10G Base-T PCI-e Network Card, Marvell AQC113 Controller, NICGIGA 10Gb Ethernet Adapter Support WOL, 10Gbe RJ45 Port NIC Card, Windows10/11/Windows Server/Linux

In case you don't want to read the full review the short version is: Good card, worth the money, fully recommended. The problem: The first picture shows the problem: a 1Gbps connection that only reaches just over 300Mbps, with a wired connection. Having checked every piece of equipment between modem and motherboard, including running a CAT 7 cable directly between the two the problem was finally identified as a dodgy Intel chipset on the ASUS B550-F motherboard. In other words the onboard LAN was just unable to deliver the full broadband speed - and had been delivering substandard speeds for some time. The solution: pictures 2-4: a NICGIGA 2.5Gbps PCI-E card with a Realtek chipset. Why this card? Well, simply put, it has a black backplate that fits in with the motherboard's black backplates. I know, not the best reason but it also has a known chipset, a decent heatsink on the main chip, an handle over the 1Gbps bandwidth, future-proofs to a certain extent and is at good price point. (A quick note about the future-proofing: a 1 Gigabit connection can potentially deliver over 1Gbps - up to 1.3Gbps - whereas a 1Gbps card stops at 1Gbps. This card is 2.5Gbps and so will handle over 1Gbps and provides some future-proofing for when the next major speed increase comes in.) Install: was really simple: unscrew a backplate, install the card, screw in the card, close the case and plug in a CAT 7 cable bought at the same time - KINBETA high speed 10Gbps 2 metre CAT 7 flat braided cable - and switch on PC. See pictures 6-8. The result: picture 9 shows the result. As soon as the PC started the card was recognised, no driver download was needed. The download speed jumped from 321.5Mbps to 925Mbps (picture 9) solving the problem in a most elegant way. It is interesting to note that the ping was 9ms both before and after upgrading the NIC and upload also remained the same - the 52Mbps which was the expected speed and initially highlighted the problem. For those with a small form factor PC it is worth noting that a smaller backplate is provided (see picture 5) as well as a screwdriver and two screws. Overall very happy with this purchase it solved the problem at a reasonable cost and I can feel the difference the higher speed connection makes. Definitely recommend this card.

Purchased to replace the onboard NIC and surprised how well it performs in comparison. Quick and easy to install. Perfect for gaming.

Bought a few of these to connect my windows PCs to my TrueNas server. On the PCs they worked fine right out of the box at full speed, on the server it worked fine right out of the box, but the speed I was getting wasn't what I expected. Turns out TrueNas (and ProxMox) doesn't like the RealTek chip. Get an Intel chip if you want to use a NIC with a homelab or server. I ended up getting a 10G NIC (Intel X520 DA2) and it works fine, at full speed, and these 2.5G cards are working fine at full speed. I would buy these again if I wanted a 2.5G NIC for a PC. TL;DR These are great for a PC, but don't put them in your server.

Took two minutes to install and worked out of the box with Windows 11. It only needs a PCIe 1X slot of which I had plenty spare.

Fasssssssssssst lol even me silly as a sausage installed easy just took couple minutes to search the drivers 10 out of 10.

I purchased this NIC due to my Motherboard port dying. This was a great replacement and has resolved my issue. No issue with speeds as seen in screenshot.

Bought a few different types of these two from mellanox which failed, decided to give old team blue a chance and it works great with Proxmox, I'm happy boy again.

Installed this 10G Base-T PCI-e NIC (Marvell AQC1) in my workstation, and the performance has been excellent — consistent 9.7–9.9 Gbps transfers over CAT6a to my NAS. Drivers installed smoothly on Windows, with no compatibility issues. 🔗 Throughput: Low latency, stable speeds, and great performance with jumbo frames enabled. Easily handles large file transfers and real-time streaming. 🔥 Thermals: The one caveat — this card runs hot, especially in smaller cases or systems with limited airflow. Under sustained transfers, temps crept into the 80s°C. Adding a nearby fan or ensuring good case ventilation is strongly recommended. 🧩 Build Quality: Solid PCB, low-profile bracket included, and it fits well in standard x4 or x16 PCIe slots. ✅ Verdict: Excellent value for 10G networking, just be mindful of cooling. It’s a powerhouse NIC — as long as you don’t let it cook itself.