In preparation for upcoming WiFi 7 device reviews, I have upgraded my desktop’s wireless card from the Intel AX210 WiFi 6E to the Intel BE200 WiFi 7 module. For everyday usage, the differences are modest, but this upgrade is essential for accurate testing with next-generation wireless equipment.
| Wi-Fi 6E Intel AX210 | Wi-Fi 7 Intel BE200 | |
| TX/RX Streams | 2×2 | 2×2 |
| Bands | 2.4, 5, 6 GHz (160MHz) | 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz |
| Max Speed | 2.4 Gbps | 5.8 Gbps (320MHz,4096QAM) |
| Real Life Speed (tested by me) | 2.4Gbps (GL-MT6000) | 2.9Gbps (BPI R4) |
| Stability | Good | Not really |
Installation Overview
My system is powered by the MSI MAG B460M MORTAR motherboard, which does not include an M.2 Key-E slot for wireless modules. To accommodate the BE200, I used a PCIe-to-M.2 adapter.
The adapter is very popular on marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, etc.
The installation process is straightforward:
- Remove the adapter from the PC (make sure you disconnect the AC power before doing that)
- Remove the Intel AX210 from the adapter.
- Install the new BE200 module and tighten the mounting screw.
- Carefully reconnect the antenna cables.
- Insert the PCIe adapter into the PCIe x1 slot and secure it.
- Connect the Bluetooth power header included on the adapter.
With the hardware completed, the PC was ready for testing.
Driver and System Setup
The Intel BE200 has limited functionality on Windows 10. To ensure proper operation, I upgraded the system to Windows 11 and installed Intel’s latest wireless driver (version 23.170.0.1, released October 28, 2025).
A quick check using netsh wlan show drivers confirmed support for 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz bands.
Performance Testing on Windows 11
Connected to a WiFi 7 SSID on 5GHz, the BE200 reported a link speed of up to 2882 Mbps. However, real-world throughput was lower than expected:
- Speedtest: 595 Mbps Download / 929 Mbps Upload
- iperf3: ~ 1Gbps
Testing with a WiFi 6 SSID produced similar results. On the AX210, I typically achieved around 1.2 Gbps Download and 900 Mbps Upload (with the OpenWrt One WiFi 6 router), but the BE200 underperformed with only 660 Mbps Download and 883 Mbps Upload.
Performance on Ubuntu 24
On Ubuntu 24, the BE200 worked immediately thanks to the pre-installed driver.
Connected to a 5GHz WiFi 7 SSID (MT7996):
- Link Speed: 2161 Mbps (this number is not stable, sometime it is higher, sometime lower)
- Security: WPA3
- Signal Strength: Excellent
- iperf3: ~1.15 Gbps upload (normal direction, 4 streams) and ~1.2 Gbps download (reversed, 4 streams)
6GHz Capability
Although the BE200 technically supports 6GHz, I was unable to connect to any WiFi 7 SSID operating in the 6GHz band. Interestingly, the Windows 11 did report the colocated AP on 6GHz (when I am connected to 5GHz WiFi 7 SSID of the Banana Pi R4 (MT7996).
Conclusion
This upgrade marks an important step toward detailed testing of WiFi 7 hardware on the channel. While the Intel BE200 shows promising link rates, actual performance still requires further investigation.
In the next article and video, I will review the Banana Pi R4 with the MT7996 WiFi 7 module and explore its capabilities.
Thank you for reading.