The author compared 2 cheap routers, with a high end Nighthawk, to a homebrewed router (one of the intel stick like boxes with an SSD). The homebrewed was the winner, but I an not to surpised (about $300 in parts). Nighhawk is $250. Me….I right now I have a cap speed limit out to the net so I don’t see the use of such a dramatic upgrade (yet).
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/01/numbers-dont-lie-its-time-to-build-your-own-router/