Is it really worth getting an Intel I226-T1 over the Realtek on my MSI Tomahawk for gaming?

[Lucasged]

Hi everyone,

I have a question about network chips and gaming performance, and I hope some of you can shed some light on it.

Background:

Previously, I had two gaming PCs, both with Intel LAN chips (ASRock Z390 Pro4 with I219-V and Gigabyte Z690 UD with I225-V). On both machines, I could play CS2 and other FPS games very optimally, with low latency and good hit registration.

Later, I switched to an MSI B650 Tomahawk DDR5 with a Realtek RTL8125B 2.5G Ethernet, and since then I haven’t been able to play optimally. I notice higher latency, micro-stutters, and generally less responsive gameplay, even though the CPU, GPU, and RAM are top-tier.

I also had a pc with MSI tomahawk z690 and the same Realtek RTL8125B - same problem as my current pc.

The question:

I’m considering buying an Intel I226-T1 PCIe x1 2.5G network card for my current PC to see if it can bring back that “Intel LAN feel.” Because right im feeling so delayed in every fight, and i don't have that snappy feeling like i had on my previous pc's

Has anyone here tried switching from Realtek RTL8125B to Intel I226-T1 on an AMD Ryzen system? Does it really make a difference in games like CS2?

I’m curious if it’s worth the money, or if the difference is minimal in practice.

Thanks in advance for any input!

[dermodemon]

Bump.
Want to know this too. Always wanted to change Realtek/Asix to intel chip. Maybe my time has come too.

[drosku]

intel nics are 1000x better than any realtek one

[Lucasged]

Bump.
Want to know this too. Always wanted to change Realtek/Asix to intel chip. Maybe my time has come too.

I will buy one from aliexpress - super cheap and legit

[Bobo]

just get a used mellanox connectx-4 or connectx-3.

[Sz3ypy]

I use Intel over mobo Realtek , so far so good and i think its better , i feel Like a little less peeker adv in cs2
Edit , i have Intel CPU And i cant tell you its worth your money but if you dont buy you never know how its working in your pc

[r00t]

just get a used mellanox connectx-4 or connectx-3.

These are great, Mellanox enterprise/server grade stuff is really high quality. I had problems with UDP packetloss on Intel x520 and upgrading to Connectx-4 completely solved it. Still if considering Intel, at least go for the server grade X series.

Intel I226-T1

The Intel I226 is probably the worst card to get, since there were botched chips with defects causing instability. You can google "Intel I226 design flaw" for more info. Skip 2.5G/5G and just go for proper 10G. Fiber is so nice to work with and SFP+ modules are $5.