Upgrading & Installing Wireless Full PCIe to PCIe half card (Intel Advanced-N and others)

Hello,

I am trying to swap out an Intel 3945ABG PCIe mini-pci full card adapter with a Wifi Bluetooth Combo Card.

Currently reviewing Intel Advanced-N mini PCIe half cards.

The Laptop is an older Itronix XR-1 that came with an Intel 3945ABG.

One adapter I was looking at is an Intel Advanced-N 6235 WiFi Bluetooth 4.0 (6235ANHMW)

However, while searching the Intel site there is an Intel warning message about installing their newer adapters into older Notebooks and possible electrical conflicts.

The peripheral component interconnect - special interest group (PCI-SIG) updated their standard, changing the voltage on some connectors. This change affected the Intel® wireless cards which are based on the PCI Express* (PCIe) standard. Due to this change, installing an adapter with the updated PCIe standard version in a system with different voltage standards can cause damage to your wireless adapter, your laptop or both.


Intel® Wi-Fi Products — Why doesn't my laptop recognize my new Intel® wireless adapter?

Essentially the warning message indicates that newer PCIe adapters potentially can damage a Laptop when installed into PCIe slots, using older PCI-SIG electrical standards.

Since there are no specific details, I am uncertain if Intel is referring to conflicts with much older PCIe standards or newer standards used in laptops in the last several years.

Some of the Intel adapters specifications show PCIe half mini and PCIe M.2 for PCI standards without any details.

I am wondering do I need to be concerned about electrical PCIe specifications when upgrading an older XR-1 & other laptops to newer wireless PCIe mini adapters? I would think cards not electrically backward compatible would be able to fit in the same type of PCIe slot and would be keyed differently, or use another form factor.

 

Welcome to the forum!

I've personally upgraded numerous laptops that originally sported the "old" full-size cards with newer 1/2 size cards + adapter and have never encountered a problem.

Two things here, though:

a) I've never worked on an Itronix laptop

b) I don't care about the Bluetooth aspect of the newer Intel cards so I never buy the "5" version...

My $0.02


Happy upgrading.

 

I've swapped around lots of pci-e wireless cards and never had a problem. I've also never heard of that before. I wouldn't put a lot of stock into that warning. They might be talking about when pci-e first came out. I know that anything with a 3 series Intel card will work with anything new as well.

Also being full length or half length has nothing to do with the pci-e connector being "old" or "new." Full length used to be favored more and now half length is favored now, but that is about it.

 

_____

While researching mini PCIe adapters I came across a new generation mini PCIe, referred to a M.2 that normally uses a smaller form factor for the PCIe slot.

The PCIe M.2 may be used with some of the smaller notebooks such as the Ultra.

Some of the adapters, in more detailed specifications, may show something like "PCIe Half Mini Card, PCIe M.2".