new TP-Link WiFi 6E AX5400 PCIe card (Archer TXE75E) V1 successfully disables GTX 970
new TP-Link WiFi 6E AX5400 PCIe card (Archer TXE75E) V1 successfully disables GTX 970
System: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 + i5-4690K 3.5 2x Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 SLI EVGA PS 1000 W 80+ Platinum Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB Kingston HyperX Fury 32 GB (4x8GB) Windows 10 Pro 21H2 Build 19044.1706 Behavior: At first setup the TXE75E WiFi displayed error code 20, while both GPUs reported code 10 in Device Manager, which forced use of built-in graphics. Still, the Wi-Fi was detected and updating drivers via Windows showed the newest version was installed. Bluetooth connection worked without issues. Troubleshooting steps tried: - Turned off both GPUs and restarted – cleared code 20 from Wi-Fi but GPUs persisted. - Enabled both GPUs and restarted – error codes returned, Wi-Fi stayed functional. - Disabled only TXE75E Wi-Fi and re-enabled GPUs – codes remained. - Disconnected Bluetooth from onboard USB (separate power) – issue resolved. - Used another PCIe port – no help. - Ran Windows update – latest security applied. - Updated NVIDIA drivers to latest version 512.95 (was 461.92). - Disabled SLI and removed one GPU – codes stayed. - Disconnected extra internal drives and USB devices except M+KB – issue cleared. - System was clean but failed PCIe slots with air compressor. Despite these attempts, the 970 remains showing code 10, and the NVIDIA control panel fails unless the Archer TXE75E is connected to any PCIe slot. But the Archer works perfectly, and the rest functions normally except for Integrated Graphics. Removing the Archer resolves everything. In the support form I filled out, model V2 was available; mine is V1. This might be connected? Please let me know if this matters. If you need further guidance, feel free to ask. Thanks for your time.
Maybe look up the BIOS settings for PCIe branching choices and try adjusting them if available.
It might have resolved some connectivity or hardware problems with the second version of the Wi-Fi card. Where exactly on the motherboard did you attempt to install it? It should be in one of the smaller PCIe x1 ports (not the larger ones). There are four available PCIe x1 ports, and using the other two caused confusion.
I began with the lowest slot on this board, which is x16. The goal was to keep it away from heat sources. During the troubleshooting process, I tested the x1 slot between the GPUs—it worked well, no contact detected—and then tried the x1 between the top GPU and the CPU fans. Neither option provided a solution. I can't attempt the other remaining x1 slots because they’re blocked by the GPU, and removing them would defeat the purpose. I’m also hoping V2 could help, but it seems manufacturers don’t label them as V1 or V2. Their official sites don’t differentiate between versions, and the only documentation mentions V1. Also, there’s no downloadable firmware available at the moment. Thanks!
They won’t fit with any of the x16 slots since it’s a PCIe x1 card only. You can find the drivers on tp-link’s site: https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/downl...er-txe75e/. There’s a note saying “Currently 6 GHz Band is only supported on Windows 11,” so you might need to upgrade to that OS if you don’t already have it. Watching their setup videos could also be helpful.
PCIe devices aim for both forward and backward compatibility, ensuring they function correctly regardless of the slot used, as per the specifications.
lane count is handled automatically when the device starts. Although we can't fit a larger lane count or length card into a smaller slot, the system should still support it according to the PCIe base spec. It's possible this card isn't functioning properly, but if so, TP-Link seems to have broken the standard, which would be unusual for them. I've used their products since the early 2000s. The drivers that appeared on the CD match those available online. When I checked the installed but non-startable code 20 card in Device Manager, the system still worked with it and even updated the driver through Windows, which is reassuring given the Intel chip and official driver support. The requirement for Windows 11 or 10 Dev Channel is only for 6 GHz, which isn't my intended use case. All other features should work on 64-bit Windows as per the manufacturer's guidelines. Overall, it might be a PCIe lane negotiation issue, especially since the same error appeared when using the card in an X1 form factor—possibly due to the motherboard struggling with the X1 and two 16GB GPUs at once. If that's the case, I'm likely fine because my last motherboard BIOS was from 2014.
Well, it really doesn’t matter which way you go—longer cards won’t fit in shorter slots, and shorter ones won’t work with longer ones. This should have prevented any issues.