The e1000 is really more for compatibility reasons, like to get a new install vm set up on a weirdish OS, or custom accounting or POS (point of sales) apps, cases where you might even be scared to install vmtools at all at all. Anyone that has been mucking with 10Base2 BNC coax will know that the ne2000 was the only card to keep in stock and resell.
Unless there is a real proven bonafide specific reason or perhaps documented issues to not use vmxnet3, that should be the default choice. Can even be selected as the choice nic using the standalone converter. The folks at VMware always play it safe by describing what all the nics are and do, but they won't tell you which one to choose.
vmxnet3 is supposed to be the bestest way to get Windows vm's talking religion other vm's. The e1000 has a lot of emulation layers on it which is why it chokes performance a lot.
Anyways, whatever you are doing with a Win10 vm on 5.1 can't be very permanent, so you might want to just get that over, fast.
