which PCI-E NIC gives most bang for $?

[nclr11111]

So, as some of you know i built a computer for the kid next door for Christmas. It was composed of new and used parts.
Mobo: MSI Z77-G45 (Used)
CPU: I5 3570K (Oklockad) (Used)
GPU: EVGA 1060
PSU: EVGA SuperNova G2 650W
SSD: Crucial MX300 525GB
HDD: 1TB WD Blue
Chassi: Phanteks Eclipse P400S
Windows 7 Prof.

All was good for a week and a half, but today suddenly he was not able to connect to internet anymore.
So i went to his house just to find that the on-board nic was´nt anywhere to be found!? Nor did the diods next to the NIC connection on the mobo blink even though i´m positive the connection is good.

He is connectiong to internet via the powergrid but no known thunderstorms or powersurges has occured lately so no natural explanations there which was my initial thought.

So what have i tried?
- Tried using a different TP-Cable
- Booted in failsafe+network but no success in finding the NIC there either
- Checked in BIOS so that "OnBoard LAN" is activated
- Reset the system to a known working date
- Cleared CMOS

All w/o any success. So now i´m looking for a third party NIC to use in one of the PCI-E x1 slots. Unfortunately this is not one of my favourite hardwares and thought i´d ask for some input before making a stupid purchase.
What i´ve heard is to go with a Gigabit Intel NIC. This info was however obtained when i read up on PFsense so for this usage it might not be that important. Anyhow i think i´ll stay with that thought. At least Intels hardware usually are quite stable as well as reliable.

So i was thinking of this NIC. Should be enough for regular gaming and the price of ~$12 incl shipping seems ok.
But what do you guys and gals think? Am i right when i´m thinking the onboard NIC is toast and could the NIC in the link be a good substitute??

//NCLR

 

[nclr11111]

No network gurus here??

 

[SHvFl]

Send the motherboard for repairs. I know it sounds like the easy solution to buy a $12 replacement and be done with it but who knows what else is wrong with the motherboard. To start i would boot an ubuntu live cd to confirm 100% it's bad even though you kinda already did and if it is send it for replacement the same second.
Also buy a surge protector. Get a cheap one from apc.

I can search and find a pci network connection if you want but i don't think it's the right call. If you really want to do that anyhow tell me the internet speed they have and will figure something out.

 

[nclr11111]

Send the motherboard for repairs. I know it sounds like the easy solution to buy a $12 replacement and be done with it but who knows what else is wrong with the motherboard. To start i would boot an ubuntu live cd to confirm 100% it's bad even though you kinda already did and if it is send it for replacement the same second.
Also buy a surge protector. Get a cheap one from apc.

I can search and find a pci network connection if you want but i don't think it's the right call. If you really want to do that anyhow tell me the internet speed they have and will figure something out.

Nah. You don't have to do that but thx for the offer! In lack of info on any forum i went ahead and ordered the $12 gigabit NIC in my first post. Since the mobo is bought used and have ~4 years of usage I can't see how to motivate the cost of changing the onboard nic. Especially as there are no competent computerstores anywhere near my city. I'll just wait and see how it works.

 

[SHvFl]

Nah. You don't have to do that but thx for the offer! In lack of info on any forum i went ahead and ordered the $12 gigabit NIC in my first post. Since the mobo is bought used and have ~4 years of usage I can't see how to motivate the cost of changing the onboard nic. Especially as there are no competent computerstores anywhere near my city. I'll just wait and see how it works.

The one you got is legit from what i checked. I didn't realize the mobo had an expired warranty so your option was the right one.

 

[BoraMurdar]

Any network card above 10$ should do the job