The 4 Best PCIe Wi-Fi Cards For Gaming In 2022
We Pick The Best Wi-Fi Cards For Gaming Currently Available
Over the past couple of decades, the technology industry has gone a bit bonkers for wireless compatibility. We’re seeing more wireless mice, headsets, and keyboards than ever before, mainly thanks to new, more cost-effective ways of removing the hassle of cables.
With that being the case, it’s no surprise that more and more people are now wanting to remove the hassle of cables when it comes to their internet needs as well. PCIe Wi-Fi cards have been growing in popularity exponentially over the past couple of years, with the marketplace now offering a sea of affordable options for all levels of performance. That makes choosing the best PCI-e Wi-Fi card for gaming all the more difficult.
Fear not though, here at WePC we like to lend a helping hand – do some of the hard work for you, if you will. We’ve got our hands on some of the best Wi-Fi adapters out there, and we’re gonna put them through their paces to see which is best for gaming.
In the following article, we’ll be exploring signal strength, signal distance, speeds, reliability, heatsinks, and everything else that comes with a PCIe Wi-Fi card purchase. We’ll be concluding with our four best PCIe Wi-Fi cards and why we think they’re worth your consideration.
So, with all that in mind, let’s waste no further time and dive straight into it!
Our Top Picks
The 4 Best PCIe Wi-Fi Cards For Gaming In 2021
In-depth Review
ASUS PCE-AC56 PCI Wireless Express Adapter
ASUS PCE-AC56 PCI Wireless Express Adapter
The ASUS PCE-AC56 gets the number one spot for PCIe Wi-Fi card for gaming and it’s easy to see why. The AC56, as we’ll call it, not only provides excellent speeds and overall performance, it also brings a ton of reliability to the table as well.
The ASUS PCE-AC56 offers dual-band operations and supports transfer speeds up to 876Mbps (5GHz) or 400Mbps (2.4GHz). Alongside this, ASUS has equipped it with various modulation technologies, including OFDM, DQPSK, CCK, DBPSK, 64QAM, and 16QAM, all helping to improve the performance whilst allowing for data transfer prioritization.
Thanks to the two external antennae, locating the perfect position from your laptop/PC to your router couldn’t be easier. Pairing this with the wide-range the AC56 supports and you can pretty much put your computer wherever you want.
The easy to install AC56 is compatible with most versions of Windows and adds a certain level of aesthetic appeal to your build. Take all these factors into consideration, alongside the powerful heatsink it comes equipped with, and you have a superb little PCIe Wi-Fi card for your next build.
TP-Link AC1300 PCIe Wifi Card
TP-Link AC1300 PCIe Wifi Card
If you’re looking for wide coverage, solid signal strength, and an affordable price tag, look no further. The TP-Link AC1300 PCIe Wi-Fi card is a well-balanced mix of all three, bringing the reliability of TP-Link’s name with it.
This particular adapter offers up speeds of 867Mbps in 5GHz range and 400Mbps in 2.4GHz range, putting it bang in line with the top performers in this guide. Speeds of this height are going to be more than enough to play most gaming scenarios, alongside excellent streaming and browsing results too.
Whilst the two external antennas aren’t the best in the world, they do provide adequate range reception for your Wi-Fi – allowing you more freedom when choosing a location to game. The heatsink on the AC1300 is up there with the best in this guide, providing excellent thermal dissipation whilst in use.
This model supports most versions of Windows – including Windows 10. However, that being said, it, unfortunately, does not cover Linux. Overall, it’s still one of the best Wi-Fi cards in today’s market – and a damn good value one too.
Ubit WiFi 6E Supports 6GHz 7th Generation PCIe WiFi Card
Ubit WiFi 6E Supports 6GHz 7th Generation PCIe WiFi Card
Ubit’s 7th gen Wi-Fi card offers up a combination of high transfer speeds and a lag-free experience, making it a fine choice for gamers of all genres. It is also the only card in this list that comes equipped with a cabled antenna system, giving it a slight edge in the range department.
The AX210 card comes equipped with two detachable antennas that connect to the Wi-Fi card via a screw system at the rear. Users are offered a dual-band frequency with the Ubit Wi-Fi card, providing around 2400Mbps in 5.0GHz range and 574Mbps in 2.4GHz – both of which are ample to support most gaming needs. Furthermore, this Wi-Fi card comes with a BlueTooth 5.2 connection, allowing you to easily connect to compatible devices if you wish.
Overall, when you consider all the factors involved, we consider the Ubit 7th Gen Wi-Fi adapter to be fantastic value for money – easily one of our top picks in this category.
Rosewill RNX-AC1900PCE
Rosewill RNX-AC1900PCE
If you’re looking for is a fast-performing PCIe Wi-Fi card but don’t have the cash to splash out one of the premium offerings, fear not, Rosewill has you covered. This, their RNX-AC1900PCE, is a superb combination of performance and affordability. It’ll provide you with all the speed you require to run games efficiently, alongside a wide-range and good quality antennae.
As far as speeds go, the AC1900 provides a handsome 1300Mbps on 5GHz range and 600Mbps on 2.4GHz – both extremely good for the price point. The AC1900 comes equipped with three detachable, omnidirectional antennas that are one of the main factors that contribute to its great performance. They make finding a clean, strong, and interrupt-free location for your PC/laptop very easy indeed.
As far as support goes, the AC1900 was extremely easy to install and worked with most Windows-based systems. That being said, there have been documented cases on this Wi-Fi card not working with Windows 10 systems. We, however, encountered no issues what so ever.
FAQs
Final Word
So, there you have it guys, our comprehensive rundown of the best PCIe Wi-Fi cards for gaming in 2021. We hope this article has shed a little light on a topic that is sometimes overlooked. We’ve tried to break the technology side of things down into easy-to-digest pieces of info that could actually aid you in your next Wi-Fi purchase.
All of these Wi-Fi adapters are great options, and each offers something slightly different, though our top all-rounder is the ASUS PCE AC56. This card comes with great range, solid coverage, and a well-designed heatsink are all factors that make this the best for gaming.
Let us know which Wi-Fi adapter you’re most likely to choose by dropping us a comment in the section below.