MSI RadiX AXE6600

MSI hat nun auch WLAN-Hardware im Angebot. Mit dem RadiX AXE6600 hat man einen WLAN-Router vorgestellt, der auf 2,4, 5 und 6 GHz funken kann und dabei keinerlei Wünsche offen lassen soll. So bietet er auch noch 2.5GbE und Gigabit-Schnittstellen, eine RGB-Beleuchtung sowie spezielle Software-Funktionen, welche die Datenraten und Latenzen kurz halten sollen. Im Rahmen des Tests schauen wir uns an, was der RadiX AXE6600 nun wirklich zu bieten hat.

The MSI RadiX AXE6600 is a very nice home router, all things considered. It boasts 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, either for super-fast internet connections or faster networking in the home. Having a single 2.5 Gbit port is a bit of a downside, but adding on a 2.5 Gbit switch will still let the router run a really fast internal network. But the wireless network is meant to be the star of the show, and it acquitted itself pretty nicely. The 6600 in its name implies that it can handle upwards of 6.6 Gigabits per second on the wireless networks across the various supported bands, but that's aggregate; no single device will never pull that much on its own, but in our own testing we could see that two were definitely faster than one.

The MSI Radix AXE6600 is a high-end gaming router that provides wired and wireless connectivity. Its unique appearance is matched by support for the latest 6GHz frequency, also known as WIFI 6E, as well as compatibility with 5G AX/AC and 2.4G lower bands. With a quad-core CPU and quad-band connectivity, this router is designed to handle even the most demanding gaming environments.

MSI first teased off the RadiX AXE6600 at CES 2022 and then again at a few different trade shows last year before displaying the final model at CES this year. I missed out on all these events unfortunately so I went in blind for this review, not really knowing what to expect. It was also my first WiFi 6E product review which required more time and thinking too—Windows 11 is a must for 6 GHz band support, for example, and many client devices are yet to support it—my only MSI experience has been with motherboards, keyboards, and the occasional GPU. I mentioned before how these product lines have software drivers that are not my favorite by any means and getting a router firmware right is paramount if you are going to make a splash in this market. To its credit, MSI got the firmware and features part spot on. The user interface is clean and modern-looking while still being full of features included for free at a time many others are trying to go the paid subscription route. We even get a USB port on the router that you can set up a media server on and I do appreciate the 2.5 GigE WAN port given I have a 1.5/1.5 Gbps internet connection from work. There's also a somewhat secret Android app which isn't advertised on the product box but gives you the functionality of the desktop admin panel on your phones too. I do have concerns about the language used in the privacy policy for one of the firmware features here however. AI QoS with its multiple QoS modes seems neat to try out in a household full of connected devices, and yet I want to see written changes to the policy before I feel comfortable recommending others use it too.

Which one of these is right for you? Well, that’s easy, it’s the RadiX AX6600 it’s all the router and more than 99.9% of people will ever need for their SMB, home office, or home. I run 5 PCs in this house, several consoles, and a plethora of phones, laptops, tablets, smart home gear, and a NAS, giving me roughly 60 network devices in total and the AX6600 is more than capable of keeping everything going full throttle, not that everything does go full throttle all at the same time anyway. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting the best performance from their gaming PC, consoles and more when it comes to cutting online latency.

Our experience with the MSI RadiX AXE6600 was a positive one. Initially, the router worked well but occasionally dropped the Wi-Fi requiring a reboot. After some time, MSI resolved the issue with new firmware, and off we went. Compared to the router this replaced, performance-wise, you couldn’t tell the difference outside of the anecdotal evidence of lower ping in my gaming sessions. Bandwidth is where it should be, and there haven’t been any concerns with stability across the four users in our house with the latest firmware. Between this RadiX and the upcoming Wi-Fi 7 version, MSI should make some headway into the crowded router market with these routers.

Overall I think for their first entry into the gaming router space MSI is on the right path. This router has all of the speed that you want and an easy to use interface for even the most novice user. It looks great and the RGB lighting is going to make it look awesome in your room! If anything I would have liked to have seen more than four Ethernet ports and some of the other features working by now. Also we do not have an official price, so we are not going to give the router an official rating just yet.