Will this Intel Wifi card work with my motherboard's M.2 slot?

[john01dav]

Hello,

 

I want to add Wifi support to my desktop computer with the Gigabyte Z390 M Gaming motherboard and an i9-9900k. I prefer to use an Intel Wifi device (as opposed to Asus, for example) as they are the only company that I trust to have reliable Linux drivers for years to come. I have been burned with this issue many times, where I bought a product for my computer and then was stuck without drivers only a year or two later as the Linux kernel updates but the hardware vendor refuses to either provide the driver's source code to the Linux kernel maintainers to have them update it, or to update it themself. Intel's drivers are part of the Linux kernel, so they are virtually guaranteed to stay updated. Unfortunately, they don't seem to manufacture PCIe cards. After much research, and talking with Intel, it seems like this product is best as it has an external antenna and associated PCIe mount for that antenna, even though the card itself is M.2. Intel specifically recommended this product for desktop computers.

 

I am concerned about whether or not this device is compatible with my computer, however. In this PDF, which was sent to me by Intel, it is said that the aforementioned M.2 Wifi device requires an M.2 port of size 2230 and key E. My motherboard, however, is key M and does not list size, according to the blue-highlighted area in the following image. Yet, the motherboard also says that it supports Intel CNVi, which is the protocol used for Intel's M.2 Wifi cards. This makes it plausible that the blue area only talks about M.2 SSDs, and that the aforementioned M.2 device is compatible.

 

Additionally, as part of the circuitry for Wifi is included on the CPU (this is what CNVi refers to), I am concerned that this device won't be compatible with my CPU as there is no detailed information that I can find anywhere regarding which CPUs it is compatible with, exactly. My concern is greater because this particular product is fairly old and my CPU is fairly new.

 

The following is an excerpt from the manual and the highlighting is mine:

[NunoLava1998]

Won't work unfortunately; you need a E key 2216/2230 slot.

The CNVi seems to be for the 9560, 9462 and 9461 WiFi cards:

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Wireless-AC-9560-2230-Gigabit/dp/B07G42J6KQ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=intel+9560&qid=1559308823&s=gateway&sr=8-3

[john01dav]

2 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

Won't work unfortunately; you need a E key 2216/2230 slot.

The CNVi seems to be for the 9560, 9462 and 9461 WiFi cards:

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Wireless-AC-9560-2230-Gigabit/dp/B07G42J6KQ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=intel+9560&qid=1559308823&s=gateway&sr=8-3

With those cards, however, you need antennas. Is there somewhere that I can get the antennas as shown in the thing that I linked. I've been searching for days to find one, but I can't. This is probably because I don't know the correct search terms.

[SchmokeyDokey]

Sorry to revive this old thread, but thanks so much for this.

I had the same problem with this motherboard, Gigabyte Z390M. It says Intel CNVi in the manual but it doesn't say which key it is anywhere so didn't know which Bluetooth/Wi-Fi card to buy, I was going to buy the AX201 and just see if it worked until I found this thread, I just got a 9560NGW in there, was simply plug and play, no drivers needed and it probably saved me a huge headache of buying the wrong card, can't thank you enough.

On 5/31/2019 at 2:21 PM, NunoLava1998 said:

Won't work unfortunately; you need a E key 2216/2230 slot.

The CNVi seems to be for the 9560, 9462 and 9461 WiFi cards:

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Wireless-AC-9560-2230-Gigabit/dp/B07G42J6KQ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=intel+9560&qid=1559308823&s=gateway&sr=8-3

 

[NunoLava1998]

17 hours ago, SchmokeyDokey said:

Sorry to revive this old thread, but thanks so much for this.

I had the same problem with this motherboard, Gigabyte Z390M. It says Intel CNVi in the manual but it doesn't say which key it is anywhere so didn't know which Bluetooth/Wi-Fi card to buy, I was going to buy the AX201 and just see if it worked until I found this thread, I just got a 9560NGW in there, was simply plug and play, no drivers needed and it probably saved me a huge headache of buying the wrong card, can't thank you enough.

 

Definitely wasn't expecting a reply from this almost four years later, lol- glad to hear that I was able to help though!