Is the Intel Ultimate N 6300 WiFi worth it?

So,

is there anyone who can compare with for example the Intel 4965AGN,
Why would it be better, do you have better speeds, better range?

Or is it just marketing crap, and actually it's just another N card ...

 

Intel 5300 is sufficient enough with MIMO 3x3.
But if you can get 6300 for cheap, jump on it

 

I have an Intel 3965ABG in my older Acer Travelmate 4230, and I cannot tell the difference (I have the 6300 in my Sager/Clevo, and a Dual-Band wireless-N router) for most of the WiFi tasks that I do- How fast your internet connection is matters more.

I agree with crayonyes- if you can get 6300 cheap ($40 or less), go for it.

 

It's all marketing. There were some tests run in the networking forum a while back comparing the 3965 and 4965, with pretty much no difference in situations, and I'd wager that tests could extend those results to the 6200 and 6300.

 

yes and after all its 25 bucks only.. it should be a good upgrade.

 

For most it matters little for others it might. It is not just marketing crap but for example matters little to me. I use wi-fi to connect to the Internet not even a home network. As such the speed advantage does not matter. My connectivity is fine without.

Isn't the 6200 basically a two antenna vs 6300 three antenna? I think it is a fine upgrade at $35 if you think you might need in the future and have the cash. Oh is your router three antenna? If not when are you going to get.

If your system comes with three antennas it is likely an easy upgrade you can do on your own later. Not worth stressing about. I got my G73 with stock card an all is good.

 

^^^^
Wireless-N is still in its infancy- anything over 10 feet the MIMO advantage dissipates very quickly. Also, to fully exploit MIMO, your router brand and wireless N installed in your laptop (ex. router from netgear paired with a wireless netgear express card)need to match fully exploit the wireless-N speeds. This only really matters if you consistently transfer gigabyte size files to notice the difference. I have not had the bottleneck in wireless G to consider upgrading to a wireless-N card (actually, at some point I had with a linksys wireless expresscard, but the connection was so poor I had to ditch the linksys expresscard).

The only time we can realize true wireless-n is when the individual vendors stop sabotaging one another, and deliver a wireless router that can deliver true wireless-n speeds with just the (preinstalled) intel wireless card.

Until that day comes, even wireless G for now is sufficient.

 

LOL, agree. I have both. Unless you have fiber or just gota have the giganet ports, I would say that wireless N routers are just not all that. If my "G" did not die I would still have it. Now computer to computer wireless transfers are higher than on the G router.

I paid $36, total, for my 6300 card FWIW from babyhemi in the sales section. The performance of both cards are neck and neck as I do not have three antennas in my UV30vt so both do 300 Mbps close to router.

 

the 6300 makes a big difference compared to the 5100, at least for me (If not for the speed benefits, then for the range increase)

I bought mine from Provantage, and it was definitely worth it.

 

thanks for all the replies, i have a 3 antenna router from D-link and currently i have the 4965AGN card in my M1730, good point taken is that the m1730 only has 2 antennae built into the screen (although there's three wires going to the 4965AGN card, guess one is grounding), speeds are fine (for internet use only), windows reports my connection as N, but i don't have more coverage compared to my compaq laptop with a G card built in.
My main reason would be range covering, but since i understand now that my notebook is not compatible, i'm gonna leave it as it is..

 

Thanks! Good to know it affects range increase well to be worth it. My main source of internet will be only wireless so if I suddenly discovered I was out of range that'd be a big problem.

 

I can't tell any difference in range between Dell's current cheapo wireless G card, the Intel 5300, and the Intel 6300. In somce cases the Intel cards will show one extra "bar," but this doesn't really confer any benefit in practice. The best part of using an Intel wireless card however is their great drivers and connection software. If you are not having any trouble with your current card, an "upgrade" or "future-proofing" by getting a new card is pretty pointless. Also buying one of these cards is good if you just want to feel good about yourself that you have the best (pretty much the only real reason I still have them).

You are confusing 3 antennas on your router for actually being able to connect three spatial streams. There is nothing wrong with your 4665's antennas. It is your router that is limiting you.

Since you have a 4965 already, the only reason to upgrade to a 5300 or 6300 would be if your current card broke. There is really no benefit for you going from a previous top of the line card to a current one. Even if you had a cheapo wireless G card you probably wouldn't notice any difference in most circumstances.

 

In the interest of full disclosure Trottel said he notices no difference. He is correct but if he was on batt it draws more. Lower bars mean more power draw.

 

How does it draw more power?

And most of the time it shows the same "bar level." My girlfriend has the same laptop as mine except she has Dell's cheapest wireless card and mine has either the 5300 or 6300 installed.

Besides, the OP has a 4965, a great card to begin with.

 

Do you have a cell phone? Amplification. I am new here I would appreciate you not call me out. I said what I said if I am wrong so be it. I could be wrong. On cell phones lower signal strength does not affect quality it just takes more batt power to achieve. Thanks Trottel nice to meet you.

I apologize I am correct. But so be it.

 

IMHO,
1. 5300 is cheap, great and reliable card. buy 5300 and sell your 4965 and even with a good trade you can have profit instead.
2. up to 450Mbps. Yes, it depends on the ISP, router and usage. but whats wrong with having one with that capability
3. the notebook's value gets upgraded
4. the use of MyWiFi is quite nice
5. hey, it's the forum's favorite so far

I don't see any waste effort changing 4965 to 5300 but hey, thats just me

 

Calling you out? I asked a simple question about a phenomenon you mentioned that I was unaware of. Thank you for answering though; now I realize you are incorrect.

I mean yeah, there is nothing wrong with a 5300 or 6300. They are both great cards, but is there any tangible benefit for internet access over the card he already has? Not that I can really think of. Not that I'm one to talk.

 

I noticed an improvement in speed and range with my 6300.

 

I wouldn't be enjoying this if I didn't have 802.11N...

 

doesnt matter much in real life situation, at least as of now.

Pick whatever is cheaper!

 

thanks again, i'll stick with this card and opt for better when i'll buy a new notebook, which will be when alienware gets the m17x sorted out properly (might be a while though)

 

The $20 question, quite literally, is whether the 6300 is a worthwhile upgrade on the 6200? Is the 6200 worth $20 bucks more than a Dell 1501? From experience, I'd argue that the 6200 can detect more networks than a Dell card of several years vintage? Is the 6300 worth $20 more than the 6200?

I guess the real question is whether there are any meaningful range benefits, assuming of course that the router is indeed wireless N with three antennas?

 

If you're on a budget, the Dell WLAN card is sufficient. IMO most people upgrade to soothe their psychological urge because the company has good marketing.

 

Hey guys, do the 6200/6300 have any improvements in battery at all over say a Broadcom WLAN abgn card? The 6200 is tempting at only £14 but if the power savings are null or it even draws more power then its a big nono.
Thanks.

 

the 6300 are newer cards so i guess they should be more power efficient.. they will also perform way better than the broadcom card for sure.. signal will be stronger too.

 

Doubt it will consume less power, especially if they perform better. Wifi cards are pretty low as they are.