We were highly impressed with the TP-Link Archer C5400X when we originally reviewed it, and it's still obvious as to why it remains one our of best gaming routers. So, of course it's a good day when it goes on sale.

The Archer C5400X has many great features, including a fast 5 GHz throughput, clean user interface, integrated antivirus protection, and is easy to set up, which you can do via the TP-Link Tether smartphone app or a web browser. But what makes this a great gaming router is what TP-Link dubs their 'dynamic optimization engine.' The Archer C5400X splits web traffic into five categories: gaming; steaming; surfing; chatting; and downloading.

You can use the router's presets to automatically prioritize any one of those applications, but there is also a Custom option that allows each category to be set to a prioritization mode of low, medium, or high. This is a nice option for those gamers who like a little bit of control over the flow of their internet traffic.

TP-Link Archer C5400X Gaming Router | $369.99 ( $70 off)
Archer C5400X is a vast improvement over previous models, especially when it comes to the 5GHz range, and is a cheaper alternative to other high-end gaming routers. Buy at B&H.

Hi! Random question- I've been away from this side of computing for a few years.

How do these high end gaming routers compare to low latency custom firmware running on a less expensive modem? It seems like the feature set is mostly software side, is there some major hardware advantage I am missing, or is it just easier to use for people who don't want to fuss with a bunch of back-end network settings?