I have a new RT-AC87U still sitting in the box just waiting to replace my RT-AC66R but all these posts about the FW still not up to par and issues with the 87U are making me nervous about setting it up. I only bought it because it was on sale recently on Tiger direct for $199. Wondering if I should just return it......any thoughts?
I have no problems with mine and I am convinced it is largely due to the stupid $3 USB fan I stuck underneath my nearly $300 router. I was a naysayer of active cooling for months but I have come around. Before the USB my temps were, on average:
2.4 GHz: 48°C |
5 GHz: 58°C |
CPU: 78°C.
My current temps are:
2.4 GHz: 41°C |
5 GHz: 47°C |
CPU: 54°C
That is a huge difference. In the peak summer months my cpu regularly went over 80°C and topped out at about 85°C. Now it NEVER goes over 60°C. Fan placement is critical though and I have found 1/2 inch or 127mm's to be about the "sweet spot" for my AC87R. If you move any closer than the CPU temp drops but the 5GHz chipset temp goes up (or vice versa, I forget which).
Also, as a rule I normally use "Auto" whenever it is available as a selection and let the router decide what to do. Since hitting upon this setup my router has been as stable as the AC68U it replaced with MUCH greater range and performance on the 5GHz band. In fact, the AC87R has eliminated my need for range extenders in getting sufficient signal strength down to my daughter's room, the first router to accomplish this in my experience.
I have no problems with mine and I am convinced it is largely due to the stupid $3 USB fan I stuck underneath my nearly $300 router. I was a naysayer of active cooling for months but I have come around. Before the USB my temps were, on average:
2.4 GHz: 48°C |
5 GHz: 58°C |
CPU: 78°C.
My current temps are:
2.4 GHz: 41°C |
5 GHz: 47°C |
CPU: 54°C
That is a huge difference. In the peak summer months my cpu regularly went over 80°C and topped out at about 85°C. Now it NEVER goes over 60°C. Fan placement is critical though and I have found 1/2 inch or 127mm's to be about the "sweet spot" for my AC87R. If you move any closer than the CPU temp drops but the 5GHz chipset temp goes up (or vice versa, I forget which).
Also, as a rule I normally use "Auto" whenever it is available as a selection and let the router decide what to do. Since hitting upon this setup my router has been as stable as the AC68U it replaced with MUCH greater range and performance on the 5GHz band. In fact, the AC87R has eliminated my need for range extenders in getting sufficient signal strength down to my daughter's room, the first router to accomplish this in my experience.
Edit: I also have a cron job set up that automatically reboots the router overnight while we sleep at 5:15am PDT. Between the daily fresh boot up and the cooling fan this router is stable as the AC68U it replaced with
MUCH better range and performance on the 5GHz band.