Can I replace the WiFi card in my Lenovo LOQ 16"?

You can get a USB WiFi adapter for about $10. I got one on Amazon called Cudy AC650.

Lenovo sometimes whitelists, so you’ll only know by trying it. Hardware-wise, AX200, AX210, or BE200 should work.

Just a heads-up: Lenovo, Dell, HP, and ASUS sometimes only allow specific WiFi cards. I’ve had laptops that wouldn’t boot with a different card, even though it worked fine initially.

Yes, it’s possible. Just note that your card has two antennas, so a newer card may have limited reception.

It’s simple—just get it, connect the antenna cables, and plug in an Ethernet cable to update drivers.

Definitely doable. By the way, how much are you paying for the WiFi card?

Lex said:
Definitely doable. By the way, how much are you paying for the WiFi card?

Got it for €17.39 on Amazon.

Aside from driver issues, the card shouldn’t cause major problems on its own. Hardwiring or upgrading WiFi gear could help.

Palmer said:
Aside from driver issues, the card shouldn’t cause major problems on its own. Hardwiring or upgrading WiFi gear could help.

The MediaTek card, especially this model, has documented issues with packet loss and lag in games.

Not sure about WiFi card replacement, but using an Ethernet cable could help with connection stability.

Reagan said:
Not sure about WiFi card replacement, but using an Ethernet cable could help with connection stability.

Unfortunately, I can’t always use a cable in my setup.

Zenith said:

Reagan said:
Not sure about WiFi card replacement, but using an Ethernet cable could help with connection stability.

Unfortunately, I can’t always use a cable in my setup.

Got it, didn’t realize that. My bad.

Why are you doing this yourself? Just get it done under warranty.

Tobi said:
Why are you doing this yourself? Just get it done under warranty.

Chill out, man. This issue with the component is well-known.

Swapping it myself is easier than going through the whole warranty process.

@Zenith
Sorry, didn’t mean to be rude :pensive: Just thought it might void the warranty if you replace parts yourself.

Tobi said:
@Zenith
Sorry, didn’t mean to be rude :pensive: Just thought it might void the warranty if you replace parts yourself.

They can’t void the warranty in some places. Worst case, you put the old card back before sending it for repair.

@Finnley
But doesn’t replacing it require soldering?

In my country, messing with the internals voids the warranty.

Tobi said:
@Finnley
But doesn’t replacing it require soldering?

In my country, messing with the internals voids the warranty.

No soldering involved—just plug in the antennas.

I’ve replaced WiFi cards in laptops and desktops without any problems.

@Finnley
Makes sense. But yeah, in some countries, they do check if internal stickers are tampered with.

Tobi said:
@Finnley
Makes sense. But yeah, in some countries, they do check if internal stickers are tampered with.

In the US, it’s illegal to void the warranty for this.