Speed Differences Between Realtek and Mediatek based Adapters

[morrownr]

Update: 2022-10-27: It appears that any performance differences between Mediatek and Realtek chipsets in the past is no longer there. Test on an adapter with the new mt7921au chipset vs. a rtl8832au chipset shows that the Mediatek chipset is as fast or faster than the Realtek chipset given the test conditions at this location. More testing will be conducted in the future.

A couple of questions regarding the subject were asked recently. I do comparison testing at times but have not concentrated on this specific issue. Here are some thoughts off of the top of my head:

• If comparing adapters in the same class, such as AC1200, my general impression is that Realtek based adapters, such as those based on either the 8812au or 8812bu chipsets, are around 10-20% faster than adapters based on the Mediatek 7612u chipset. If there is interest, I can do some testing as I have time.

• Overall, I have noticed different characteristics based on different engineering. While the Realtek chipsets appear to be a little faster, they also use MUCH greater amounts of power. This can be important for some use cases.

If I were looking for an adapter to run 24/7/365, that will last a long time and have very high uptime, I would certainly lean toward Mediatek based adapters as they generally run cooler and the stability of the in-kernel drivers make for very high uptime ratings.

I am willing to do additional comparison tests based on your requests. What tests do you want and what adapters do you want tested?

Nick