Intel BE200 Wi-Fi 7 chips are in short supply
Intel’s 14th generation Core processor (Raptor Lake Refresh) is set for imminent release, and numerous motherboard manufacturers have consequently launched their new Z790 boards. These not only optimize power delivery for the latest processors and support swifter DDR5 memory but also introduce novel features like Wi-Fi 7 wireless connectivity.
Though the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has yet to formally endorse the Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) standard, industry behemoths like Intel, well-versed in Wi-Fi chipset manufacturing, have already presented fitting solutions. The recent buzz among the online community suggests that Intel’s BE200 Wi-Fi 7 chip is in high demand, with delivery cycles extended from an initial 6 weeks to a formidable 12 weeks. This offers a plausible explanation for the surge in new Z790 motherboards resorting to Qualcomm or MediaTek’s Wi-Fi 7 chips.
For instance, the soon-to-be-released Gigabyte Aorus Z790 Master X has various versions, each employing different Wi-Fi 7 chips: Intel’s BE200 (PCB rev. 1.2), MediaTek’s MT7927 / RZ738 (PCB rev. 1.1), and Qualcomm’s QCNCM865 (PCB rev. 1.0). This stratagem ensures product availability, highlighting the current strain on Wi-Fi 7 chip supply. For users keen on fully leveraging the speed enhancements ushered in by Wi-Fi 7, routers/access points compliant with the Wi-Fi 7 standard are requisite.
Building upon the Wi-Fi 6E foundation, Wi-Fi 7 introduces advancements such as a 320MHz bandwidth, 4096-QAM modulation, Multi-RU, multi-link operations, augmented MU-MIMO, and multi-AP collaboration (commonly known as MESH networking). These innovations empower Wi-Fi 7 with an edge over Wi-Fi 6E, delivering heightened data transmission velocities and diminished latency. Wi-Fi 7 boasts a staggering maximum aggregate bitrate of 40 Gbit/s, adeptly accommodating a multitude of applications—ranging from high-bitrate 4K/8K videos and VR/AR endeavors to remote work, video conferencing, and diverse cloud computing scenarios.
