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Resolved Question

Intel AC 3165 vs Intel 8260 for laptops: What's the diff?

Sep 5, 2017 1:34AM PDT

Hi all, not sure if here's the right place to ask about laptop wifi components but here goes. Currently customising a laptop but have no clue what exactly is the diff between the intel 3165 and the 8260 for the wifi component.

The latter(8260) is only about 15 bucks more, but im not sure i need it? I live in a huge house where signals tend to get weak(in fact my room itself sadly is almost a wifi blackhole), so does the 8260 promise better wifi speeds? Pardon my layman explanation lol.

KEY LAYMAN QUESTION: Does the higher price point of the intel 8260 equate to HIGHER WIFI SPEEDS in my laptop?

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MackbookPro has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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Depends on your router and ISP connection.
Sep 5, 2017 9:36AM PDT

Even the lower speed one gets you up to 433 Mbps but I've yet to find many homes that come close to that. The coverage issue is never solved by changing this part. We improve the home wifi with things like I add at the end of this post.

https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/52k0lq/difference_for_dual_band_wireless_3165_or_2x2_8260/ has specs and similar answer.

If this was my home I'd place the router in the central location around where I use it most. For other areas I might deploy this unit. It's really good.

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Thanks!
Sep 5, 2017 6:43PM PDT

Great reply. Thanks for the information! Will definitely check it out =) Yeah i agree it goes beyond my wifi component. Was wondering then whether in a normal circumstance such an upgrade would be justified? Because i'm confused by the MAX speed spec and the difference in a 1x1 and 2x2. Since a 2x2 warrants faster data transfer and has a higher threshold, is it accurate to say that the 8260 on average boasts a faster wifi speed? I read something bout being able to utilise the 5GHZ band which a 3165 can't do

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Both looked to have 5GHz and 802.11ac
Sep 5, 2017 6:51PM PDT

But the top speed is limited by the router and your internet connection. Also, it does drop as you move away from the router. At some point the link speed from your laptop (?) to the router drops below your internet speed and that's when you finally feel it.

So, unless you are one of the rare folk above say 250 megabit internet speeds, I doubt you could tell which was better.