handled new staff laptop recently, noticed their wifi6 chip is ax201 instead of ax200 im using (last year model)

looking at intel website... doesn't seems to be any difference at all.
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark...s=189347,130293


can anyone enlighten the difference?

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/sup...9/wireless.html

this link will push to the link i provided

then there is no difference other than the interface

Functionally no diff, it's a different interface despite fitting into the same slot.

If you ever upgrade or replace the wifi card in it you'll need to make sure it's the CNVi interface, or you risk incompatibility with the mobo. Saying this from experience as I have a unit of AX210 (wifi 6E) that doesn't work with my laptop 😒

AX201: CNVio
AX200: PCIE

Although the connector looks the same, but the design of the network adapter is different. Because in CNVio, some network adapter components such as its firmware, MAC, memory and processor are moved to the Intel CPU instead.

Threfore, CNVi can only be used with Intel CPU supporting it.

these answered my question
.thanks

CNVI is meant for Intel to help system integrators to cut cost. Some components of the Wifi adaptor are built onto the motherboard chipset instead of everything on the Wifi module.
I have some experience on these CNVI stuffs.

AX201 will only work with 10th gen Intel CPU, Comet Lake and Ice Lake. If you put it in a Coffee Lake, Kaby Lake and Whiskey Lake board , 8th or 9th gen CPU , the rig wont boot up.

I have upgraded my old laptop's 8260AC card with an AX200 which i bought in Shopee. It works perfectly. It is a HP Elitebook 1040 G3 with an i7-6600U CPU.

Did the same with my Illegear Onyx ,i7-8750H CPU. From 9560AC which is a CNVI card to a non CNVI AX200. It works no issues.

I had some not successful attempts in the past too with Thinkpads. Example like the Wifi section of the AX200 works but bluetooth not working. I got an explanation that the M.2 slot on the motherboard does not support USB and only has PCI-E. Any modern M.2 wifi adaptor has their Wifi works on PCI-E , while bluetooth works on USB. You can verify that using the Hardware ID of the device in Windows device manager .

This post has been edited by k!nex: May 15 2021, 07:14 PM

Intel WiFi works only with Intel CPU?

No. There are so many Ryzen laptops out there with Intel AX200 Wifi adaptors.

nope. Intel AX200 works on Ryzen CPU. personally installed it on my B450i Auros board.

BUT Intel AX201 will only work on Intel CPU, 10th gen and above.