PCI-E Wi-Fi card experiencing reduced performance.
PCI-E Wi-Fi card experiencing reduced performance.
Hello, I recently acquired a gaming PC from my brother. He isn’t very tech-savvy, so he sticks to his usual habits even when they aren’t ideal. Well, I’m trying to figure out the issue. The Wi-Fi speed doesn’t match what my router and ISP promise—400 Mbps, but my PC is only getting 100 Mbps. My TV and laptop using Chrome OS Flex are around 250 Mbps, while my coding laptop reaches about 300 Mbps.
The PC has an Intel AX200 chip in a W-LAN adapter (Wtxup PCIE x1). It uses a standard M.2 E chip, which is the same one found in most modern laptops. My motherboard is an Asus Z170 Pro Gaming with BIOS version 3805 from 2018 and an Intel i7-6700K CPU.
Here’s what I’ve tried:
1) Installed new drivers repeatedly but had no success.
2) Changed every Windows advanced adapter setting; I’m using ax mode with maximum transmission power, still nothing.
3) Switched to a different PCIE x1 adapter—no improvement.
4) My M.2 boot drive seems to be interfering, so I booted from the old HDD and got capped at 100 Mbps. I also tried Linux Mint but it was even slower.
5) Tried switching the chip in the Wtxup adapter with one from my coding laptop (Intel AC 8265), which should perform better. Still only 100 Mbps on my PC.
6) The ISP speed is still the bottleneck, so I’m guessing the issue lies elsewhere.
My thoughts:
- The chip itself appears to be fine—it’s a good one.
- It could be the adapter or motherboard configuration causing the slowdown.
- BIOS settings might need adjustment for optimal PCIe performance.
- CPU drivers are something I’ve never heard of, but I read they affect speed.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. This problem isn’t always easy to solve just by searching online.
There are specialized chipset drivers that play a key role in keeping a Ryzen system stable. It seems these didn’t influence my internet performance before and after installation. I’m not sure if that’s the case. You mentioned replacing the chipset—did you switch to a different Wi-Fi adapter? Have you checked all the PCIe slots? It’s possible it was just a low-quality card.
I didn't modify the adapter itself but swapped out the internal chip. This kept the outer casing unchanged while updating the actual network component. I tested all pciex1 slots and installed ASUS chipset drivers. So far, it seems like a budget adapter paired with a decent Intel processor works. I'll test it tomorrow on a friend's desktop to ensure the Wi-Fi stays consistent. If the issue continues, it likely points to the low-cost card itself.
Haha, that comment caught my attention. Just let me know if you think it was a low-quality card or what you believe it means.