Over the past few weeks at STH, you might have noticed that we are ramping up our 10GbE coverage. There is a good reason for that. 10GbE has become so inexpensive and so easy to integrate that we are set to see a tipping point in the industry. We ended up putting together a quick video on the topic that you can find here:
The video touches a number of products we have already looked at on the STH main site, and some that we have yet to publish. I wanted to go over a few of the key points for our readers as well.
10GbE in 2026: The Controllers
A huge change in 2026 is that the market for 10Gbase-T controllers is heating up. 10Gbase-T is more challenging because the links tend to be noisier and thus more processing is required to get the signal. There have been 10Gbase-T NICs for generations, but two new contenders are set to shake things up.
Realtek RTL8127: A New Low-Cost Contender
First, we featured the Realtek RTL8127. This is Realtek’s new 10Gbase-T NIC that we have been told is somewhere just north of $10 per controller. Realtek is not doing the sub $1 NICs like it had in the 1GbE era, and is charging for the additional capacity. We have been told by folks that these may cost a bit more than the AQC113C’s, but nowhere near as much as the Intel E610.
An advantage of the RTL8127 is that it can utilize a PCIe Gen4 x1 link to the CPU or chipset. That means it efficiently uses lanes and is easy to integrate into even low-cost platforms, like the Minisforum MS-R1. Instead of using a Gen4 x1 link to a RTL8125 for 2.5GbE or RTL8126 for 5GbE, that same link can be utilized for a few dollars more per NIC chip to deliver 10GbE.
This is enabling sub-$50 10Gbase-T adapters (Amazon Affiliate) that fit into PCIe Gen4 x1 slots and we are already seeing prices substantially lower in places like China where the cost of moving cards through the supply chain is lower.
Marvell AQC113/ AQC113C: The Longtime Favorite
Marvell purchased Aquantia years ago, and one of Aquantia’s big product lines was its line of low-cost integrated PHY 10Gbase-T adapters. Like the others we are focusing on, these adapters also do 2.5GbE and 5GbE speeds, but the big draw is the ability to cheaply add 10Gbase-T networking. Here is an example of the QFly 10Gbase-T Marvell AQC113 Adapter we reviewed almost two years ago.
Marvell’s Aquantia-lineage product line has been a go-to solution for companies like Lenovo, Apple, and others to add 10Gbase-T networking to their devices for generations.
We have even seen them in low-cost NAS devices like the TerraMaster F8-SSD Plus NAS to add low-cost 10GbE connectivity.
Intel E610: The New Server Adapter
On the Intel front, the big new one is the Intel E610 launched in 2025. Those NICs are starting to make it to the market.
One bit of feedback that we have seen, such as with the Beelink GTR9 Pro is that there have been challenges. Another mini PC vendor actually told us at CES 2026 that they had a design with the E610, but the cost and early bugs led them to switch to Realtek in a system they were showing us.
My sense is that over time, this will become a go-to server adapter since it sips power and is easier to cool. At the same time, we have heard that, since these are server products, the per-port cost can be more than 2x that of the Realtek and Marvell solutions.
Intel X710-T4L: Keep an Eye on This Adapter
Intel has its X500 series of 10GbE adapters, but the newer X700 series arrived for an era of 40GbE/ 10GbE networking. There is one adapter series that many miss, and that is the Intel X710-T4L (4-port) and the X710-T2L (2-port.) We reviewed these adapters 4-5 years ago, as you can see by the early Austin, TX photography, but they offer a newer feature set, and importantly, the ability to run Nbase-T speeds of 2.5GbE and 5GbE.
This can be confusing for folks since there are cards like the Intel X710-T4 (note without an “L”) do not support those 2.5GbE and 5GbE speeds. The Intel E610 will likely be the go-to going forward, but if you want the no/low hassle cards that support multi-gig speeds, then the X710 L/ refresh series is the way to go.
NICs are great, but we also should chat about what is happening with the switches.
there is enough interest
nice summary to start the year!