Are you not happy with your laptop performance, even after a memory upgrade? Perhaps, it is time to upgrade your laptop’s Wi-Fi card.

Two of the things that are most frequently upgraded in any laptop are memory and storage. With these two upgrades, you can immediately see a difference in your system performance. However, upgrading Wi-Fi cards can also significantly improve system performance and give a greater range and faster throughput.

How to select new Wi-Fi card for laptop

There are some things that you should always keep in mind, when selecting a new Wi-Fi card. The first thing that you need to check is whether your laptop manufacturer uses a whitelist in the BIOS of your laptop. If your laptop’s BIOS uses a whitelist, then it is highly possible that the Wi-Fi card you want to use may not be supported.

Another thing that is of equal importance is the size of the Wi-Fi card. Simply check with your old Wi-Fi card in the laptop and check for the size. Most new Wi-Fi cards are half-height cards, however some old laptops use full height cards as well. If your laptop is not compatible with the new half-height cards, then you can try using a bracket adapter to make it fit.

Finally, when you go about selecting a new Wi-Fi card is to make sure that the number of antennas used in the new card matches the number in the old Wi-Fi card for laptop. If your new Wi-Fi card uses three antennas, but you only have two, then you can purchase the third antenna separately. Spend some time, identifying the optimal placement inside the laptop.

Upgrading new Wi-Fi card

Before you upgrade your laptop Wi-Fi card, it is important to unplug the power adapter from your laptop and remove the battery if possible. If you have a non-removable battery, be careful not to accidently turn on your laptop while working on it. Once you are inside your laptop and are looking for your old Wi-Fi card, carefully remove the antennas from the old card. Remember, to keep a note of how they were connected to begin with.

Once you have detached the antennas, unscrew the old Wi-Fi card from the mounting area, that can cause the card to pop up. You need to carefully lift it out of the slot.

Now put your new Wi-Fi card parallel to the slot and then carefully insert it at a slight angle. The card will only fit in one way, so don’t try to force it in, if it doesn’t automatically slide in. Once placed properly, screw it down. Now reattach the antennas and close your laptop.

The next time you turn your computer back on, you need to check for the correct drivers to work with your new Wi-Fi card. Once, you have taken care of this, you can enjoy wireless network and improved performance on your PC.