MikroTik hEX S (2016) vs hEX S (2025) — What Changed, Which Should You Buy?
The MikroTik hEX S has been the go-to budget router for small offices, home labs, and edge network deployments since 2016. It packs 5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, an SFP cage for fibre uplink, PoE-in on port 1, and full RouterOS — all for under 65 KWD. In late 2025 MikroTik released a refreshed hEX S with the same form factor but meaningfully upgraded internals. Here's what's actually different, whether you should upgrade if you already have the 2016 model, and which one to buy new.
Quick comparison table
| Spec | hEX S (2016, RB760iGS) | hEX S (2025, refreshed) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | MediaTek MT7621A dual-core @ 880 MHz | Newer dual-core @ 1.1–1.4 GHz |
| RAM | 256 MB DDR3 | 512 MB DDR4 |
| Storage | 16 MB NAND | 128 MB NAND |
| Ethernet | 5× Gigabit | 5× Gigabit |
| SFP cage | 1× SFP (1G) | 1× SFP (1G) — updated |
| PoE-in | 802.3af/at on port 1 (12–57V) | 802.3af/at on port 1 |
| PoE-out | Passive PoE on port 5 | Passive PoE on port 5 |
| RouterOS | v6 / v7 (older kernel) | v7 (fully supported) |
| USB | 1× USB 2.0 | 1× USB 3.0 |
| Real-world routing throughput | ~700 Mbps (fast-path) | ~950 Mbps (fast-path, closer to line rate) |
| Concurrent IPsec sessions | limited by 256 MB RAM | comfortable with 512 MB |
| Price (Kuwait) | ~55 KWD | ~75 KWD |
What actually changed
**1. CPU.** The 2025 refresh moves off the aging MT7621A to a faster dual-core SoC. Real-world routing goes from ~700 Mbps (2016 model, fast-path enabled) to ~950 Mbps (much closer to Gigabit line rate). If you're running any firewall rules, QoS, or VPN, the 2025 model shows a bigger gap — typically 1.5–2× faster on IPsec.
**2. RAM doubled.** 256 MB → 512 MB DDR4. This matters most for BGP with even a small route table, for holding a lot of DHCP leases or connection-tracking state, and for RouterOS 7's newer features (WireGuard, containers). The 2016 model with 256 MB is fine for basic edge routing but noticeably tight if you push it.
**3. Storage jumped from 16 MB to 128 MB.** The 2016 hEX S's tiny 16 MB flash was its biggest constraint — some RouterOS 7 packages simply won't fit. The 2025 model lifts that ceiling entirely; you can install containers, run scripts, and store historical logs without shuffling packages around.
**4. USB 3.0.** Small quality-of-life win — if you plug in an LTE modem or storage stick for hAP-style dual-WAN, the 2025 model won't bottleneck.
**5. Full RouterOS 7 support.** The 2016 hEX S runs RouterOS 7 but MikroTik has been dropping fixes for some older MT7621A boards. The 2025 refresh gets first-tier v7 support going forward — meaningful if you rely on WireGuard, IPv6 improvements, or container features.
What did NOT change
When to buy the 2016 hEX S
When to buy the 2025 hEX S
Should I upgrade if I already have the 2016 model?
**Probably not** if it's doing basic edge routing without issues. The 2016 hEX S is a workhorse and RouterOS 7 works on it.
**Yes, upgrade** if you've hit any of: RAM pressure (check with `/system resource print` — sustained >80% RAM), flash storage exhausted (`/system routerboard print`), throughput ceiling on your ISP uplink now that you have >700 Mbps of internet, or you're planning to enable IPsec/WireGuard at any scale.
Our recommendation
**Buying new for a small office or home lab in 2026:** buy the [hEX S (2025)](/products/mikrotik-hex-s-2025). The 20 KWD premium buys you a router that'll comfortably last another 5–7 years without hitting resource limits.
**Buying new for a lab, spare, or throwaway deployment:** the [original hEX S](/products/mikrotik-hex-s) is still an excellent value at ~55 KWD if you know the workload is light.
Centrix stocks both models with same-day delivery in Kuwait and free basic configuration (WAN, LAN, DHCP, firewall basics) on any hEX purchase.