If you own a modern Intel or AMD-based ASRock motherboard and have thought about upgrading the wireless connectivity, there is now a way to do it. ASRock has recently introduced AMD and Intel Wi-Fi 6E upgrade kits, allowing users to benefit from faster WiFi and Bluetooth 5.2.
These upgrade kits consist of an M.2 (2230) NIC, two antennas, two SMA Wi-Fi antenna cables, and a plastic cover for the module. The interface type changes depending on whether the kit is for AMD or Intel boards. While AMD's kit uses a PCIe interface, the NIC for the Intel boards uses CNVio2. Every other specification is the same.
Both kits support Wi-Fi 6E (802.11a/b/g/n/ax), Bluetooth 5.2 and MU-MIMO. Moreover, they use dual-band 2×2 with extended 6GHz band support for increased performance. It's not clear which chipsets are used for each kit, but VideoCardz believes AMD is using a rebranded MediaTek MT7921K card. As for the Intel kit, it could either use the AX211 or AX411 chipset.
The AMD upgrade kit is compatible with many ASRock motherboards, as shown in the support list. On the other hand, the Intel kit is much more limited, as it's only compatible with some ASRock Z690, H670, B660 and H610 motherboards.
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KitGuru says: Do you own a motherboard compatible with these kits? Are you planning on getting one for yourself, or would you prefer an alternative like a USB pen or an add-in card?