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Sometimes, it's hard to get overly excited about a new bit of PC gaming kit. Take the gaming routers, for example. We all use them (and yes, I know it's technically more than just a router—there's a switch and a wireless access point in the box, too), but they just sit on a shelf somewhere or on the floor, getting poked by bored cats. They just do their thing and we rarely give them a moment's thought, until they ruin a Steam download, of course.
I felt very much the same way until I recently reviewed three new devices from TP-Link: two mesh systems, the Deco BE68 and Deco BE25 BE5000, and the Archer BE9700. Using two Intel Core Ultra 200S gaming PCs to test the wireless performance of them, I came away seriously impressed by just how easy they were to set up, how ridiculously quick they were, and perhaps most importantly, how affordable they were compared to the first generation of Wi-Fi 7 gaming routers.
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1. Best overall: TP-Link Archer GE800
2. Best mid-range: TP-Link Archer BE9700
3. Best budget: Asus TUF AX4200
4. Best mesh: TP-Link Deco BE68
5. Best budget mesh: TP-Link Deco BE25
6. Best for wired: Asus RT-BE88U
7. Best Wi-Fi 6E: TP-Link Archer AXE75
👉Check out our full gaming router guide👈
The best gaming routers
The best overall/best Wi-Fi 7
If you want the absolute pinnacle of networking goodness, TP-Link's Archer GE800 is that. Sporting the new Wi-Fi 7 standard and an aesthetic that is nothing if not Dark Side chic, this is the fastest, most feature-packed router you can buy today.
The best mid-range
Want all the latest Wi-Fi 7 features and great wireless performance, but without a hefty price tag. Then you want TP-Link's Archer BE9700, as its capabilities are more than good enough for most users' needs, yet it costs considerably less than any top-end model.
The best budget
If you're not a stickler for the very latest wireless standard, this Wi-Fi 6-toting Asus TUF router will be all the network data-pumper you will need. It's fast and affordable, and do you really need any more than that?
The best mesh
If you're looking to fill your home with fast Wi-Fi 7 routers that are easy to set up and use, sport all the latest features, and won't burst your bank account wide open, then the TP-Link Deco BE68 is the perfect choice. You can get faster mesh systems, but they're way more expensive.
The best budget mesh
Mesh systems are super expensive, yes? Definitely not, and in the case of the TP-Link Deco BE25, you can buy three nodes for the price of a single traditional gaming router. Despite using Wi-Fi 7, you don't get a 6 GHz band, but for most users, it'll be more than fast enough.
The best for wired
Got a ton of 'things' that need to be physically wired into your router, like a million IoT devices, each with its own controller that inexplicably refuse to limit to Wi-Fi? We hear you, and so does Asus with its RT-BE88U.
The best Wi-Fi 6E
You need whole new devices to really take advantage of all the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology has to offer, but the 6E standard has another level of performance over Wi-Fi 6—and TP-Link's Archer AXE75 won't break the bank now it's last-gen.
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