ASUS PCE-AC88 Dual-Band WiFi Adapter Review

ASUS PCE-AC88 is a truly remarkable WiFi adapter. Why? If you have a wireless router that supports quad-stream 802.11ac wireless networking, so far, the only way to take advantage of that extra speed and seeing its full capacity and performance has been via the purchase of a second router, using it in bridge mode, with it functioning like a massive wireless adapter. You then connect wired devices to it, relying on the link between the two routers for data transfer.

So why do I need this adapter?

The launch of the ASUS PCE-AC88, a PCI card for desktop PCs, marks the first standalone 802.11ac adapter that supports 4×4 wireless speeds. The PCE-AC88 is top of the line when it comes to Wireless NICs. This solution features a dual-band 4×4 design that is capable of 1Gbps over the 2.4GHz band and 2.1Gbps on the 5GHz band due to technology such as NitroQAM. Also, this solution does support MU-MIMO (our lately tested ASUS Lyra also supports) and carries a flexible antenna design that allows for customized placement of the four Wi-Fi antennas. Compatibility sticks with Windows 7 and 10 in both 32 and 64-bit variants.

Tested with ASUS Lyra host @ a 1Gbps Down / 200 Mbps Up ISP.

With a simple red half-length PCI card, four antennas and a replacement IO plate for use in the smallest mini ITX cases, there’s not a great deal to talk about with the physical design of the ASUS PCE-AC88.

Flexible antenna placement

ASUS PCE-AC88 includes extension cables for its detachable antennas, plus a magnetized antenna base that can be attached to any suitable surface – horizontal or vertical. This makes it incredibly easy to find the best antenna location for optimum signal quality.

There’s not a great amount more to say on the matter. Asus has created the fastest 802.11ac adapter by a huge margin.

ASUS PCE-AC88 UNBOXING Video

The product can be purchased here: