Dedicated gaming routers are generally the most powerful devices that cost higher. But if you don’t have a budget to spare and are looking for an efficient, affordable router for your gaming needs, you’re at the right place.
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When I say affordable, I’m referring to a budget range of $100 to $200. Yes, you can find a good gaming-friendly routing device at this price. But there are multiple options that might confuse you, and some may even lack essential features, leading to frame drops.
I’m sure you don’t want to experience that. That’s why I took 16 budget-friendly routers that can handle gaming and tested each for 5-6 days. I used them for playing Minecraft, PUBG, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty and observed their performance.
After an in-depth evaluation, here are my top picks for 2024:
- Best All-Around: ASUS RT-AX86S
- Best Runner-Up: ASUS GS-AX3000
- Best from TP-Link: TP-Link AX73
- Best For Streaming: Netgear RAX50
- Best For Large Homes: Linksys MR9610
- Best for Mobile Gaming: TP-Link AX55
- Cheap Yet Good Router: D-Link DIR-X5460-US
7 Best Budget Routers for Gaming in 2024
Whether you’re a professional or a casual gamer, you should find a device that suits you the best. But before I dig deep into it, you must know what makes a good gaming router.
A better RAM, processor, and a few gaming-centric features like QoS settings (set device priority), gigabit ports, and the latest wireless standard, and that’s it. Besides, some routers entail triple game acceleration, port forwarding, and more for an enhanced gaming experience.
1. Best Overall: ASUS RT-AX86S
- Wireless Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Band Frequency: Dual Band
- WiFi Range: Up to 2,500 Sq Ft
- Suitable Internet Plan: 1 Gbps
- Ports: 1 x 2.5G WAN/LAN + 1 x Gig WAN + 4 x Gig LAN + 2 x USB 3.2
- Number of Devices Supported: 35+
- App Support: Yes
ASUS is the first name that comes to mind when you think about routers suitable for gaming, so my top pick is the ASUS RT-AX86S. Aside from the standard dual-band Wi-Fi 6 setup, it entails a number of gaming-centric features like a 2.5G port, 1024-QAM, QoS, and more to deliver lag-free gaming.
Besides, it comes a few steps forward from its predecessor, RT-AC86U in terms of speeds, coverage, multi-device connectivity, and others.
Internet Speeds & Gaming Experience
With a maximum throughput capacity of 5700 Mbps, its respective speeds are mentioned as:
| 5 GHz: 4804 | 2.4 GHz: 861 Mbps |
So, it seemed unfair to pair anything less than 2 Gbps, and with the same by Xfinity, the speed outputs were decent, as the download and uploads fared at around 1978 Mbps and 195 Mbps.
Not just the speeds, but other aspects contribute towards jitter-free gameplay, and features like triple acceleration combined with mobile gaming boost and a 2.5 Gbps gaming port serve the purpose well.
I connected my PS4 to the bandwidth and played games like PUBG and Apex legends on them simultaneously. With respective frame rates of 70 and 55 per second, the gameplay was smooth, and I even could make a record of hitting headshots.
WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity
The Asus RT-AX86S did a fantastic job of getting signals to the devices kept two walls away from it. It is difficult to put these in numbers, but it should get around 2,000-2,100 Sq Ft, which is great considering its theoretical cap of 2,500 Sq Ft.
It means, the router should breeze through any of your mid-sized apartments, and you can play in the outskirts without disturbing the serenity of your space.
Other than that, technologies like beamforming, MU-MIMO, and OFDMA contribute to the stability of the signals transmitted to multiple devices at once. Number-wise, it fared up to 30 devices, which is enough for any big residential or small workspace setup. The router can even handle a small gaming tournament well.
Security Features
Its security features are also one of the areas where this wireless router stands out. With ASUS’s AiProtection, you get a firewall that prevents any unwanted agents like malware and viruses from entering the network, and also prevents users from accessing any malicious website.
It also has some basic features like WPA3, VPN, guest access, and auto-firmware update. Moving on, its parental controls are on par with the top parental control routers. You get features like website blocking, network scheduling, and online activity tracking that let you keep an eye on your kids.
Conclusion
When it comes to budget gaming WiFi routers, ASUS RT-AX86S is probably the best you’ve got. With latest wireless standard paired with dual bands and a fast processor alongside some gaming-centric features takes your experience to a new level. Plus, its security is much advanced and doesn’t cost anything.
Pros
- Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6
- Top 5 GHz speeds
- A 2.5 Gbps ethernet port
- Great gaming performance
- Great WiFi range
- Lifetime-free advanced security
Cons
- No major con
2. Best Runner Up: ASUS GS-AX3000
- Wireless Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Band Frequency: Dual Band
- WiFi Range: Up to 2,000 Sq Ft
- Suitable Internet Plan: 1 Gig
- Ports: 1 x Gig WAN + 4 x Gig LAN + 1 x USB 3.2
- Number of Devices Supported: 30+
- App Support: Yes
Moving on to my next pick, Asus GS-AX3000 belongs to the manufacturer’s ROG series of routers aimed to deliver an unmatched gaming experience through a powerful 1.5GHz tri-core processor and 512MB RAM.
The model replaces RT-AC2900 in many ways, as it brings Wi-Fi 6, 1024-QAM, a gear accelerator, a game boost, and a more responsive web interface.
Internet Speeds & Gaming Experience
ASUS GS-AX3000 aims to deliver ultimate performance with a maximum throughput capacity of 3000 Mbps, with individual band speeds as follows:
| 5 GHz: 2402 Mbps | 2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps |
With such speeds at disposal, it seemed fair to subscribe to the Xfinity 1 Gbps plan, and the results were decent as downloads and uploads fared at 933 Mbps and 37 Mbps, respectively.
So you can expect a decent performance in most of your bandwidth-intensive tasks, from playing heavy online games to surfing the web.
Now when it comes to gaming, features like game boost, gaming accelerator, and 1024-QAM add a cherry on top. Games like Destiny 2, Valorant, Fifa 23, and others played out at 16ms and 65 FPS, much better than other routers in this bracket.
Other than that, there’s a dedicated gaming port that prioritizes any wired device, especially gaming consoles automatically. The wired connections had further performance boosts and add to the stability compared to the wireless ones.
WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity
Coverage isn’t the outright feature of this router, as the maximum its three antennas can reach is 2,000 Sq Ft. In reality, the numbers maxed out at around 1,700 Sq Ft, which should be enough for any of your mid-sized space.
Besides, its AiMesh support comes in handy, as you can add another AiMesh-compatible router or extender for you to add a few extra hundred feet to the coverage.
Now, the stability of the signals transmitted over a large space is ensured with technologies like OFDMA and beamforming. MU-MIMO further fosters the router’s ability to transmit stable signals to multiple devices at once. I could host a 25-man F1 tournament in my friend’s garage, which concluded well without any issues.
Security Features
Similar to the previous recommendation, this one also entails lifetime free network security with AiProtection. You’ve got commercial-grade protection on your network and connected devices with a 24/7 auto-updating that auto-updates the firmware to identify any potentially dangerous agents, and block malicious sites and cyberattacks.
Other than that, it auto-scans any new device connecting to the network and cuts if the connection is found anything malicious. This way, your network, and personal data are safe from being compromised. Its parental controls are also top-tier with features like bedtime, scheduled pausing, age-based filters, and others.
Conclusion
Overall, ASUS GS-AX3000 is an excellent gaming router on a budget. While the lack of a multi-gig port is disappointing but its added features are a bonus making it an excellent investment for a small to medium house. Besides, its AiMesh support lets you create a mesh system by pairing it with other compatible routers.
Pros
- Dedicated gaming port
- Built-in Aura RGB light
- Game boost & accelerator
- Adaptive QoS
- Lifetime-free security
- AiMesh support
Cons
- Middling coverage
3. Best from TP-Link: TP-Link Archer AX73
- Wireless Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Band Frequency: Dual Band
- WiFi Range: Up to 2,500 Sq Ft
- Suitable Internet Plan: 1 Gig
- Ports: 1 x Gig WAN + 4 x Gig LAN + 1 x USB 3.0
- Number of Devices Supported: 200+
- App Support: Yes
TP-Link Archer AX73 is a high-performance router with the latest Wi-Fi 6 and its dual-band configuration boasts a maximum throughput capacity of 5,400 Mbps. With 160 MHz channel support, you can expect a really fast network that can deliver seamless gaming despite lacking any specialised features, as in my previous recommendations.
Besides, it brings in a few major upgrades to TP-Link Archer AX55 in terms of speeds, coverage, and in turn overall performance.
Internet Speeds & Gaming Experience
The feature-laid TP-Link Archer AX73 boasts a maximum theoretical speed of 5,400 Mbps, with respective speeds on the individual bands, as follows:
| 5 GHz: 4804 Mbps | 2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps |
To get the most out of it, I paired it with my staple Xfinity 1 Gbps plan, and respective speeds for downloads and uploads were recorded at 931 Mbps and 32 Mbps.
The near-gigabit speeds are ample to gallop through most of your internet-bound tasks, even heavy gaming. Despite lacking any gaming-centric features, its performance with games like Red dead redemption 2, Valorant, and Destiny 2 was unmatched.
Talking about the numbers, its ping and frame rates per second value remained at around 19ms and 55, respectively.
WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity
With a theoretical coverage of 2,500 Sq Ft, you can expect its six antennas to stand up strong in any mid-sized apartment. And in my tests, these performed well, as the coverage stayed at around 2,300 Sq Ft.
But if you’re staying in a bigger home, you can pair the router with a WiFi extender that’s good for gaming. It not only expands its range but brings along features like band steering and seamless roaming for upgraded performance.
Moving on, its beamforming antennas work harmoniously with OFDMA and MU-MIMO to transmit stable signals to the connected devices. This is why the numbers are high, and in reality, you can establish more than 120 connections at once, with ease.
Security Features
TP-Link Archer AX73 like my top recommendations comes with a free plan of HomeShield security. It offers features like WPA3, VPN, guest access, access control, and auto-firmware update. These combined make sure the data packets shared over the network are safe.
Plus, it also brings some advanced parental control features such as web history monitoring, usage charts, number of attempts a user has made to access a blocked website. You can also set an online time limit for every user, post which the connection automatically cuts out.
Conclusion
Archer AX73 establishes a perfect balance between the performance and the price it comes in. The high-end games run fine with the speeds it has got and coupled with a tri-core processor, you can expect a smooth and jitter-free performance. If you’re a fan of TP-Link, this is the one you should pick.
Pros
- Great speeds
- Above-par WiFi range
- Parental controls are advanced
- QoS (Quality of Service)
- Stable firmware
Cons
- No gaming-specific features
4. Best For Gaming & Streaming: Netgear RAX50
- Wireless Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Band Frequency: Dual Band
- WiFi Range: Up to 2,000 Sq Ft
- Suitable Internet Plan: 1 Gig
- Ports: 1 x Gig WAN + 4 x Gig LAN + 1 x USB 3.0
- Number of Devices Supported: 30+
- App Support: Yes
The Nighthawk AX6 or RAX50, whatever you call it combines the higher speed, stable performance, and reliability of Netgear. Costing just around $130, it brings a massive throughput capacity (5400 Mbps), a 1.5GHz tri-core processor, and beamforming+ support to easily replace its previous model, RAX43.
Internet Speeds & Gaming Experience
The Wi-Fi 6 dual-band supported router has a maximum throughput capacity of 5400 Mbps, which is distributed as follows:
| 5 GHz: 3840 Mbps | 2.4 GHz: 480 Mbps |
So I got my staple Xfinity 1 Gbps plan connected to it and speeds stayed at around 921 Mbps and 29 Mbps respectively for downloads and uploads.
With such speeds at disposal, my games ran fine, despite lacking gaming-centric features. I played Valorant with my friends for over 5 hours at a stretch at around 19ms ping and 62 FPS. And never once I missed a target because of a laggy internet.
Other than gaming, you can exploit the available speeds to stream your favourite shows in UHD, alongside attending video calls, streaming audios and others with ease.
WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity
The four-antenna setup of Netgear AX6 claims to send stable signals across a 2,000 Sq Ft space, and my test results weren’t far away from that. The numbers stayed at around 1,800 Sq Ft which should be the size of any two-three bedroom apartment.
The presence of uplink & downlink OFDMA and beamforming+ technology boosts the reliability and stability of the WiFi connections. You can connect up to 25 devices at once without producing any lags or latencies.
Security Features
Unlike ASUS routers, you don’t get advanced features for free. But its free security features are enough for a standard home or gaming studio. It has WPA3 and VPN for a safe browsing experience, alongside secure & separate access for guests and automatic firmware updates to deliver the latest security patches to the device.
However, its parental controls are of a basic level. You only have got features like network pausing and tracking through the online time of users, which should do a decent job of preventing kids from overexposing themselves online.
Conclusion
To conclude, Netgear AX6, aka, RAX50 is one of the top WiFi routers for under $150 that has got enough speed to satiate the hunger of most devices in your house. Its coverage and security features are middling but its performance is not.
Pros
- Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6
- Customization potential
- Quick & easy setup
- Excellent speeds
- Decent WiFi coverage
Cons
- Premium security features
5. Best For Large Homes: Linksys MR9610
- Wireless Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Band Frequency: Dual Band
- WiFi Range: Up to 3,000 Sq Ft
- Suitable Internet Plan: 1 Gbps
- Ports: 1 x Gig WAN + 4 x Gig LAN + 1 x USB 3.0
- Number of Devices Supported: 40+
- App Support: Yes
Next on my list is the best value gaming router that brings top-shelf speeds and coverage. Spec-wise, compared to my previous recommendation, Linksys MR9600 adds to the range by around 1,000 Sq Ft, a throughput capacity of up to 6000 Mbps, and a device-handling capacity of more than 40.
Internet Speeds & Gaming Experience
Based on 802.11ax technology, MR9610 represents a top line of current Linksys Wi-Fi 6 routers. It boasts a maximum throughput capacity of 6000 Mbps, with speed split on each band is as follows:
| 5 GHz: 4804 Mbps | 2.4 GHz: 1148 Mbps |
I tested its real-life capacity with a Cox Gigablast plan and the results with 929 Mbps and 34 Mbps respectively for downloads and uploads surpassed my expectations.
Now coming to its gaming performance, the router lacks any specialized features as in my recommended ASUS routers. So you can’t expect any out-of-the-world gaming experience, still with a 25ms ping value and 45 frames per second means there won’t be any major lags with online games.
The performance was exactly replicated when I played games like PUBG and Fortnite. Other than gaming, activities like streaming, video conferencing, and surfing could be carried out with ease.
WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity
Here comes a notable feature of the MR9610. With a theoretical WiFi range of 3,000 Sq Ft, it is readily one of the best router choices for 2-story houses. Its four-antenna setup could breeze through my friend’s 2,500 Sq Ft space with thick walls.
Moving on, the MU-MIMO and beamforming ensure that the connected devices receive stable connections throughout the day. A total of 35 devices could be connected at once without experiencing major signal drops, which is sufficient for any decent residential space.
Security Features
Security is the area where Linksys MR9610 suffers a lot with the absence of any advanced features. However, I reckon features like guest access, VPN, WPA3, and an auto-firmware update should fare well with any residential settings.
The data shared over the network stays encrypted and you can keep yourself anonymous while browsing the web. But it’s certainly way behind the routers with advanced security features.
Conclusion
Linksys MR9610 is a router that offers exceptional value for its price, and it’s a great addition to my list of inexpensive gaming routers. Despite being priced $50-80 lower than its rivals, it readily delivers a powerful performance that can easily handle demanding network activities such as gaming and live streaming.
Pros
- Excellent throughput
- Decent performance
- Long WiFi coverage
- Discounted price
- Easy to install
Cons
- Lacks malware protection
6. Best for Mobile Gaming: TP-Link Archer AX55
- Wireless Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Band Frequency: Dual Band
- WiFi Range: Up to 2,500 Sq Ft
- Suitable Internet Plan: 500 Mbps
- Ports: 1 x Gig WAN + 4 x Gig LAN + 1 x USB 3.0
- Number of Devices Supported: 30+
- App Support: Yes
For mobile gamers who feel there’s no point spending hundreds of dollars on router, TP-Link Archer AX55 should be an ideal pick. At around $120, it brings along a range of reliable and efficient features like dual-band Wi-Fi 6, multiple ports, and DFS.
Added to it, a new Qualcomm chip adds to its performance much better than its predecessor, TP-Link AX50.
Internet Speeds & Gaming Experience
With dual-band Wi-Fi 6 support, the Archer AX55 boasts a maximum throughput capacity of 3000 Mbps, with its band-wise speeds, are as follows:
| 5 GHz: 2402 Mbps | 2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps |
Although it can support Gigabit internet plans, for mobile gamers, low to mid-range internet plans would be more than sufficient. So, I tested it with Cox 500 Mbps plan and the results were as follows:
At a short distance, the speeds clocked at around 467 Mbps for downloads and 19 Mbps for uploads. While after two walls, speeds dropped by almost 30%.
I could play high-end online games like PUBG, Apex legends, Free fire, Mobile league legends, and others at 28ms ping and 40 FPS, making it a perfect fit for mobile gaming.
Besides, you also can play some low-bandwidth online games on your consoles like League legends, Fall guys, and others.
WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity
Despite mentioning 2,000 Sq Ft on the spec sheet, the router could cover 1,700 Sq Ft. But there’s OneMesh support that or anything similar is absent in Linksys MR9610. With this, you can form a mesh network with any OneMesh extenders like RE505X, that takes your signals to a few hundred feet extra.
Other than that, MU-MIMO, OFDMA, and beamforming let the router establish multiple connections at once. The numbers can go as high as 25. Besides, there’s DFS support that sorts out the traffic intelligently to prioritize gaming and minimize congestion.
Security Features
The router has options for free and premium security features. The basic or free features are quite handy in terms of keeping the network safe from any intrusions and letting you browse in peace. Besides, its parental controls are pretty advanced including options to check the total online time, block websites, and pause the internet.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Archer AX55 with a new Qualcomm SoC and decent wireless capabilities greatly improves stability, the most important aspect when you are gaming. Other than that, its performance in areas like security, coverage, and device handling was also decent, making it a good budget WiFi router for gaming.
Pros
- Stable performance
- Decent range
- Multi-device handling capacity
- DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection)
- Easy to install
Cons
- No major con
7. Best for Casual Gaming: D-Link EXO DIR-X5460-US
- Wireless Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Band Frequency: Dual Band
- WiFi Range: Up to 2,000 Sq Ft
- Suitable Internet Plan: 500 Mbps
- Ports: 1 x Gig WAN + 4 x Gig LAN + 1 x USB 3.0 + 1 x USB 2.0
- Number of Devices Supported: 25+
- App Support: Yes
As I have reached the end of my list, let me present you with a cheap yet reliable gaming router for all casual gamers out there.
Priced around $100, the D-Link EXO boasts efficient and handy features like a 1.5GHz triple-core processor, a six antenna setup, and a standard port arrangement. These combined make it much better than its predecessor, EXO AX1800.
Internet Speeds & Gaming Experience
The Wi-Fi 6 tech-enabled D-Link EXO entails a maximum theoretical throughput capacity of 5400 Mbps, which is distributed as follows:
| 5 GHz: 4800 Mbps | 2.4 GHz: 600 Mbps |
To get the best out of it, I got the 500 Mbps plan connected to the highest band and measured the download and upload speeds. With respective values of 431 Mbps and 18 Mbps, its performance turned out to be decent. So you can expect any of your internet-bound tasks to conclude lag-free and latency-free.
Other than the speeds, MU-MIMO, QoS, and OFDMA boost the signal strength and minimize latency, an important aspect contributing to better gaming performance. And it exactly translates in real life with games like Valorant and Fortnite running at 35 frame rates per second and 25ms ping.
WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity
This is the area where D-Link lags a bit. Despite featuring a solid spec sheet with a six antenna setup and a maximum theoretical range of 2,000 Sq Ft, not much translates in real life. In my tests, the maximum it could cover was around 1,500 Sq Ft, which is fine for small homes or apartments.
Similar to the coverage, the performance was okayish when it comes to handling multiple devices at once. The numbers could go as high as 20, but the internet was stable with MU-MIMO and OFDMA.
Security Features
Considering its price, you can’t expect any Tenda-Micro or Bitdefender-powered security software to secure your network. It has got the basic right with features like WPA3, VPN, and guest access that keeps your home network safe from any unwanted external agent.
In addition to that, the parental controls it offers are quite rudimentary, consisting of capabilities such as manual WiFi pause and online time tracking.
Conclusion
In conclusion, D-Link EXO AX5400 is a handy device for anyone who casually plays games. At a pocket-friendly price, it has got ample features but it mainly lacks in coverage and device-handling capacity, and hence ranked at the bottom.
Pros
- Two USB ports
- MU-MIMO and OFDMA
- Decent speeds
- Triple-core 1.5GHz processor
- Easy to install and use
Cons
- Sub-par connections capacity
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, some of the budget options like the ASUS RT-AX86S and Asus GS-AX3000 entail some gaming-centric features to boost your experience. Other than that, latency and consistency are the primary ingredients in gaming, which you can get from many budget gaming routers.
Yes, gaming-oriented routers can reduce your ping value to as much as 35%. Some of these mentioned in my list like Asus RT-AX86S instills a game boost feature that prioritizes the gaming tasks and makes sure signals won’t have to travel through traffic to reach the spot.
As far as my test goes, Asus RT-AX86S is the best affordable gaming-friendly wireless router. It entails features like a game accelerator, game boost, and a dedicated gaming port to deliver an unparalleled experience.
– Look for gaming-centric features like a dedicated port, game accelerator, game boost, and others.
– Low latency and ping are key aspects of gaming, so get a router that has got features like MU-MIMO, OFDMA, and beamforming.
– The speeds they are offering. Gaming requires high speeds, and a low-throughput router won’t work for you.
– Maximum range it can offer and devices it can handle.
Verdict
If you want to play high-end games on your PC, Console, or mobile, but don’t have the budget to purchase a top-tier gaming router, this list should be a lifesaver. By now you must have found an ideal match.
If you still can’t decide, here’s my list of the best for every type of gamer:
- If you are a professional gamer and want the best in the budget category, Asus RT-AX86S with a game boost, dedicated port, and a game acceleration feature should fare out well.
- If casual gaming works for you, Asus GS-AX3000 should work wonders for you. It entails a decent set of features like a mobile game boost, and gaming port, alongside decent throughput capacity and coverage.
- And lastly, if you are into mobile gaming, TP-Link Archer AX55 is the best you have got.
Saying that I’d like to wrap up this article. Goodbye and take care!
