How fast of a router is needed for torrents?

[permitivity]

Is the router's CPU/RAM a big factor in terms of router performance?

On one router: I have one PC on hardwire ethernet that does torrents and other heavy lifting. Another PC on wireless 802.11n, for browsing, and a phone and tablet on wireless occasionally.

Given a choice between two routers (Asus RT-N16 and Asus RT-N12), would either make a difference if we're strictly looking at the router's ability to handle the traffic? I realize there's some other considerations, but if network routing performance is the only one consideration, does the difference in hardware change network performance when there are torrents going? Assume DD-WRT or Tomato on the routers.

Asus N16: 480MHz CPU, 128MB RAM, 32MB Flash
Asus N12: 300MHz CPU, 32MB RAM, 4MB Flash

I suppose more is better, but I wonder if the bottle necks are never at the router end...even if you have a fairly capable DSL connection (20Mbps). Maybe the N16 is better at QoS than the N12, so torrent traffic and browser traffic is better shaped? Is that true?

My home router is connected to the DSL modem/router...which is probably less well spec'd than either Asus. Might my DSL modem/router be more likely the weakest link?

 

[Sakkura]

Your ISP probably throttles torrents anyway, and then it won't matter. Any router can handle data in the KB/s range.

 

[getochkn]

For extremely fast internet connections or lots of PC's hooked up downloading torrents, an older slower router can crap out. My city went to DOCSIS3, which allows up to 60mb/s downloads. Add 9-10 devices connected, 4-5 of them using torrents and poof, my router would crap out. I had to go to a new linksys to be able to handle the speeds properly and the massive amount of incoming/outgoing connections with the torrents so IMO, I think it does in certain cases. Before I switched my net to the DOCSIS3 though, I never had a problem. It's only when we upgraded that I needed the new router.

 

[leandrodafontoura]

When you get to that point of comparing router hardware in that detail, I feel worried...

Anywya, simply et the most recent model, diference in price is minimal

 

[permitivity]

When you get to that point of comparing router hardware in that detail, I feel worried...
Anywya, simply et the most recent model, diference in price is minimal

...is it really going overboard? I have no idea how much burden torrents put on the router CPU.

I'd like to not go out and buy more hardware. I have the N16 and the N12, but there's trade offs on where I put the N16 that I didn't get into on my original post.

 

[sanilmahambre]

there is no need to buy a extremely fast router for a torrent. by installing U torrent or bit torrent you will be able to pause and play downloading very easily.
what actually needed is a faster internet plan. .......thats it!