Intel released its new 23.30.0 Wi-Fi 7 driver for 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 and 22.160.0 driver for 32-bit Windows 10 a few days ago, fixing some known issues and extending wireless bandwidths. This also includes Windows 11 updates for the newWi-Fi 7adapters, theBE202and theBE200, made readily available before January 2024. The new drivers can be downloaded fromIntel’s website.
The main updates are provided for its latest Wi-Fi 7 adapters- the BE200 and the BE202. With this update, these adapters now support all 6 GHz bandwidth onWindows 11while having limited functionality on Windows 10. It mentions that some Wi-Fi 7 features are not enabled as Windows 11 does not support it yet. But it does function with Wi-Fi 6E as it includes 320 MHz/ 4K QAM.
One notable bug that Intel hasn’t addressed renders it unusable when paired with an AMD-based system.
Intel stated that it was able to fix the following issues and provided updates:
When the adapter was available, Users with BE200 and BE202 Wi-Fi 7 adapters noticed incompatibility with AMD-based systems, something Intel hasn’t mentionedon its specifications page. Thelatest driver’s release notesdidn’t specifically say if it fixed the issue on AMD PCs, rather vaguely mentioning ‘some PCs,’ which could also mean it enabled compatibility with Intel CPUs older than 12th gen. At the time of release, users with Intel CPUs from the 12 gen were the ones who could use these Wi-Fi 7 adapters on Windows 11.
These adapters were made availablefor purchase and bundled with some motherboardsbefore January 2024,when the Wi-Fi 7 standard was finalized. At the time, Ghostmotley confirmed he tested the BE200 and the BE202 Wi-Fi 7 adapters on AMD systemswith no success. They are compatible with Intel 12-gen-based PCs and above.Fast forward to today, he is still uncertain if Intel intentionally locked away this compatibility or if the AMD AGESA bug prevents these chipsets from working.
Intel has been silent regarding the compatibility issue to date. AMD did not issue a disclaimer about this incompatibility for its users and motherboard vendors, putting users in a situation where they need to find out after the purchase. Despite having four variations of the BE200 adapter, there’s no official clarification if any of these are compatible with AMD systems. Even with the new driver updates, being vague about its fix doesn’t help its users. This is where Intel needs to step in and inform its users if they are working on a solution- or if its BE200/ BE202 works only with Intel-based PCs with Windows 11.
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So, if you’re on an AMD-based system and looking to upgrade to Wi-Fi 7, it is best to stick with Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7 QCNCM865 or MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 MT7927/ RZ738 Wi-Fi 7 adapters.
Roshan Ashraf Shaikh has been in the Indian PC hardware community since the early 2000s and has been building PCs, contributing to many Indian tech forums, & blogs. He operated Hardware BBQ for 11 years and wrote news for eTeknix & TweakTown before joining Tom’s Hardware team. Besides tech, he is interested in fighting games, movies, anime, and mechanical watches.