The Best PCIe WiFi Network Cards (For Gaming)

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Buyer’s Guide & Our Top Recommended PCI Express WiFi Adapters for the US, Canada, UK or Australia to Add Fast & Reliable WiFi to a PC Build (& PCIe Card FAQ)

Published: Feb 8, 2019

If you’re building a new custom PC with a motherboard that doesn’t have onboard wireless (and you actually want WiFi, keeping in mind it’s not the best connection for online gaming), or if you wish to upgrade your existing desktop to have WiFi and you’re comfortable getting inside of that PC to install an expansion card (it’s really easy assuming your computer has the room for another PCI/PCIe card) – buying a decent internal wireless network card is a good way to go.

See Also: How to Install a PCIe WiFi Card

We’ve done the indepth painstaking research for you and in this guide we’ll break down everything you need to know about choosing the best PCIe WiFi card for your budget without pulling your hair out over confusing wireless specs and features and model differences (of which there are many).

After considering pretty much every type of internal wireless network card on the market in our typical in-depth, obsessive fashion, we’ve narrowed things down to the top value for money, reliable, overall best PCIe WiFi cards for the money as a PC gamer, that we can comfortably recommend to include in your epic new gaming PC build. We’ve included a network card FAQ at the bottom too to cover a few common questions about choosing and installing the right PCI wireless adapter. 

* Price range is based on the US market. Prices for Canada, UK and Australia will obviously differ a little

Best Budget PCIe WiFi Card for Gaming Under $50

Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I AC1200 PCIe Network Card (Version 4.2)

The Lowdown:

The Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I Rev 4, despite the ghastly-generic nameless form of a name, is a great choice for most PC gamers wanting a fast, solid connection and is our overall top value pick if you want the best budget PCIe WiFi network card.

Despite being a seemingly cheap solution, at least compared to other network cards, it’s got solid range and reliability so no need to worry if your router is a fair distance away (within reason) and/or you have walls or floors in-between your router and desktop.

A surprising touch for the price is Bluetooth functionality (Bluetooth 4.2 if wondering) which uses the same antenna as the WiFi. It’s not the highest quality Bluetooth connection nor the most reliable for those serious about Bluetooth capabilities for whatever reason, but we really can’t complain for the price to have this feature. Also, since this Gigabyte adapter is actually based on an Intel wireless card, it can support Linux operating systems too which is handy for the tech-elite among us.

There have been different revisions to the Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I wireless adapter, with the latest being 4.2 and what you should buy. The 4.2 edition includes a female USB port in addition to the USB2 header connection for Bluetooth, so if your motherboard doesn’t have a spare USB 2.0 header for this you can just use a male to male USB cable instead.

Overall, it’s tough to find a better budget wireless network card for a gaming PC build in 2019, and it’s most definitely good enough for a large percentage of online gamers. You’d only need to step things up to a higher-priced card if you need even faster speeds than the not-too-shabby 867 Mbps limit of this one, or if you want even better range and signal strength with a multiple external antenna setup.

Best High-End PCIe WiFi Card for Gaming Under $100

TP-Link Archer T9E AC1900 PCIe Network Card

The Lowdown:

TP-Link networking products are generally solid in terms of value and reliability, and the Archer T9E is no exception and clearly one of the best AC1900 wireless adapters on the market right now.

AC1900 means you can get up to 1300 Mbps on the 5 Ghz band, which not everyone’s router will be capable of, but if you have an AC1900 router then this type of wireless card is what you need. 

The Archer T9E also comes with Beamforming technology which focuses the WiFi signal to your devices in use, as opposed to all over the place like regular devices without this handy feature. This card is more than enough wireless firepower for the majority of gamers, and the 3 external antenna setup provides excellent range and signal strength even for large houses. You should only consider spending more on a PCI Express WiFi adapter if you’re one of the lucky few who can actually take advantage of faster speeds than AC1900.

Best Extreme PCIe WiFi Card for Gaming $100+

Asus PCE-AC88 AC3100 PCIe Network Card

The Lowdown:

If you have a need for extreme internet speeds and have the router and internet connection to actually achieve your desired godlike level of interwebz access, you want a top notch WiFi card that won’t get in your way and that won’t limit both the speed and signal strength you get from your (hopefully excellent) router. 

Therefore, you’ll need to invest in a top-notch quality, highly reliable, and high-speed card like the Asus PCE-AC88 with AC3100 speeds. That means it can reach data transfers of up to a very nice 2167 Mbps on the 5GHz band and 1000Mbps on the 2.4GHz frequency.

Not worth buying for the majority of gamers with standard internet connections, but if you’re after the cream of the crop or you want to invest in a card that will stand the test of time and that you can keep if you ever upgrade your internet to an extreme speed connection, the Asus PCE-AC88 is our top pick of all the best PCIe WiFi network cards on the market in 2019. Overkill for most; perfect for others, assuming the disadvantages listed below do not bother you.

Keep in mind the Asus PC3-AC88 does not have Bluetooth, which is a bummer for the high price, so if you need that feature you’ll have to get a separate Bluetooth adapter. Also, there are only official drivers for Windows 7 and Windows 10, so bad luck if you’re still using Windows 8, 8.1 or good-old XP.

WiFi Network Card FAQ

Are PCIe Wireless Network Cards Better Than USB WiFi Adapters for Gaming?

Generally, yes. There are also some good USB WiFi adapters if you don’t have the room for a PCIe or PCI network card in your PC (or if you’re a laptop gamer), which is a more convenient way of adding WiFi to a prebuilt PC without having to go in and install an expansion card (even though it’s dead easy to do if you’ve built the PC yourself).

But in terms of the most reliable, long-lasting, high-speed and long-range way to get wireless for your gaming build, assuming you don’t have WiFI built-in to your motherboard, a good PCI Express WiFi card is going to be the best long-term investment in most cases (pun intended). 

PCIe vs PCI Network Cards

PCI Express (PCIe) is the more recent connection format, and modern wireless cards are all going to be of this type. But if you’re upgrading an older motherboard, you may only have a spare PCI slot on your motherboard, and not a spare PCIe slot. In this case you would need to purchase a PCI wireless card, as PCIe cards won’t fit in a PCI slot.

Understanding PCIe x1 vs PCIe x16 Slots

There are two types of PCI Express slots. PCIe x1 slots are the small, short PCIe slots, and the size that PCIe network cards come in. PCIe x16 slots are the long PCIe slots used for a graphics card. But don’t worry if you only have a long x16 slot available in your particular PC build, as a short PCIe x1 network card will fit just fine in a long x16 slot.

What Speed WiFi Card Should I Buy?

Check the speed of your router, and try to match that or better. For example, if your router is an AC1900 model, try and get an AC1900 wireless card so that your card won’t restrict your bandwidth AKA speed. Also, don’t worry if you get a wireless card with a faster speed than your router supports, as then your system is future-proofed and you may not need to upgrade your adapter if you end up upgrading your router (so long as it’s still an 802.11ac router).

Related: How to Install a Wireless PCIe Card

References

–Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I (rev. 4.2) Wireless Network Card Official Specifications
–TP-Link Archer T9EAC1900 Wireless Dual Band PCI Express Adapter Official Specifications
–ASUS PCE-AC88 Dual-band AC3100 4×4 Wi-Fi PCI Express Adapter Specifications
–PCI Express (Wikipedia)
–Conventional PCI (Wikipedia)

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Indie programmer currently working on my first game release (after years of hobby projects), an atmospheric story-driven VR FPS/adventure built with Unreal Engine to be announced once I’m ready here and here (for anyone into VR FPS’s). Also likes writing about tech, which helps to fund development of the game. 

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