TP-Link ASIC (opens in new tab) , which appears to be the crypto mining branch of TP-Link, has announced (opens in new tab) the NX31 ASIC mining router that sports Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. According to the specs, this $1,440 router has a built-in ASIC that mines crypto faster than the RTX 4090 and pulls 1,200 Watts during full load. The company's website looks legit, but the press release sounds sketchy. We've reached out to TP-Link to double verify the information, but in the meantime, take this news with some salt.
The NX31 (NX31-B2MR) reportedly doubles as a Wi-Fi 7 router and ASIC miner. The product page lacks the technical details, so it's unclear how the NX31 works. The image of the NX31 device corresponds to TP-Link's Archer BE900 Wi-Fi 7 router, and even the filename confirms it. So it's either a placeholder or the NX31 may be based on the Archer BE900. At any rate, we'll have a better idea when TP-Link gets back to us.
According to the spec sheet, the NX31 delivers a hash rate of up to 31.2 TH/s, much faster than a GeForce RTX 4090 . It outperforms cheaper ASIC miners, such as the Canaan Avalon A9 miner (20 TH/s), but it lags behind Intel's Bonanza Mine ASICs (34.5 - 47.7 TH/s). There's nothing special about the NX31's mining performance, as dedicated ASIC miners typically offer hash rates over 100 TH/s. The selling point for the NX31 is the device's dual functionality as both a router and ASIC-based crypto miner. The manufacturer labeled the NX31 for Kadena (KDA), so support for other cryptocurrencies is unknown.
TP-Link ASIC didn't share the dimensions of the NX31, but the ASIC miner reportedly weighs 3.9kg (8.58 lbs). The vanilla Archer BE900 has an LED screen, which you can personalize with the weather, time, or other graphics. On the NX31, the vendor added the functionality to display the hash rate and temperature. In addition, the machine features a metallic body and two fans to improve cooling and draws 1,200W. You can't just blindly plug the NX31 into your home's outlet, though, as the ASIC miner requires a 240V outlet.
On the router side, the NX31's other attributes concur with the Archer BE900. For example, it arrives with quad-band technology and 12 internal antennas to improve coverage over large areas. In addition, the NX31 has a generous amount of Ethernet ports of different standards. The list includes one 10 Gbps WAN/LAN port, one 10 Gbps SFP+/RJ45 port, four 2.5 Gbps LAN ports, and a 1 Gbps LAN port. For USB connectivity, the NX31 provides one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 port.
TP-Link ASIC has already sold the first batch of NX31; therefore, the ASIC mining router is on backorder for an April release. It appears that the vendor has adjusted the pricing to $1,370, 5% lower than the launch price. For comparison, the vanilla Archer BE900 router retails for $699.99 (opens in new tab) , so the added ASIC mining functionality carries a hefty 96% premium on the NX31. Purchase orders are limited to three devices per customer. TP-Link ASIC claims that the standard ROI (return on investment) time for the NX31 is between five to seven months.
