PCIE Wifi adapter stops working when playing games

HappyBoiHour · November 18, 2019

So my wireless adapter (ASUS PCE-AC51)
stops working when i’m entering games and only when i’m entering games. I have had steam download games the entire night without the internet disconnecting and i can browse just fine but as soon as i enter a game it starts acting up. Also tried the same card out on 3 different computers and same result. Updated the drivers, no change. And it isn’t an issue with steam either, i used different game clients still same. I enter games and like 3 minutes pass and the internet stops working, at first i can reccieve data but it won’t send any out, i can see other players move and me getting killed but i cannot do anything about it lmao. Resetting the wifi adapter also resets the problem, another 3 minutes and no more wifi. If anyone got any tips it, you’d be the mvp

Pixel5 · November 18, 2019

my idea would be that all of the computers you tired probably dont have enough PCI-e lanes available.

so whenever you enter a game and the GPU starts using all 16 PCIe lanes theres nothing left for the wifi card to run off.

just an idea and would depend heavily on the CPU in the system as well as what other components are installed.

sphbecker · November 19, 2019

My best guess (based on everything you have already tried) is that it could be a temperature issue. Move the WiFi card as far away from your GPU as possible. Try it with the case open. If it works while the case is open but not when you close the case, then you need more fans.

What happens when WiFi drops? If you ALT+TAB out of the game, does Windows show WiFi is Connected, Disconnected, or does the entire adapter go offline (as if it was unplugged)?

If Connected, then try to ping your router. If Disconnected, try to reconnect. If offline, then it is either temperature or faulty hardware.

To the comment about the PCIe lanes. Make sure your GPU is plugged into the top slot meant for the GPU. If you have it in any other slot, then PCIe lane contention could be a possible issue (but would probably only result in bad performance, not an offline card). The GPU slot has deadicated lanes to the CPU, they are not shared with other devices.