TP-Link has released the Archer GE650, a tri-band gaming router that uses Wi-Fi 7 technology. It’s on the cheaper side compared to other gaming routers, but it does offer a lot for the price.
The Archer GE650 is an impressive router that can reach speeds of up to 11 Gbps, a big upgrade from older Wi-Fi versions. It has two 5 Gbps ports and four 2.5 Gbps ports for wired connections. This new model comes after the Archer GE800, which won a 2023 CES Innovation Award.
TP-Link markets the Archer GE650 as a great choice for gamers who want fast, reliable internet with minimal delay, and it’s not hard to see why. The router is designed to reduce lag and improve stability. That’s a big deal when it comes to online gaming, as even a few milliseconds of lag can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Some of the features that come with the router are Multi-Link Operation (MLO), 320 MHz bandwidth, 4K-QAM, Multi-RUs, OFDMA, and MU-MIMO. To take full advantage of what the router offers, the devices connected to it need to support these features as well. That’s a big asking point, but if you’re buying a router just for gaming, you probably have a setup that supports it, too.
The router has colorful RGB lights and a smart antenna setup. It focuses on security with TP-Link HomeShield, which isn’t necessary to run the device. You can always just keep the basic free features, but if you want the advanced features, you’ll need a subscription.
The cool part is the game panel that gives a lot of real-time information to users. This includes the network status, how the router is performing, RGB settings, and any games or gear that are being accelerated. Additionally, it includes WTFast Gamers Private Network, which is supposed to improve your playing time by stabilizing connections and reducing lag.
The Archer GE650 uses three Wi-Fi bands and six streams to reach its top speeds. To hit the maximum speed of 11 Gbps, you need Wi-Fi 7 devices that can work with MLO and the 6 GHz band. This allows connections to the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands at the same time. Remember that the speed, coverage, and number of devices that can connect will differ based on several things. The biggest of these factors will be your internet provider’s capabilities, network conditions, limitations of the devices, and environmental factors.
If you’re going to spend money on a TP-Link router, it may be worth it to get the Archer BE800 instead of the GE650. The announcement for the GE650 claims that there is a sale for a limited time, but that’s not yet reflected on the item. So for only $50 more, you can get the Archer BE800.
The BE800 offers substantially faster maximum speeds, with a combined theoretical maximum of 19000 Mbps compared to the GE650’s 11000 Mbps. This difference stems from higher speeds across all three Wi-Fi bands. The BE800 includes dual 10G WAN/LAN ports, providing significantly faster wired connectivity options than the GE650’s two 5Gbps and four 2.5Gbps ports. The BE800 also has an SFP+ fiber/RJ45 combo port, which means more flexibility in network connection types.
TP-Link Archer BE800
$400 $600 Save
$200
Keep in mind that the BE800 is only $50 more than the GE650 for a limited time, and it is regularly $599, which explains why it’s so much better than what was just released. The minute the regular prices are reintroduced, the GE650 will be the better deal because it doesn’t cost as much and feels like a good middle ground.
The Archer GE650 router is currently available for sale on Amazon. The announcement released today claims the current price is $279.99 for a limited time, but I am still seeing the regular price of $349.99.
Source: TP-Link
