IPQ9574 vs IPQ5424: A Comprehensive Technical Comparison of Wi-Fi 7 SoCs

IPQ9574 vs IPQ5424: A Comprehensive Technical Comparison of Wi-Fi 7 SoCs

As Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) enters commercial deployment, system integrators are demanding higher performance, scalability, and ecosystem compatibility from network SoCs. Qualcomm, a leading innovator in this space, has launched multiple Wi-Fi 7 platforms to address diverse needs. Among them, the IPQ9574 and IPQ5424 stand out—targeting enterprise-grade and cost-optimized consumer/prosumer segments respectively.

This article provides a detailed, side-by-side comparison of these two SoCs, examining architecture, RF capabilities, software support, and application suitability to help developers make informed choices.

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1. Positioning & Architecture

Feature	IPQ9574	IPQ5424
Market Segment	Enterprise AP / Industrial Mesh / High-end CPE	Mid-to-high Mesh Routers / Home Gateway / SMB CPE
CPU Architecture	Quad-core ARM Cortex-A73 @ 2.2GHz	Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.5GHz
Network Subsystem	Qualcomm NSS (Network Acceleration)	Fast Path only
Process Node	14nm	14nm
Memory Support	DDR4 / DDR5 (Up to 6.4Gbps+)	DDR3L / DDR4 (Up to 2.4Gbps)
PCIe Interface	PCIe Gen4 x2/x1	PCIe Gen3 x1 (Dual-lane)
USB Support	USB 3.0	USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 (varies)

Insight: IPQ9574 provides higher throughput and concurrency thanks to its Cortex-A73 cores and dedicated NSS engine. In contrast, IPQ5424 is a cost-effective alternative designed for efficient, lower-power implementations.

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2. Wi-Fi 7 Radio Capabilities (with 6GHz Support)

Feature	IPQ9574	IPQ5424
Frequency Bands	2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz (Tri-band)	2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz (Tri-band)
Max Bandwidth	Supports 320MHz (6GHz)	Supports 320MHz (6GHz)
Spatial Streams	4x4x4 MU-MIMO	2x2 + 2x2 Concurrent
OFDMA / MU-MIMO	Full support	Basic support
MLO (Multi-Link Operation)	Supported	Supported
Beamforming	Advanced	Basic
OpenWRT/OpenWiFi 6GHz Support	Not supported currently	Not supported currently

Note: Although both chips technically support the 6GHz band and Wi-Fi 7 features, current open-source platforms like OpenWRT and OpenWiFi do not fully support 6GHz due to driver and regulatory limitations. Custom firmware or vendor SDKs are recommended for full feature enablement.

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3. Interfaces & Expandability

Feature	IPQ9574	IPQ5424
Ethernet	Up to 1x 10G SFP+, multiple 2.5G / 1G ports	2x 2.5G or 4x 1G options
PCIe Expansion	Ideal for QCN9274/QCN6274 Wi-Fi 7 NICs	Compatible with dual-band Wi-Fi modules
USB Peripherals	USB 3.0 for high-speed use cases	USB 2.0/3.0 for basic expansion/storage

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4. Software Ecosystem & Platform Support

Feature	IPQ9574	IPQ5424
SDK Availability	Qualcomm QSDK / Yocto	Qualcomm QSDK / Yocto
OpenWRT Support	Supported (6GHz excluded)	Supported (6GHz excluded)
OpenWiFi Support	Early-stage integration; not fully stable	Basic support; limited 6GHz features
Security Features	Secure Boot / TPM / TrustZone	Secure Boot / TrustZone
Cloud Integration	Plume, Ruckus, OpenWiFi controller	Home/ISP cloud systems

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5. Application Scenarios

✅ Recommended for IPQ9574:

• High-performance Wi-Fi 7 enterprise APs
• Industrial mesh networking (mining/oilfield, etc.)
• 5G/mmWave CPE with Wi-Fi 7 backhaul
• Multi-WAN gateways & edge compute nodes

✅ Recommended for IPQ5424:

• Tri-band home mesh routers
• Small business or retail Wi-Fi networks
• Cost-sensitive ISP Wi-Fi 7 rollouts
• Entry-level CPE or Wi-Fi node units

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6. Selection Summary

Feature	IPQ9574	IPQ5424
Performance Level	★★★★★	★★★☆☆
Ecosystem Maturity	★★★★☆ (vendor stack needed)	★★★☆☆
6GHz Usability (now)	★★☆☆☆ (requires custom drivers)	★★☆☆☆ (limited by OSS)
Tri-band NIC Compatibility	Excellent	Moderate
Product Differentiation	High (flagship class)	Mid (value-driven)

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Conclusion

The IPQ9574 and IPQ5424 represent Qualcomm’s strategic push into the Wi-Fi 7 SoC market. IPQ9574 excels in high-throughput, tri-band, and enterprise use cases, while IPQ5424 enables more cost-efficient mass-market products.

Both chips offer full 6GHz hardware support, but developers should note that open-source platforms like OpenWRT and OpenWiFi currently lack stable 6GHz support. For full functionality, leveraging Qualcomm's QSDK or integrating with vendor firmware stacks is recommended.