Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Intel has launched their Wi-Fi 6 capable AX200 module using the M.2 2230 form factor.

On January 28, we learned Intel’s new Wi-Fi adapter, formerly known as Cyclone Peak, would come to market using the latest AX/Wi-Fi 6 standards. And finally, Intel has released the Wi-Fi 6 AX200 adapter. The M.2 module uses the 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) standard that is said to deliver faster performance, plus lower latencies and lower battery consumption.

Previously codenamed Cyclone Peak, this card is very similar to the existing model of the Wireless-AC 9260, but with the advantage of adding support for WiFi 6, also known as 802.11ax, hence the AX of the name of the card. At the speed level, the card offers speeds of up to 574 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz network, while it will offer up to 2,402 Mbps in the 5 GHz network.

Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 Specifications:

Antenna, TX/RX Streams 2×2
MU-MIMO Yes
Bands 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz (160 MHz)
Max Speed 2.4 Gbps
Wi-Fi Certified 802.11ax
Bluetooth 5.0
Form Factor M.2 2230;
M.2 1216
Dimensions M.2 2230: 22 x 30 x 2.4 mm
M.2 1216: 12 x 16 x 1.65 mm

The card, unfortunately, can only be used in laptops, since it uses the form factor M.2 Key E, which is used by the network cards for laptops. The M.2 that use the SSD both in laptops and on the desktop motherboards is the Key M so we will have to wait to find a WiFi adapter both external and internal desktop computers.

Thus, from now on it will be possible to test WiFi 6 on any laptop, and throughout the year we should see the first adapters and network cards compatible with this standard. In fact, we may see the first models that incorporate WiFi 6 in the next AMD X570 motherboards.

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