Reddit reviews fenvi Desktop Wireless Network M.2(NGFF) WiFi Card to PCIe 1X Adapter Converter(Converter only!!Not Including WiFi Card) Compact Intel 7260 8260 3160 9260 AX200 Killer WiFi 6 AX1650 NGFF M.2 WiFi 6

Found this one on Amazon (oddly enough from the same company as the one I originally linked).

I use one of these adapters for M.2 wifi chips on my PC. Provides a pretty nice upgrade path as long as Intel keeps supporting the standard. Their wireless chips are actually pretty cheap in comparison to buying a USB adapter.

This is certainly NOT normal. You most likely have a faulty Bluetooth adapter that is overheating over time. Replace with a quality BT adapter such as the Intel 9260NGW (you can use this to convert to pcie if no m.2 slot)

If you have an AX router, this card is $41 with coupon. If not, this one is ~$33 with coupon. If you don't mind attaching the very small antennas clips yourself (which can be difficult), the 9260 M.2 is $13.30 and the PCIE card is $14 for a total of $27.30. I have built 3 of those cards and if I needed to do it again, I would spend $33 to avoid the hassle, or even$38 for this one because it looks cool.

You will have to give up a USB2 port on your motherboard to use the bluetooth with any of the above options.

I ordered the m.2 intel ax200 wifi 6 adapter (killer and intel are the only wifi 6 adapters so far i think)

But then you also need an adapter from m.2 to pcie probably as most mobos only support m.2 m-key and this an A/E-key m.2 card.

Card it self costed me €15 i think (ordered few weeks ago)

Then i came to the conclusion i needed new wifi cables and an adapter, so ordered an adapter with antennas. (14$ or so, and 8 dollar shipping from US to europe, amazon) that will be delivered within an hour. But i had an $20 giftcard because of an price error so only costed 2$

Why i did this? The adapter has wifi 6 and goes up to 2 Gb/s or so, okay our wifi modem/router sucks, so wired is only 25mb/s and this would probably be the same.

But it also had Bluetooth 5.0 and most dongles don't have that.

Adapter i ordered

You can buy a PCI-E card with a m.2 slot and hookups for wifi, then buy the Intel m.2 wifi card, and put them together. Here's an amazon listing (no referral links) similar to what I used: https://www.amazon.com/Desktop-Wireless-Network-Converter-Including/dp/B01MFGYAX6

I went with

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Wireless-Ac-9260-2230-Gigabit/dp/B079QH5KW1

https://www.amazon.com/Desktop-Wireless-Network-Converter-Including/dp/B01MFGYAX6

I don't have the same Mobo, but I think it should work. Granted I haven't received it yet.

As others said, PCIe is the only realistic way to go. I bought this and then you can put whatever Intel card you want. I got the 9260NGW currently, but it allows for further upgrades later due to the nature of what it is. Imo, this is the best option as it allows for future upgrades while giving you all but your USB desires.

I built my own, which also added Bluetooth, for less than $30.

Intel Wireless-Ac 9260

Fenvi Desktop Wireless Network M.2(NGFF) WiFi Card to PCIe 1X Adapter Converter

Honestly, pick up an Intel 9260 chip for $20 or less, then pick up a blank adapter for like $10.

Intel Wireless-Ac 9260, 2230, 2X2 Ac+Bt, Gigabit, No Vpro https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079QH5KW1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_aRB3DbZ517XGB

fenvi Desktop Wireless Network M.2(NGFF) WiFi Card to PCIe 1X Adapter Converter(Converter only!!Not Including WiFi Card) Compact Intel 7260 8260 3160 9260 AX200 Killer WiFi 6 AX1650 NGFF M.2 WiFi 6 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFGYAX6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hSB3DbFTCPBQD

You can buy external antennas, they all use a standard RP-SMA connector.

A heatsink isn't necessary. Any of the M.2 Intel cards are not going to overheat inside a case with proper airflow.
If I were you, I'd just get an Intel 9260 and a PCIe Adapter off Amazon:

• https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Wireless-Ac-9260-2230-Gigabit/dp/B079QH5KW1/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Desktop-Wireless-Network-Converter-Including/dp/B01MFGYAX6/

The Intel one is just M.2 Key E. NGFF was the old name for M.2.

You'd need something like this to use it in a desktop, if the motherboard doesn't have an M.2 Key E socket (and most don't - I've only ever seen them on Mini-ITX boards specifically to add WiFi).

Also note that to get Bluetooth you also need to plug in a USB cable. I've used the Intel solution before, and it works fine.

Mine have all been refreshed to be built into the motherboard. They use mini pci-e notebook style chipsets integrated right on. I've since updated them all to Intel 9260 chipsets for Wave 2 AC.

If you're buying to add in to an existing board, just get a PCI-E add-in card. The USB ones are flakey at best and have pretty crappy antennas. Something like this is about as good as it gets. On the same page they sell an empty pci-e adapter card and you can buy the 9260 on Amazon separately for about $25 so you'll save a couple of bucks if you do the final assembly.

EDIT: Specifically this and this should do the same thing.

The actual NIC is an Intel NIC, and uses the Intel drivers, Asus just throws it on a PCIe adapter board and rebrands it. But the intel drivers had an update literally 2 days ago:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/products/90141/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking/intel-wireless-products/intel-wireless-8000-series.html

If you don't believe me that it's compatible, you can basically build this yourself with https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G42J6KQ/ and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFGYAX6/. Intel is the gold standard when it comes to consumer NICs.

so PCIe is the better way to go is what I'm understanding? But if I did those two little antennas, how are they powered?

https://www.amazon.com/Desktop-Wireless-Network-Converter-Including/dp/B01MFGYAX6/ or this is something that I could do (from earlier post reply) to have it work?

There's actually an adapter kit listed on the Amazon page for that module.

Keep in mind that this gigabyte wifi card uses the Intel AC 8260 chipset.

You can get a the newer intel ac 9260 chipsethttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=intel+ac+9260&i=electronics&dc

and an m.2 to nvme adapter:https://www.amazon.com/Fenvi-Wireless-Converter-Including-Networking/dp/B01MFGYAX6/

They sell adapters without cards, just buy the 9260 separate.

Fenvi Desktop Wireless Network M.2(NGFF) Wireless Card to PCI-e 1X Adapter Converter(Not Including Networking Card) Compact Intel 7260 8260 3160 9260 9265 NGFF M.2 ect Windows 7, 8, 10 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFGYAX6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_b3.IBbRQ6PW64

>Note: be careful with the interface of the actual wireless card, make sure, if you're going to get one of these, that it fits into the fenvi adapter

You can see the set up of the adapter's interface here,
https://www.amazon.com/Fenvi-Express-pcie-Wireless-Adapter/dp/B01MFGYAX6/ref=zg_bs_13983711_78?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=6JJNHWCDJ5DDQBG161HV&th=1

Go to the The $15.99 adapter, then look at the third thumbnail on the left.

There are dongles and cards.

You could build this out

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFGYAX6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_59o2Cb373YAFS

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B079QH5KW1/

buy an internal networking card instead. They're roughly the same price and the usb bt dongles only output Bluetooth, not input it.


has bt 5.0 and will give you very high performance wifi as well. only $5 more than a dongle with only bt 4.0.
https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Wireless-Ac-9260-2230-Gigabit/dp/B079QJQF4Y
if you don't have a spare m.2 slot you can order an adapter for a port that you do have.
https://www.amazon.com/Fenvi-Wireless-Converter-Including-Networking/dp/B01MFGYAX6/ref=pd_bxgy_504_3/144-2767194-2048003?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01MFGYAX6&pd_rd_r=12a48c60-7a65-11e9-a967-b34187462b23&pd_rd_w=g87eY&pd_rd_wg=bmFL4&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=GXVP1R1QAGCQ2K1BAXT4&psc=1&refRID=GXVP1R1QAGCQ2K1BAXT4

You can get a empty NGFF to PCIe adapter: https://www.amazon.com/Fenvi-Wireless-Converter-Including-Networking/dp/B01MFGYAX6/

Then put in any NGFF form factor laptop wireless card you like - like an Intel 9260: https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Wireless-Ac-9260-2230-Gigabit/dp/B079QH5KW1/

... or an Intel 7265:

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Wireless-AC-802-11ac-Wi-Fi-Bluetooth/dp/B00STV5UKW/

Can find many/more for far less second hand (eBay).

Will this work? How do I add the Bluetooth antennae to it?
https://www.amazon.com/Fenvi-Wireless-Converter-Including-Networking/dp/B01MFGYAX6/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1538961093&sr=8-12&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=m.2+wifi+pcie

> https://www.amazon.com/Fenvi-Wireless-Converter-Including-Networking/dp/B01MFGYAX6/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1538961093&sr=8-12&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=m.2+wifi+pcie

If your card has 3 antenna plugs... then you probably need a 3-antennae model. I can see the two-pin motherboard power plug on the adaptor (no cable tho?). If the card has only two antenna plugs, you are set.

For my build, I got this adapter:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFGYAX6/

That way, you can throw in a cheap, powerful laptop wireless card.

I got this card which is way more than I need:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079QH5KW1

As a bonus you get a quality Bluetooth connection.

Works fine on this build:

https://pcpartpicker.com/b/y3HhP6

A converter like this and a card like this

https://www.amazon.com/Desktop-Wireless-Network-Converter-Including/dp/B01MFGYAX6/

Stick whatever m.2 card you want in there.

I'd do the AX200.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005511/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking.html

The M.2 slots on the motherboard are not key A/E for WiFi cards, but key M for SSDs. But depending on case of your choice, you can re-purpose one of the M.2 slots if you don't mind losing it to WiFi instead of storage.

What i mean is that there are adapters which allow you to convert your PCI-E based M.2 slot into a PCI-e x4 slot, like this one (it is just an example, not a recommendation for this product) https://www.amazon.com/McPnand-Adapter-Power-Risers-Mining/dp/B07BWQTQG2/ . You can then either plug your PCI-E wifi card directly in this, or use a riser cable and put it elsewhere in your case. And for WiFi, then you can use either a prebuilt WiFi card (for example https://www.asus.com/Networking/PCEAC68/ ) or one of those PCI-E to key A/E adapters and then insert your own WiFi card ( for example https://www.amazon.com/Fenvi-Wireless-Converter-Including-Networking/dp/B01MFGYAX6/ ).

​

Again, the links in this post are just examples of such products and i have no personal experience with any of these adapters/cards.