Wifi upgrade

[Whitt265]

Ive got a Windows 10 64bit laptop running an I-5 7300 and an AC3165. I want to upgrade to an AX200. I know that the physical connection point is the same, but I don't know if my laptop would run it. Any help is appreciated.

[n_scott_pearson]

This is a question where we can only give a conditional answer. While the connector for the AC-3165 and the AX200 are compatible, their BIOS support could make or break the upgrade. Slimeball manufacturers will utilize inclusion/exclusion lists in their BIOS to force you to either stick with what you have or upgrade only using what they will sell you (with their inflated prices, of course).

Bottom line, you will need to ask your laptop vendor whether they support (do not block) this upgrade path,

...S

[Whitt265]

Thanks for the info. I've got an Inspiron 15 7000 gaming series. Would I have a decent chance of it working so long as I made sure I picked up an Intel made AX200? And where would you recommend being the best place to ask these kinds of questions?

[n_scott_pearson]

Well, you can start by checking for similar queries in the Dell forums. If someone has tried this module in your's or a similar model system and found it to be blocked by the BIOS, I would hope that there's a post about it in the Dell forums. If there's nothing there that decides it for you, then you might have to ask Dell support (as bad as they are to deal with).

I upgraded a system that supported only the old PCIe Mini Card connector and only physically had room for a PCIe Half Mini Card. I purchased a third-party implementation (through NewEgg) that had the AX200 M.2 1216 module mounted in the PCIe Half Mini Card form factor (and supporting the old IPEX (u.FL) antenna connectors). It works like a charm! This tells me that the module is highly compatible, even with older systems, and that there are half-decent third-party modules out there - though, for standard M.2, I will stick with Intel-manufactured cards.

Hope this helps,

...S