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Need advice on a wireless adapter.

ReEvolution

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Hello,

I am starting a new desktop gaming PC build. I have built several over the past 10+ yrs but this is the first one I have ever decided to go wireless on. That said, I need advice on a wireless adapter for it.

I am doing a budget build, so I want to keep cost around $50-$70. But, I want good speed out of it too. I am on Fiber, running 25/5 with less then 100ms Lat in every game on my laptop.

So, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. And feel free to ask any questions
 
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Mussels

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USB wifi adaptors are generally cheap and simple. you can get wifi N 150Mb adaptors for $10 shipped, and short of your router being terrible you wont have any lag for gaming at all.
 
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For a PC, I would never go USB if I could avoid it. And with that generous budget, I would not limit myself to 150Mbps or even 300Mbps and would definitely get a dual band, and one with external antennas.

Sadly, the USB interface just has not proven to be reliable in spite of each new generation promising to fix the woes of the last. A quick perusal through any tech forum will show lots of users complaining about USB connectivity with their USB connected keyboards, mice, external drives and more. While USB 3.0 connectivity is more robust and stable than USB 2.0, it still has not proven to be as steadfast reliable USB 3.0 was supposed to be. :(

Except for keyboards and mice, I treat the USB interface as an interface to connect devices on a temporary basis.

And also, when buying any USB device today, it makes little sense to limit performance and future abilities with a USB 2.0 device. If you must use USB, at least get a USB 3.0 (or even 3.1, if available) adapter for faster throughput and [theoretically and hopefully] more stable USB connection.

With that, I recommend instead of a USB adapter, use a PCIe adapter. A friend has an Intel Dual Band 867 Mbps AC and it works great, Although pricy, it is well within your budget and with bandwidths up to 867Mbps, he can game, stream full HD 5.1 movies, back up his drives and more without any lags.

I've personally used this Rosewill Dual Band N900 450Mbps PCIe Adapter on several builds with no complaints. I prefer adapters with multiple antennas you can orient in different directions. While these antennas are detachable so you can elevate them, they don't come with the necessary cables to do so. However, we have not needed to do detach and move the antennas for great throughput.

Finally, you said this was a new build - have you selected the motherboard yet? If not, there are several models with integrated wifi already. The ASUS Maximus VIII Extreme, for example, is ASUS's new flagship Z170 board and is receiving excellent reviews. I note Overclockersclub.com concludes,
...the Maximus VIII Extreme comes to the table loaded for whatever you can throw at it. The robust hardware design, added functionality, and accessories bring the price up, but for those looking for the best, look no further.

Of course, there are models with wifi that don't cost $500 too. Like the ASUS Z170-Deluxe which gets a nice Editor's Choice from TPU.
 

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eh... i run a ton of USB wifi devices here including for gaming with zero issues.
 
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I would rock the intel one for PCI-E or get the AC53 from Asus for USB (BCM based). Best two adapters I've used. The Netgear A6210 (RAL Based) is a close 2nd for USB.

see my blog for various but I haven't reviewed the intel one yet, if someone can provide me one as a pressie I'd :love: u forever for it.
 
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eh... i run a ton of USB wifi devices here including for gaming with zero issues.
That's great. But sadly, not everyone has the same experiences with USB. USB just has not shown to be as "universal" as promised. :(

At any rate, if I had to go USB, I would still go with USB3.x. And for a, more or less, permanent solution as this is, I would definitely go with PCIe card.
 
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