WiFi is one of those technologies that seems old, but is constantly being upgraded. 802.11a was the original standard, but 802.11b was the first to become popular with the public. Since then, we’ve gone through 802.11c and 802.11a, with each iteration being a major improvement. Signals have gotten more stable, speeds have gotten higher, and latency has gotten lower. Support for multi-device use has also significantly improved since the early days. Last year came the release of a new standard, WiFi 6 – formerly known as 802.11ax. This new standard allows speeds as fast as 3,000Mbps, as well as supporting more devices on one network.
So far, the rollout of WiFi 6 has been slow. We started to see some WiFi routers throughout last year, but little else. This year, though, we’ve started to see more WiFi 6 connected devices. This is great news for anyone who wants fast internet and connectivity for all their smart home gadgets. But unless you’re using a brand new PC, you won’t notice any benefit in your PC connection. Your old wireless card will serve as a bottleneck, limiting your speed. If you want to get the full benefit of your new WiFi 6 router, you’ll need to upgrade your computer, too. The best solution is to use a PCIe WiFi 6 network adapter card.
Today, we’ll be looking at four of the best PCIe WiFi 6 cards available. We’ll begin by reviewing the Asus AX3000 (Pce-AX58BT). This card has big external antennas, also provides Bluetooth 5.0, and works with Windows 10 64-bit and Linux. Next, we’ll look at the MSI AX916C AX200. This card has a similar design and features, works with both 32- and 64-bit Windows 7, 8.1, and 10. After that, we’ll consider the WAVLINK AX3000. This card also has external antennas, and supplies Bluetooth 5.1, but it’s for Windows 10 64-bit only. Finally, we’ll check out the EDUP PCIe WiFi 6 Card. This card has antennas on the back of your PC, and provides Bluetooth 5.1. Which one is right for your computer? We’re about to find out!
How to Choose the Best PCIe WiFi 6 Network Adapter Card
Before we start talking about individual PCIe WiFi 6 cards, let’s talk about what you should be looking for. That way, we’ll have a better basis for comparison when we look at various features. Here are the most important things to consider when you’re buying a new wireless card.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the most important consideration, because it’s a measure of your data speed. The more bandwidth you have, the higher your theoretical maximum transfer speed. Prior to WiFi 6, you could typically expect around one Gigabit of data transfer. That’s in line with Gigabit Ethernet, at least in theory. In practice, Ethernet is still more reliable, and has less latency.
With WiFi 6, on the other hand, you should expect at least 3 Gigabits (3,000Mbps) of bandwidth. This will allow you to get the fastest possible speeds out of your connection. Keep in mind, though, that you won’t always get the highest possible speed. For one thing, your home’s internet service may not be anywhere near that fast. For another thing, if there are a lot of online devices, some of them might hog your bandwidth.
Number and Type of Antennas
It’s easy to get distracted by a bunch of antennas. We have router manufacturers to thank for this, and there, more antennas makes more sense. After all, the purpose of an antenna is to boost the signal in a given direction. For a router, you probably want a good signal in all directions, so more antennas makes sense. The more antennas, the more directions you can boost your signal in. This all makes sense so far.
For a computer, on the other hand, it’s a different story. You aren’t connecting to a bunch of other devices directly via WiFi; you’re connecting to your router. So the only direction you need to boost your signal in is the direction of your router. In other words, more than one antenna is normally unnecessary. Then again, if you aim two antennas, that’s more antenna pointed at your router.
More important is the size of the antenna. Assuming the same design, a larger antenna will have more strength and longer range. The exact range can be highly variable. It depends on signal strength, interference, and any obstacles that block the signal. As a general rule of thumb, assume the signal range is 30 feet. If for some reason you need very long range, you can always buy a bigger aftermarket antenna.
Card Size
The physical size of the card can also be a concern. PCIe wireless cards will always fit in the same slot on your motherboard. However, the size of your case will make a difference. If you have a full-sized case, good news! Barring an unusual design or a truly massive graphics card, you’ll have plenty of space for a wireless card. That said, if you have a mini ITX or micro ATX case, you might not have enough clearance. Before you buy, make sure to measure the clearance over your PCIe port. If that’s less than the height of a given card, you’ll need to choose a different card.
Cooling Concerns
Depending on your setup, cooling may or may not be a concern for your wireless adapter. If you’ve got good airflow and no existing heating issues, you should be good to go. That said, there are circumstances where it makes sense to invest in a wireless card cooler. After all, a WiFi card is fundamentally the same as any other type of circuit. The harder it works, the more heat it puts out. And if it’s not adequately cooled, its performance will suffer, and it might even fail.
The cooler of choice is an aluminum PCIe cooler. This is basically an aluminum block that sits against your card. It then absorbs heat, and distributes that heat back into the air. Keep in mind that there still needs to be adequate air for cooling. Make sure there’s plenty of air flow. And whatever you do, don’t install your WiFi card directly in the path of your graphics card’s exhaust.
Driver Support
The last thing to take into consideration is driver support. Some WiFi 6 cards will be plug-and-play, which makes for easier installation on some systems. Other cards require you to download and install drivers in order for them to work properly. Some drivers are plug-and-play on some systems and require drivers on others. Make sure your OS will support whatever wireless card you want to buy.
Asus AX3000 (Pce-AX58BT)
Asus is known for producing a number of high-quality electronics, including networking gear. So, how does the Asus AX3000 (Pce-AX58BT) stack up? This is a low-profile design, with a fat body with ribbed sides for better heat dissipation. The card itself is matte black, with a gold ASUS logo on the side. It has a standard aluminum plate on the back for easy mounting, with two antenna connections. These are standard-style antenna connections, so you can hook up almost any third-party antenna. That said, the kit includes a beefy pair of pivoting antennas, attached to a magnetic mounting base.
This card provides up to 2,400Mbps of data throughput over the 5GHz channel. This is augmented by 600Mbps from the 2.4GHz channel, for a total bandwidth of 3,000Mbps. It also supports OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology, so it works well when you have many connected devices. As for safety, you get WPA3 security, which is the latest and greatest.
In addition to WiFi, you can also use the Asus card for Bluetooth 5.0. Just be aware that you’ll need a 9-pin USB header on your Motherboard to connect the Bluetooth module. The AX3000 is compatible with Windows 10 systems, but only with the 64-bit version. You can use it on Linux systems with 32- or 64-bit architecture, but you’ll have to install drivers.
MSI AX916C AX200
MSI produces many gaming and computer accessories. So it made sense to take a look at the MSI AX916C AX200 WiFi 6 adapter. The card itself is understated, with a low profile, but also much narrower than the Asus card. It mounts easily in the back of your computer, and has contacts for a single antenna. The antenna is thick and beefy, but it’s not adjustable, and there’s only one. Still, it provides plenty of boost.
This wireless card also provides 3,000Mbps of bandwidth, along with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. You can connect the Bluetooth directly to the motherboard pin header, but only on Intel. It won’t work with AMD motherboards. That said, you get plug-and-play performance on any version of Windows 7, 8.1, or 10.
WAVLINK AX3000
WAVLINK is yet another manufacturer with a long history in this field. The WAVLINK AX3000 is another WiFi 6 network card with a magnet-mounted antenna. It’s actually a beefy dual antenna, which is not adjustable, but still reasonably big. The card itself has a low profile, with a chunky aluminum heatsink mounted to one side.
Like the last two adapter cards we looked at, the AX3000 provides 3,000Mbps worth of bandwidth. You also get support for OFDMA, MU-MIMO, and other multi-device protocols. There’s WPA3 security, so you can connect securely to even the newest routers. But best of all, there’s also Bluetooth 5.1. This is an upgraded version of Bluetooth, which is designed for lower latency. This won’t help with your internet connection, but it’s great for gaming or watching movies. The Bluetooth module connects to your motherboard with a 4-pin cable.
On the downside, this wireless card will only work with the 64-bit version of Windows 10. You also have to download the driver from WAVLINK’s website before installing the card.
EDUP PCIe WiFi 6 Card
The EDUP PCIe WiFi 6 Card is yet another full-powered PCIe wireless card. It provides 2,400Mbps of bandwidth on the 5GHz channel, and 600Mbps more via 2GHz. Like the others, it also utilizes OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology to work better on busier networks.
The main thing that sets the EDUP card apart is the antennas. Instead of being attached to a separate, magnetized mount, they’re right on the back of the card. As a result, you don’t have to attach any extra gear somewhere else on your computer. Just point the antennas in the direction of your router, and you’ll be all set.
Like the WAVLINK card, this one is only compatible with the 64-bit version of Windows 10. You don’t need to download any drivers, though; a driver CD is included in the package. You also get a built-in Bluetooth 5.1 module, which connects via a 9-pin motherboard interface.
Final Verdict
So, where does this leave us? Let’s quickly recap. The Asus AX3000 (Pce-AX58BT) offers great connectivity, with Bluetooth 5.0 as well as WiFi. It stays cool easily, and it works on Linux as well as Windows 10. The only drawback is that the external antennas are a bit bulky.
The MSI AX916C AX200 has similar performance in many respects, but with a more compact antenna. It’s also compatible with more versions of Windows, all the way back to Windows 7. Then again, the Bluetooth function only works on Intel motherboards.
The WAVLINK AX3000 provides WiFi 6 and a fast Bluetooth 5.1 connection, with a magnetized antenna. You have to download the drivers, though, and it will only work with Windows 10.
The EDUP PCIe WiFi 6 Card has attached antennas on the back, so they won’t clutter up your desk. It also provides Bluetooth 5.1, and the package includes a driver CD. On the downside, it only works with Windows 10 64-bit.
Sir,
My HP Laptop got problem to connect fiber net. it get connect cant brows and shows
DNS..error.
I check with repair shop he suggest to change the network adapter.
could pls adv me.
Thanks
A PCI wireless adapter won’t do you any good for a laptop. They’re made for desktop computers with an available PCI or PCIe slot on the motherboard. Sounds like you should contact HP directly.
desktop about 4 feet from router. cannot connect using on-board ethernet connection. which pci adapter card should i buy? ONLY USE COMPUTER FOR 78 year old mother AND INTERNET
Hello Vern! Sounds like you need something very basic. We’d recommend the Rosewill N300 WiFi Adapter as a cheap and decent option. If the computer is only used for basic web browsing, this should do just fine. Let us know if you have any other questions!
I have been using the TP-LINK Archer T9E for a few months now and haven’t had any issues with it. It was an easy upgrade and enables me to get a strong signal from upstairs in our 3,000 square foot home!
Yes, it’s quite nice. Thanks for letting us know!
Hi I’m planning to buy one of these need one under 100 dollars for online gaming and upstairs…do u recommend any good ones?
If you’re looking to keep the grand total under $100 go with the TP-LINK Archer T9E. Otherwise, priced a bit more, the ASUS AC1900 PCI-E Adapter is our favorite. Both are rated for the same bandwidth capabilities so either should work equally well for your specific situation.
Hi
thank you for your explanation .
I am planing to buy a wirless card for my pc , and I want one with huge range and powerfull connection but still not that expensive .
any suggestion ? please
I currently have a TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 PCI Wireless Adapter. And have had nothing but problems with it. For the longest time I had it and it would show three bars of my wifi, but say that it couldn’t connect to the Internet. While my laptop and iPad could do fine from the same area. Then a month ago the application in the cd it came with started to say that I didn’t have a wireless device, so I uninstalled it and tried to reinstall it, only for it to keep saying that it wasn’t finding the adapter. I don’t know if it’s just this model or what, but which adapter would serve me best for online gaming? Also I don’t know what model or make my modem is but could it also partial be a problem with that?
I should clarify that I could do things on the Internet from time to time with the wireless adapter, but it was so unreliable that gaming or watching video a majority of the time was impossible. Also I tried to use a wifi repeater to help get a better signal, but it doesn’t help.
Hello Church,
That’s really unfortunate that you’ve had problems with it. What Operating System are you using?
Could it be a faulty card? I would contact TP-Link and take advantage of their 2 year warranty and they should be able to replace it for you. Their phone number is +1 866 225 8139, or you can email them directly at support.usa@tp-link.com.
If you wanted to try another card that excels with gaming, I recommend the (PCE-AC68) from Asus. It’s the first option that we showcase in this post. It seems to be the best fit for most people, but it’s also a few extra dollars.
Also, I highly doubt that your modem has anything to do with it, but your router may be having compatibility issues with your wireless adapter. What’s the make/model of your router?
Hello. I’m buying a new computer and i’m going to build it myself, but i don’t have wired internet connection so i have to buy one of these cards, what card do you recommend? Also i’m going to play games with it (League of Legends, Counter Strike, H1Z1, etc.) so i need good ping.
Oh, and also I’m really on a budget so the cheapest possible would be nice
Hello Johny93, thanks for leaving a comment with your question! If budget isn’t an issue, we always reccomend the Asus PCE-AC68 (the first option above). However, if budget is a huge importance, go with the Archer T9E from TP-LINK (the second option above). They’re both capable of AC1900 speeds and should both suffice for the specific games you love to play. Please let us know if you have anymore questions.
Hey! I have the TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 PCI Wireless Adapter. When I first got the product, my internet was fast and fine, there was no problems, then just a few days ago, I started to get “lag spikes” while playing any games. Do you have any idea why this just popped out of no where, and what the problem could be?
Thanks!
That sounds a bit strange. How many devices and computers do you have on the network? How far are you away from your router? What kind (make/model) of router do you have? Honestly, it could be many different things – it might be hard to pinpoint exactly what’s causing it. Have you contacted TP-LINK? They offer good support for their products.
Thanks for your write-up. VERY helpful! Just picked up the new ASUS 4×4 AC3100 PCIe Adapter and I must say, it’s incredibly fast and there’s a HUGE improvement in my WiFi speeds. I’m using Windows 10 and it was a breeze to install. Just plugged it right in and I was good to go.
Awesome! Yeah the new Asus 4×4 AC3100 PCIe Adapter is downright phenomenal. A great buy and an easy upgrade for sure!
Purchased a TL-WN881ND 4 months ago and recently it started dropping internet connection despite the software saying that i have 60percent signal strength.. would like to know which fast, reliable card for under 50 bucks would you recommend.. must be reliable and be abkle to handle multiplayer gaming.. at the rate that this card is dropping internet connection it may stop working soon
Hey man!
I am stuck between the Asus AC-68 and the TP-Link Archer T9E. The T9E would fit perfectly for my build because its colour. The Asus would not fit very well, but I was just wondering. Is there a really big difference between them? I am planning to have my PC under the desk. My router is not far away just 8-9 meters I think and it does just face 1-2 walls.
Thanks! Awesome review!
Sounds like the T9E would do just fine for your scenario. Thanks for leaving a comment – no problem!
This is by far the best review I could find on PCIe wireless network cards–thank you!
My current setup is:
– Router: 802.11 a/b/g/n at a max speed of 300 Mbps
– Cable internet package only allows download speeds of “up to 30 Mbps” (I may someday upgrade to 150 Mbps)
– Current PCI network card (Belkin F5D7000) is slow at 54 Mbps
I mostly use my desktop PC for internet (including bitstreaming videos). The obvious bottleneck is my wireless network card and plan to upgrade (I have a free PCIe slot on my motherboard thankfully). I am strongly considering the Rosewill N600 because it’s cheap ($25 with shipping here in Canada) and (from what I can tell…would appreciate your confirmation) would remove the wireless network card as the bottleneck in my internet connection. But I am the type of person who likes to use my money towards something that will last so I’m considering the ASUS PCE-AC88 and PCE-AC68 too. My question is: In order to actually benefit from the ASUS PCE-AC88 or PCE-AC68 would I also have to buy a new router (will these even work with mine)? If so, which routers would you suggest (so I can see what the costs would be)? Or will my internet speed always be a bottleneck preventing me from benefiting with these more expensive network cards? Many thanks for your thoughts!
Which of the above work with Linux??
NOT the AC1900 (wasted money on that), and just about nothing from Rosewill. – sadly feels like 2001 again with lazy vendors cranking out incompatible junk in this space. Original author should have addressed this in article.
Thank you for sharing.
Very useful.
Faraz
I have been searching everywhere for a good card (at least 1300 mbps speed or more) that supports bluetooth. It seems, I can get a slower internt and bluetooth combo or just a fast wifi without bluetooth. Why is this? How can I get bluetooth on my new build without having to use a dongle? As a seperate option could I also just get a cheaper card but disable the wifi on it- then get a good TP-Link 1900 with it?
Exactly my dilemma right now. I was originally looking at the Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I since it just uses an internal USB header for the BT on the card and supports medium wifi speeds. But the reviews mentioned having a terrible time working the drivers for Win7, and that’s the platform I’m sticking with right now after ditching 10 when I had my laptop
What would you recommend for gaming online AND Livestreaming? My USB adapter at the moment isn’t cutting it. it used to be able to livestream to 1080p but then after a while, it keeps crashing. So, after reading a few reviews and such, I heard that the PCI adapters are better. So what would you recommend?
Gaming and live streaming are both high-demand activities. The more bandwidth, the better! Go with the Asus PCE-AC88.
Hi TechGuru, I’m not sure about all this wifi stuff myself. We have a Netgear wifi router that is hooked up to a Windows 10 laptop in the basement of our house. My desktop is a Dell Intel core 2 Duo Inspiron – 530 that came with windows Vista, but I had Windows 7 installed on it by a professional. All the programs I want to use for my art including my web pages is on my desktop that doesn’t have wifi. Also I can’t use my windows 10 laptop for my art because it won’t work with my digital Nikon transfer camera program. Windows 10 locks up all the time when I try to use it. I really want to be able to use my desktop since all my programs are already on it. Even though my desk top is in the room next to the router I have dead spots. I just bought a wifi adapter yesterday from Staples that plugs into the USB port on the front of my desk top. Needless to say it’s horrible. I installed my virus program yesterday which needed to update. I started the update at 3:00 pm and by 10:00 pm it was still updating. I ended up shutting of my desk top before it was completed. I’m positive it would still be updating now. Will the ASUS Dual-Band Wireless-AC1900 PCI-E Adapter (PCE-AC68) work with my desk top and how is it for handling heat? I know I’m going to need one that works well with dead spots because we have lots of them in our house. We ended up buying the Linskys Ac1750 Wifi range extender to use our laptops upstairs. We plugged the extender in the room that is right above the room where the router is because we couldn’t get it to work in other areas upstairs. We are now able to use our laptops upstairs most of the time. Any help would be very much appreciated!
The higher-end Asus units might be good, but the AC56 I’ve dealt with in the past is semi-garbage. No matter where you put the external antenna, a typical smartphone outperforms it. This is in a dorm room mostly, but performance was similarly inferior at home. I fought with it and managed to get maybe ~75% of the throughput of common Android and iOS devices in the same locations.
I always prefer Intel wifi adapters. Even on my AMD mITX boards, I’ve always gotten best results from using pretty much any Intel M.2 wifi/BT adapter, even with the same antennas! These days if a board comes with something cheaper, I’ll pop it out and slap in an Intel adapter. Speeds go up, and more importantly CONSISTENCY improved.
Also Intel’s drivers are better, at least for wireless. I had a friend with an entry level TP Link POS and the newest drivers are like two years old, and performance sucks regardless of whether you use their junk config software or let Windows manage it. Even an older cheap Intel M.2 wifi chip has fairly recent (and decent) drivers.
Would PCIE t9e would have difference over t6e besides its speed capacity?
I see that some of the cards you’ve listed are from 2015/16, such as the ASUS model. I know that Intel has released recently the AC 9260/9560, which claim to support 1.73Gbps. Supposedly, according to Intel’s website, https://ark.intel.com/products/99445/Intel-Wireless-AC-9260 the 9260 lists the System Interface Type as Wi-Fi(PCIe), BT(USB). This is going into a computer that doesn’t have the latest and greatest m.2 key E slot in it, so it has to be the PCIe for this system. As it was just released in Q4 2018, it appears to be the latest and greatest, but in all the pics I’ve seen, none of them show the adapter card, they all look like m.2 in the pics.
And of course, no one has any nearby, so I can verify it. The most amazing thing to me is that I found some available from resellers on Amazon (but none by Amazon themselves) priced around $25, but looking at that 3+ year old ASUS, (yes, it is 4×4, not 2×2 like the Intel, but the speeds are exceptional) priced at over $110, I’d have to say that is a hard sell for me. Can you get a hold of one of these new Intel pieces and add it to your review? Thanks!
Hi,
please suggest. I have my laptop on the first floor. Internet router is downstairs. its concrete floor. Right now i am getting anything between 2-9 MBPS using Virgin media 362MBPS broadband.
whats the best solution for me. i am ready to switch to Desktop. thanks
Question: Do these cards mentioned in your article also receive signals? The wi-fi receiver in my desktop is erratic. I have a router which services the whole house including streaming on our tv, just the desktop has dropping signal issues.