How to Upgrade Your Motherboard's WiFi Adapter

In this video I show how to upgrade your motherboard's integrated wifi adapter.

[@rohantankey752]

This is exactly the video I was looking for. Great job.

[@damir1984]

Great find and solution. Wished I researched about it sooner, could have saved around $30 on my motherboard when I was building my PC in December. I wanted Wi-Fi 6e compatibility, but current boards mostly sell with Wi-Fi6 standard mostly, and usually cost $20-$40 more over Wi-Fi AC. Now I am glad that I know I can upgrade when those Wi-Fi 6e Routers drop. Subscribed and Like!

[@nickcorr7244]

Really useful YT clip, extremely helpful. I had no idea where the wifi card was, this was the treasure map. thanks

[@JeffLi205]

This is EXACTLY what I needed. Thank you!

[@victorsandoval6501]

Thank you very much! just followed your steps and everything now is A-OK :D, did it on an Asrock A520 Itx/AC

[@Generic_Ninja]

Fantastic instruction thanks, allowed me to swap Intel AC for Realtec AC between two systems in my home. Eventually I will buy an Intel Wifi 6 card to retire the Realtec card as its connectivity and transfer speeds have never been impressive. Great help and unique first channel content.

[@544dh]

This is exactly the video I was looking for. Thank you!

[@khanscombe619]

That's so awesome, the guitar pick, that's literally what I use as well cause I have them all over. Perfect for opening iPhones, laptops and so much more. A mix of .40, .90 & a good 'ol heavy 1.20 will save your fingers. Those little things can be sharp.

[@alexprotasenko8972]

Wow, never new this was possible in the first place and so easy to do, thanks for invaluable information!

[@JesusSerranoFireandIce]

This is so helpful, thanks man

[@Ender_Wiggin]

Wow this is perfect exacly what i needed. I did not realise you could upgrade these. Only thing to mention is I hate killer wifi

[@dsl3994]

Remove the antenna connectors so you don’t have to BEND the card housing. Wow.

[@saddad6601]

this is what i needed.... not looking forward to completely removing my motherboard though. i didnt build my PC so i have a feeling it's going to be a real struggle.

[@sjp1987]

Thanks! I have a pcie wifi card which is better than most integrated wifi which stopped me wanting to pick a smaller board, no more worries

[@raymondhachmishvili2483]

Do the small antenna cables that connect to the module make any difference? Are they the same across all WiFis 5/6/6e?

[@CherWally]

Exactly the type of WiFi card replacement guide i was looking for. I have a MSI B450 Gaming Pro Max WiFi and i was wondering if i can upgrade it from WIFI 5 => WiFi 6 on Win 10 64Bit. Seems yes. Now i also need to figure out which AX cards are working with Ryzen CPU's, cause they are some that are built with Intel only in mind (CNVi ones)

[@bearwolfhawk]

Are we able to replace the connector cables too if they’re damaged?

[@axelsalmeron]

Thanks dude

[@georgivelev5783]

Can you please show how to fix the screws for the antennas? One of mine is wobbly and I don't know how to fix it. Do I need to disassemble the whole computer just so I can get to this wi-fi adapter and open it to tighten the antenna screw?

[@jore5410]

Hello, my laptop with 2 antennas has a wlan card (only 2.4Ghz) with 2 notches (M2-E key) and gives me 2 bars of wifi signal (2 from 3 Windows' wifi signal strength). I have this doubts: 1. If I put a better wlan card with dual band, does the wifi signal strength of 2.4Ghz band will increase? 2. Can I install a compatible wlan card with 3 notches (M2-A key and M2-E key) or just 2 notches?

[@dellrizlonian]

This is neat.

[@Modotta]

Amazing, just bought an ASUS ITX B450 which apparently has terrible wireless connections, glad I'll be able to upgrade it. Also, this is one of the reasons why I still stick to PC...

[@pilik-matavedios1423]

Can i remove the built in wifi and just run my pc with out it or it will cost me trouble with out it? I dont need wifi

[@Eagle_Bro11]

how does it power up? when theres no contact with wires in the wifi and the motherboard

[@ryannguyen9929]

can it be done without bending the housing

[@jamesstewart5005]

I have the same motherboard and tried swapping out for an FV-AX200 card but the PC wouldn't even post. The card works in other PCs. Sadness.

[@huaweigr3856]

What's the motherboard brand and model?

[@maechels.j2773]

First my question how. Before that I have done the same thing in the video with an Asrock B660 ItX AC motherboard, replacing the WiFi card with an AX210, the result is that my PC turns on and off and won't display an image.

[@vinylmonster4907]

@Small Form Factory Exactly what I need except for the removal of the plastic I/O Shield Shroud on the Z390 Aorus Pro Wifi. Would be great if you could demonstrate the process on that board

[@smallformfactory162]

The reason I don't go into anything like that is because every motherboard is different and I just don't have enough motherboards on hand to make it relevant to everyone. Generally, there will be 2-4 screws on the back of the motherboard that hold this cover in place. You need to be careful not to pull too hard or fast if you have RGB, as you won't want to rip that cable.

[@vinylmonster4907]

@@smallformfactory162 right and in order to access those 2 screws i have to remove everything that has been connected to the motherboard and then completely remove the motherboard and then do the same in reverse...is that what you are saying?

[@smallformfactory162]

Yeah unfortunately most cases will require you to remove your motherboard completely to do this.

[@shadowconsumed]

I have the same board as you (Aorus Pro Wifi) My wifi adapter was DOA. I ordered a replacement on newegg and I was wondering how do you remove the I/0 Shield and the RGB plate on it?

[@mehmetefeisk2972]

@@shadowconsumed just buy pcie one and relax. This process is only going to make sense for itx build where you dont have additional pcie slots.

[@TitleTheTitle]

glue part seems kinda of dangerous for me but hey thanks for the video

[@romannavratilid]

How is it connected to the motherboard...? when you unscrew the 2 screws i just see a metal "box"... how is it connected to the motherboard itself?

[@isaacdawkins3331]

Yessir

[@chrishuy7229]

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could tell me why the AX210 wifi cards were not detected on Asus Rog Maximus XI Hero (Wifi) Motherboard. Running Wins 11 64 bit.

[@raymondhachmishvili2483]

did you try downloading drivers from intel website?

[@user-sn2fm7ig7r]

can i add this on a motherboard without wifi? i dont want use an antenna. i use the b550m pro

[@user-sn2fm7ig7r]

I have an empty m2 wifi1 slot

[@bronztech]

How do the pins connect to the motherboard?

[@opal0654]

It isn't shown or mentioned in the video, so the answer to the question might be still relevant. There actually is an upright M.2 slot under those covers where the card will slot in. So it's essentially an additional, hidden pci-e slot. Most boards will have a schematic view of the board in their manual which will tell you if there is a M.2 slot. If not, you will not be able to upgrade your wifi with this method.

[@newbiefanny4254]

Hi does anyone know where can i buy that wifi adapter housing?

[@rmdhn1]

this instruction is for motherboards with a wifi already

[@CmdrShepardsPie]

I was wondering how to upgrade my WiFi 6 adapter on my ASUS PRIME Z690-P WIFI D5 to WiFi 6E or 7 when it comes out but couldn't find where the module was and thought maybe it was integrated directly into the motherboard or chipset or something. Now I know where and how to replace it. Thanks!

[@Twistedf8te88]

Just swapped my tuff x570 Wifi card out for a Wifi 7 BE200NGW chip. The M.2 E key is hidden under the IO shield. Two small screws that are black on the back of the motherboard and then two even smaller screws (silver) for the tiny wifi card holder. You will see it labeled M.2 wifi.

[@CmdrShepardsPie]

@@Twistedf8te88 I just "upgraded" my Asus Prime z690-P Wifi D5 from WiFi 6 on Intel AX201 to WiFi 6E on Intel AX210. I haven't swapped it out on the motherboard yet, but I did buy a 1x PCIE card that specifically has an M.2 Intel AX210 on it so that when I'm ready to do the work of removing everything from the motherboard and the motherboard from the case, I'm hoping I can swap the cards out under the shield.

[@SHINNYqqqq]

@@CmdrShepardsPie Do you see any difference in speed and range of signal?

[@CmdrShepardsPie]

@@SHINNYqqqq yeah for sure, I don't know about range but the 6GHz band definitely provides a nice speed bump for me. I was seeing 600-800 on 5GHz and now seeing 800-1000 on 6GHz.

[@aleksabrkovic5367]

How does it work when the BE200 Intel chip is not supposed to work on AMD Mobo-CPU combos?@@Twistedf8te88

[@JayzBeerz]

how do you it if the rear io shield is attached to the motherboard?

[@smallformfactory162]

You will need to remove the VRM/IO shroud from the motherboard. Generally it is held on by 2-4 screws on the back of the board

[@JayzBeerz]

@@smallformfactory162 thanks bro i figured it out. i had to completely disassemble my itx build to remove the motherboard to do it. what a pain. it was.

[@syc6598]

i have a gigabyte pcie card with that wifi M.2 module on it. I wonder if i can just replace that old Wifi 5 module with a Wifi 6e module. For half the price.

[@raymondhachmishvili2483]

yes, which cpu do you have?

[@petercruz1993]

I followed this guide and my WiFi is now so much faster. It’s kind of crazy how much a modern WiFi chip improves speed

[@mahmutyilmaz5355]

which mainboard u have and which chip u have installed now?

[@petercruz1993]

@@mahmutyilmaz5355 Asus z170 mini itx Gaming I think. i7 6700k Old but good

[@scottymoerke2506]

my dell inspiron has m.2 2300 not whatever he had showing

[@gonzalotorres142]

You had to change the antennas too or it just doesn´t matter?

[@dsl3994]

You need to. Each WiFi iteration is different. Just going from 6 to 6E requires a new and different antenna.

[@mehmetefeisk2972]

@@dsl3994 no you dont have to.

[@BenderdickCumbersnatch]

Thanks for making this but LOL you didn't have to bend the housing. Either unscrew the antennas to get more room, or just pry away the adapter carefully so it doesn't slam against the antennas. LMAO.

[@petercruz1993]

What is the music! It’s so nice

[@EnnTomi1]

what is the exact name for that connector? M key or M.2 type A?

[@disolsole9847]

M.2

[@disolsole9847]

It’s m.2 e+a I think

[@minedustry]

Has anyone tried this on wifi7 upgrading from wifi 6?

[@gudelauneee]

Are there any bt 5.2 Adapters out there?

[@smallformfactory162]

There are USB adapters, and could be some PCIE based ones that don't offer wifi, but I haven't found any in this form factor.

[@gudelauneee]

@@smallformfactory162 i've found one. Intel ax210...

[@smallformfactory162]

I actually wasn't aware of this one. Seems it released a little less than a month ago...good find!

[@alksdng97834y]

Didn’t realize I had to take the entire fucking pc apart

[@00zz44cc]

1:37 please tell the size of screwdriver?? Im struggling to unscrew that fking m.2 screw

[@smallformfactory162]

I believe it is #00 phillips, but #0 or an extremely fine tipped #1 should work.

[@ching574]

Can i just uninstall this from my computer and buy a whole new card and put that in?

[@rozach28]

And now for wifi 6E lol