Since the release of AC1900 wireless routers we here at Hardwarecanucks have tried to cast as wide a net as possible. Everyone ASUS, D-Link, and even Linksys are now represented in our charts, but one company was noticeable by its absence: Netgear. While Netgear may not have the same brand-name recognition as the other three major wireless router manufactures their R7000 'Nighthawk' has quickly gained quite a loyal following. This one device has introduced countless numbers of consumers to what Netgear has to offer.

The reason the Nighthawk has quickly received the attention of consumers is that it has been built from the ground up to outperform the competition. While it may use a Broadcom BCM4000 series System on a Chip as its main processor, unlike most, Netgear has opted for the faster BCM4709 instead of the slower but more common BCM4708. Unlike the 800Mhz BCM4708, the BCM4709 clocks in at brisk 1GHz. This may not sound like much of a difference, but an extra 200Mhz offers a lot more performance in high stress environments. Mix in three large and powerful external antennas, an aggressive angular form factor and the R7000 looks as fast as it is purported to be.

Thankfully, with an online asking price of $180 the Nighthawk is actually quite affordable compared to some of its compatriots. In fact the R7000 is now actually one of the lowest priced AC1900 options available today.