I’m looking to upgrade my PC, and hoped to utilize integrated motherboard Wi-Fi. I know many of you will prefer ethernet, but unfortunately that isn’t an option for me.

I’ve read (and experienced) issues with Realtek Wi-Fi chipsets in the past, and heard that the Intel Wi-Fi chipset had better compatibility. But I’m struggling to find many options. Some boards don’t seem to specify (unless I’m misreading the specifications on their websites). And some, like Gigabyte, supported Intel Wi-Fi with some revisions but no longer do with the most recent. (see Gigabyte B650 Gaming X AX, v1.0-1.2 use Intel Wi-Fi.

I’m not seeing stores specify the revision being sold, otherwise I’d consider that board.

Does anyone have recommendations on a good AM5 motherboard whose Wi-Fi plays well with Linux? Or do you all use any other solutions like Wi-Fi adapters? Also I’m planning on running Pop! OS.

  • ghoultek@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I’m an Asus fanboy of sorts so I’m bias toward Asus products. I’ve been buying Asus products for more than 20 years without issue. You might try the Asus TUF Gaming series of AM5 boards. There is also their Strix line of boards which may be more pricey. Obviously, do your research before purchasing. Good luck.

    • N7Valiant@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      I run an Asus Strix X670E-A myself. The primary issue I run into is that the Wi-Fi will randomly die maybe once or twice a month. Internet suddenly stops working, and because the driver isn’t responsive, a graceful shutdown isn’t possible either (it just hangs indefinitely waiting for the Wi-Fi to respond). From what I’ve read, it’s a problem specifically with Mediatek. I normally have to do a hard shutdown, then switch off the power supply and hold down the power button to drain power from the board.

      • ghoultek@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        I don’t own any Strix boards. I have RoG and TUF boards. I’m going to assume you are having issues in Windows with the driver. Do you keep your PC turned full time or do you shut it down after periods of use like most folks do? What has Asus support said about the issue you are encountering?

  • OutragedTux@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I think you might be better off bringing your own wi-fi. A lot of usb dongles work fine these days, and there are pci-e 1x cards that should work well too. My point is you don’t need to even get a board with built-in wi-fi if you just have a dongle or something that works well.

    Also, they’re pretty much plug and play. Should work fine.

  • DrumsticknDrumstick@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    the motherboard wifi modules are not soldered to the board. they just come in a module the same as the ones on laptops. so you can just buy whatever motherboard you like and change out the wifi/bluetooth module to an intel ax210. usually it’s just a matter of undoing 3 screws.

  • Shished@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    It would be better to buy a Mobo with a free E key m.2 slot and install your own wifi card.

    • ghoultek@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      I disagree because M.2 slots are so good for storage. A high quality board with WiFi 6 AX or 6E is more than fine. Using it for Wifi communication seems like a waste of bandwidth/capacity. Having a dedicated Wifi port on the motherboard frees those precious M.2 slots for storage devices. You suggestion is more flexible with respect to upgrades over time. However, I seriously doubt there is real significant benefit for most home users to upgrade to the next Wifi protocol as soon as it comes out because one would have to upgrade the router as well to gain the full benefit. There are a plethora of wifi cards that will fit into existing PCI slots and are relatively cheap if the one buys a board without dedicated wifi. Also, there are a plethora of wifi products that will run over USB. Which is still a better option than an M.2 slot.

      • tehfreek@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        M.2 slots with a E key aren’t used for storage; that requires a M or B key.

        • ghoultek@alien.topBEnglish
          1·
          10 months ago

          What is the benefit of an E-key slot on a mobo vs a M or B key slot for storage? WLAN speeds still aren’t going match or eclipse wired Ethernet speeds. So my point that I did not elaborate on is the circuitry budget and space, and the PCI express lands that would be allotted to an E-key slot would be better suited toward and M or B key slot for storage. Think in terms of 3x M.2 storage slots would be better than 2x M.2 storage and 1x A or E key slots for WiFi/Bluetooth. There are rather limited uses for an A or E key slot beyond Wifi and Bluetooth.

          Motherboards with onboard 1 or 2.5GB ethernet, Wifi 6AX or 6E are common enough and relatively cheap. Those that have ethernet and WiFi onboard tend to have bluetooth as well. One doesn’t necessarily have to buy a $400 enthusiast board (which is what I have).

          Here is an example ( https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/tuf-gaming/tuf-gaming-b650-plus-wifi/techspec/ ). Current lowest price is $199 US according to PCPartPicker.com. It has Wifi 6AX not 6E. For common uses 6AX is fine. However, if one is going the twitch streamer route they may want a 6E router and 6E wifi hardware on their PC.

          Its good that there are options such as the A and E key slots and boards but I don’t see a greater value in them with regular PCI cards and hardware that will make use of USB slots that are already very fast.

          • tehfreek@alien.topBEnglish
            1·
            10 months ago

            Soldering the wifi chipset to the board doesn’t free up any PCIe channels that were going to be allocated to the M.2 slot; they still need to be used to connect to the wifi chipset.