1200Mbps 11ac Dual Band PCIe Wi-Fi 5 / Bluetooth 4
An AC1200-class PCIe Wi-Fi 5 card with two external antennas and Bluetooth 4.0.
This is the everyday wireless option in our configurator: a dual-band 802.11ac card that gives a desktop reliable Wi-Fi 5. Wi-Fi 5 is no longer the newest standard, but it is fully supported by every router sold in the past decade and comfortably handles streaming, video calls, cloud backup and gaming for a typical home broadband connection. The card fits a PCIe x1 slot and brings two detachable external antennas that screw onto the rear bracket, which gives noticeably better reception than a small USB dongle.
Performance
The card is rated AC1200, which means up to 867Mbps on the 5GHz band and up to 300Mbps on 2.4GHz. The 5GHz band is the one to use for speed when the PC is within a room or two of the router; 2.4GHz travels further through walls at lower speed. Real-world throughput depends on distance, walls and the router, and we recommend keeping the PC within around 10 metres of the router for the best results.
Bluetooth and compatibility
Bluetooth 4.0 is built in for wireless keyboards, mice, headsets and controllers. It runs over a short cable from the card to a spare USB 2.0 header on the motherboard, so a free header is needed; our configurator will flag a shortage. The card fits any PCIe slot and is supported on Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11. Because we occasionally substitute an equivalent card of the same standard and speed class, the listing is described by specification rather than by model, and Punch fits and tests whichever card is supplied.
Ideal for
- Home and office PCs that cannot reach a wired network point
- Streaming, browsing and video calls on a standard broadband connection
- Adding Bluetooth peripherals to a desktop
Specifications
- Wireless standard: IEEE 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5), backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n
- Bands: 2.4GHz and 5GHz (dual band)
- Speed class: AC1200, up to 867Mbps (5GHz) and 300Mbps (2.4GHz)
- Bluetooth: 4.0
- Interface: PCI Express x1, fits x1/x4/x8/x16 slots
- Antennas: 2 x external, detachable
- Bluetooth connection: internal USB 2.0 header cable (included)
- OS support: Windows 7, 8, 10, 11
- Reference model: Fenvi FV-AC1200 / AC1200S
