Different CPU loads?

[Choy]

Just looking for network cards and wondered if there is any difference in cpu between different NICs. And how do I know if a card is "faster". (not in terms of transfer rate)

 

[Sir Fredrick]

Some cards definitely perform worse than others. My linksys card is slower than a one legged turtle, while my realtek is about as fast as a rabbit with two legs (the only reason it's missing 2 legs is because our whole network is rather slow here at school)