: msi.com/Networking

Tech Specs:

• Wi-Fi bands: WiFi 6/6E (802.11ax) • WiFi 5 (802.11ac) • WiFi 4 (802.11n) • 802.11g • 802.11b • 802.11a
• Wi-Fi speeds: 2.4GHz AX: 2×2(Tx/Rx) 1024/256- QAM 20/40MHz, up to 573.5Mbps • 5GHz AX: 2×2(Tx/Rx) 1024/256- QAM 20/40/80MHz, Up to 1201 Mbps • 6GHz AX: 4×4(Tx/Rx) 1024/256- QAM 20/40/80/160MHz, Up to 4804 Mbps
• Features: MU-MIMO, OFDMA, 1024-QAM, Beamforming, Guest Wi-Fi, Multiple SSID, Smart connect, WPS, Wi-Fi schedule.
• Ports: 1 x 2.5 Gigabit WAV, 4 x 1 Gigabit LAN, 1 x USB 3.0.
• Encryption: WPA/WPA2/WPA3 Personal.
• Antenna: 6 x fixed.
• Processor 1.8GHz Quad Core CPU.
• Memory: Flash 256Mb/RAM 512Mb
• Power: 100 – 240V (50 – 60Hz).
• DC: 12V 3.5A.
• Dimensions: 338 x 224 x 198mm.
• Weight: 1.13kg.