Best Network Adapter Cards Compared in 2026

This roundup compares network adapter cards on port count, port speed, SFP interface, PCIe connection where listed, card purpose, and price. The lineup spans Gigabit and multi-speed SFP28 NICs alongside a specialized monitoring adapter, priced from £116.91 to £361.19.

5 selected productsListing snapshot 23 October 2026Selection Editorial

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PC Hardware Compare editorial teamProduct information editor

Winner

Origin Storage HPE P26262-B21 alternative Broadcom BCM975414A NIC PCIe

The Origin Storage HPE P26262-B21 alternative at £116.91 is the lowest priced card in this roundup, making it a starting point for comparing port speed and PCIe generation rather than an overall winner.

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Product	Brand	Price	Retailers	Interface	Network speed	Listed product details	Memory capacity
Origin Storage HPE P26262-B21 alternative Broadcom BCM975414A NIC PCIe	Origin Storage	£116.91	PCHub	PCIe 3.0	25GbE	Origin Storage HPE P26262-B21 alternative Broadcom BCM975414A NIC PCIe 3.0 x8 Dual Port 25GbE SFP28	Not listed
StarTech.com 4-Port GbE SFP Network Card. PCIe 2.0 x2 (x4. x8. x16 Com	StarTech.com	£172.83	PCHub	Not listed	1GbE	StarTech.com 4-Port GbE SFP Network Card. PCIe 2.0 x2 (x4. x8. x16 Compatible). Intel I350-AM4 4x 1GbE Controller. 1000BASE Copper/Fiber Optic. Desktop/Server Quad-Port Gigabit Ethernet NIC - Windows & Linux	Not listed
AddOn Networks E10G42BTDA-AO network card Internal Ethernet / Fiber 10	AddOn Networks	£228.08	PCHub	Not listed	Not listed	AddOn Networks E10G42BTDA-AO network card Internal Ethernet / Fiber 10000 Mbit/s	Not listed
Vertiv Liebert IntelliSlot RDU120 - Network Card. Remote Monitoring Ad	Vertiv	£267.31	PCHub	Not listed	Not listed	Vertiv Liebert IntelliSlot RDU120 - Network Card. Remote Monitoring Adapter. RS-485. USB Port. UL2900-1 cybersecurity certified. 1Gb Ethernet (RDU120)	1Gb
Digitus 2 port 25 Gigabit Ethernet network card. SFP28. PCI Express. M	Digitus	£361.19	PCHub	Not listed	Not listed	Digitus 2 port 25 Gigabit Ethernet network card. SFP28. PCI Express. Mellanox chipset	Not listed

1. Origin Storage HPE P26262-B21 alternative Broadcom BCM975414A NIC PCIe

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Price shown £116.91

A Broadcom BCM975414A network card with dual-port 25GbE SFP28 and a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface.

The Origin Storage HPE P26262-B21 alternative lists a Broadcom BCM975414A controller, dual 25GbE SFP28 ports and a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface.

No operating system support is given in this listing, while Windows and Linux are specified for the StarTech card and four systems are named for the AddOn card.

Benchmark

Geekbench does not benchmark the primary function of Origin Storage HPE P26262-B21 alternative Broadcom BCM975414A NIC PCIe. Its scores measure the processor or graphics device in the test computer, not this product.

Browse Geekbench Community Results

Network adapter throughput testing

Compare sustained line-rate throughput, latency and CPU use with a matched peer and traffic pattern.

A comparable third-party result for Origin Storage HPE P26262-B21 alternative Broadcom BCM975414A NIC PCIe is not included here. See network device performance testing platform explains the relevant test or benchmark method.

At £116.91 this is the least expensive card in this roundup, though it still runs on the same PCIe 3.0 x8 interface used by the pricier Digitus card.

Product specifications
Specification	Information
Brand	Origin Storage
Price	£116.91
Interface	PCIe 3.0
Network speed	25GbE
Listed product details	Origin Storage HPE P26262-B21 alternative Broadcom BCM975414A NIC PCIe 3.0 x8 Dual Port 25GbE SFP28

Compatible hardware

Check against Network switchesMatch Ethernet speed, fibre type and transceiver support at the switch.
Check against Fibre transceiversVerify the adapter slot and transceiver type, speed, wavelength and connector.
Check against Ethernet and fibre cablesMatch copper or fibre medium, connector and supported link speed.

What we like

Dual-port 25GbE SFP28 connectivity
PCIe 3.0 x8 interface
Lowest price among the two listed 25GbE cards

What we don't like

No operating system support list is stated, unlike the StarTech and AddOn listings
Its two ports are 25GbE SFP28, while the StarTech provides four 1GbE SFP ports

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2. StarTech.com 4-Port GbE SFP Network Card. PCIe 2.0 x2 (x4. x8. x16 Com

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Price shown £172.83

A 4-port Gigabit Ethernet card using an Intel I350-AM4 controller and a PCIe 2.0 x2 interface, built for SFP modules or DAC cables, priced at £172.83.

With four 1GbE ports driven by an Intel I350-AM4 controller, this card suits setups that need multiple separate Gigabit connections rather than fewer high speed links.

Its PCIe 2.0 x2 interface differs from the PCIe 3.0 x8 connections on the Origin Storage and Digitus cards. The listing specifies the slot interface but does not provide a comparative performance result.

Benchmark

Geekbench does not benchmark the primary function of StarTech.com 4-Port GbE SFP Network Card. PCIe 2.0 x2 (x4. x8. x16 Com. Its scores measure the processor or graphics device in the test computer, not this product.

Browse Geekbench Community Results

Network adapter throughput testing

Compare sustained line-rate throughput, latency and CPU use with a matched peer and traffic pattern.

A comparable third-party result for StarTech.com 4-Port GbE SFP Network Card. PCIe 2.0 x2 (x4. x8. x16 Com is not included here. See network device performance testing platform explains the relevant test or benchmark method.

At £172.83 this card costs more than the Origin Storage option while offering four ports instead of two, though each port runs at 1GbE rather than 25GbE.

Product specifications
Specification	Information
Brand	StarTech.com
Price	£172.83
Network speed	1GbE
Listed product details	StarTech.com 4-Port GbE SFP Network Card. PCIe 2.0 x2 (x4. x8. x16 Compatible). Intel I350-AM4 4x 1GbE Controller. 1000BASE Copper/Fiber Optic. Desktop/Server Quad-Port Gigabit Ethernet NIC - Windows & Linux

Compatible hardware

Check against Network switchesMatch Ethernet speed, fibre type and transceiver support at the switch.
Check against Fibre transceiversVerify the adapter slot and transceiver type, speed, wavelength and connector.
Check against Ethernet and fibre cablesMatch copper or fibre medium, connector and supported link speed.

What we like

Four separate 1GbE ports on one card
Listed support for both Windows and Linux
Works with SFP modules or DAC cables for flexible wiring

What we don't like

PCIe 2.0 x2 interface differs from the PCIe 3.0 x8 interfaces on the Origin Storage and Digitus cards
Each port tops out at 1GbE, slower than the 10GbE and 25GbE ports on three other cards

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3. AddOn Networks E10G42BTDA-AO network card Internal Ethernet / Fiber 10

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Price shown £228.08

A dual-port 10GbE SFP+ NIC with a PCIe x8 interface, VLAN filtering, and listed support across Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and VMware, priced at £228.08.

This AddOn Networks card provides two open SFP+ ports for 10GbE connections over a PCIe x8 interface, with VLAN filtering included for network segmentation tasks.

Its listed OS support spans Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and VMware, a wider stated range than the Windows and Linux listing on the StarTech card in this roundup.

Benchmark

Geekbench does not benchmark the primary function of AddOn Networks E10G42BTDA-AO network card Internal Ethernet / Fiber 10. Its scores measure the processor or graphics device in the test computer, not this product.

Browse Geekbench Community Results

Network adapter throughput testing

Compare sustained line-rate throughput, latency and CPU use with a matched peer and traffic pattern.

A comparable third-party result for AddOn Networks E10G42BTDA-AO network card Internal Ethernet / Fiber 10 is not included here. See network device performance testing platform explains the relevant test or benchmark method.

At £228.08 this costs more than the 4-port StarTech card and less than the Vertiv and Digitus units.

Product specifications
Specification	Information
Brand	AddOn Networks
Price	£228.08
Listed product details	AddOn Networks E10G42BTDA-AO network card Internal Ethernet / Fiber 10000 Mbit/s

Compatible hardware

Check against Network switchesMatch Ethernet speed, fibre type and transceiver support at the switch.
Check against Fibre transceiversVerify the adapter slot and transceiver type, speed, wavelength and connector.
Check against Ethernet and fibre cablesMatch copper or fibre medium, connector and supported link speed.

What we like

Listed support across four operating systems including VMware
VLAN filtering built into the card
Dual open SFP+ ports for 10GbE connections

What we don't like

10GbE port speed sits below the 25GbE ports on the Origin Storage and Digitus cards
The listing identifies open SFP+ ports but gives no package detail for transceivers or cables

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4. Vertiv Liebert IntelliSlot RDU120 - Network Card. Remote Monitoring Ad

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Price shown £267.31

A Vertiv Liebert IntelliSlot RDU120 remote monitoring adapter built specifically for Vertiv equipment, with RS-485, USB, and 1Gb Ethernet connections and UL2900-1 cybersecurity certification, priced at £267.31.

This adapter serves a different role from the other four products in this roundup, functioning as a remote monitoring interface for Vertiv equipment rather than a standard network card for general data traffic.

It communicates over web, SNMP, Modbus, and BACnet protocols as well as Vertiv Cloud, and includes RS-485 and USB ports alongside its single 1Gb Ethernet connection, with UL2900-1 cybersecurity certification noted in its listing.

Benchmark

Geekbench does not benchmark the primary function of Vertiv Liebert IntelliSlot RDU120 - Network Card. Remote Monitoring Ad. Its scores measure the processor or graphics device in the test computer, not this product.

Browse Geekbench Community Results

Network adapter throughput testing

Compare sustained line-rate throughput, latency and CPU use with a matched peer and traffic pattern.

A comparable third-party result for Vertiv Liebert IntelliSlot RDU120 - Network Card. Remote Monitoring Ad is not included here. See network device performance testing platform explains the relevant test or benchmark method.

At £267.31 this costs more than three of the other cards in the roundup and serves a distinct monitoring role for Vertiv equipment.

Product specifications
Specification	Information
Brand	Vertiv
Price	£267.31
Memory capacity	1Gb
Listed product details	Vertiv Liebert IntelliSlot RDU120 - Network Card. Remote Monitoring Adapter. RS-485. USB Port. UL2900-1 cybersecurity certified. 1Gb Ethernet (RDU120)

Compatible hardware

Check against Network switchesMatch Ethernet speed, fibre type and transceiver support at the switch.
Check against Fibre transceiversVerify the adapter slot and transceiver type, speed, wavelength and connector.
Check against Ethernet and fibre cablesMatch copper or fibre medium, connector and supported link speed.

What we like

UL2900-1 cybersecurity certification
Supports multiple monitoring protocols including SNMP, Modbus, and BACnet
Combines RS-485, USB, and 1Gb Ethernet in one adapter

What we don't like

Built for monitoring Vertiv equipment rather than general network connectivity like the other four cards here
Single 1Gb Ethernet port is slower than the 10GbE and 25GbE ports on three other cards in this roundup

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5. Digitus 2 port 25 Gigabit Ethernet network card. SFP28. PCI Express. M

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Price shown £361.19

A dual-port network card supporting 25G, 10G, and 1G speeds over SFP28 or SFP+ connections, built on a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface with a Mellanox chipset, priced at £361.19.

The Digitus DN-10180 stands out for supporting three speed tiers, 25G, 10G, and 1G, across its two SFP28 or SFP+ ports, offering more flexibility in port speed selection than the fixed speed cards elsewhere in this roundup.

Its Mellanox chipset runs on a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, matching the interface width of the Origin Storage card while adding broader port speed options.

Benchmark

Geekbench does not benchmark the primary function of Digitus 2 port 25 Gigabit Ethernet network card. SFP28. PCI Express. M. Its scores measure the processor or graphics device in the test computer, not this product.

Browse Geekbench Community Results

Network adapter throughput testing

Compare sustained line-rate throughput, latency and CPU use with a matched peer and traffic pattern.

A comparable third-party result for Digitus 2 port 25 Gigabit Ethernet network card. SFP28. PCI Express. M is not included here. See network device performance testing platform explains the relevant test or benchmark method.

At £361.19 this is the most expensive card in the roundup and lists three supported speed tiers across its two ports.

Product specifications
Specification	Information
Brand	Digitus
Price	£361.19
Listed product details	Digitus 2 port 25 Gigabit Ethernet network card. SFP28. PCI Express. Mellanox chipset

Compatible hardware

Check against Network switchesMatch Ethernet speed, fibre type and transceiver support at the switch.
Check against Fibre transceiversVerify the adapter slot and transceiver type, speed, wavelength and connector.
Check against Ethernet and fibre cablesMatch copper or fibre medium, connector and supported link speed.

What we like

Supports 25G, 10G, and 1G speeds on the same ports
PCIe 3.0 x8 interface matches the widest slot connection in this roundup
Mellanox chipset listed

What we don't like

Highest listed price in this roundup at £361.19
No operating system support list is provided, unlike the StarTech and AddOn cards

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Prices shown reflect the available listing details and can change. Check stock, delivery, compatibility and full product specifications with PCHub before ordering.