Does HP EliteBook 840 G3 support Intel AX210 Wi-Fi Card?

[Ashrafulh]

Hello,
I have an HP EliteBook 840 G3 laptop with an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 Wi-Fi card. I want to upgrade it to an Intel AX210 Wi-Fi 6E card.

My questions are:

1. Does my laptop support this upgrade?

2. Does the BIOS have a whitelist that restricts third-party Wi-Fi cards?

3. If AX210 is not supported, which Wi-Fi 6 (AX) card is compatible?

Thank you in advance for your help!

[NonSequitur777]

@Ashrafulh,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

Your HP EliteBook 840 G3 originally shipped with an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260, which is a PCIe-based M.2 2230/1216 Wi-Fi card. Regarding your questions:

1. Does my laptop support the Intel AX210 Wi-Fi 6E card?

• Physical Compatibility: Yes, the AX210 is an M.2 2230 card, the same form factor as your current Intel 8260.
• Interface Compatibility: The AX210 uses CNVi (Intel Connectivity Integration), which requires a motherboard with CNVi support. The EliteBook 840 G3 has an older Intel chipset that does not support CNVi-based modules properly.
• Driver/BIOS Compatibility: Even if the card physically fits, your BIOS may not recognize the AX210, or it may fail to work due to driver limitations.

Verdict: The AX210 is unlikely to work properly in your laptop.

 

2. Does the BIOS have a whitelist that restricts third-party Wi-Fi cards?

• HP business-class laptops historically had BIOS whitelists restricting non-HP-certified Wi-Fi cards. However, the EliteBook 840 G3 is a mid-2010s model, and HP had started phasing out strict whitelists around this time.
• Conclusion: A third-party Wi-Fi card may work, but there’s no official guarantee. Some users have had success with non-HP Wi-Fi cards, but it depends on the BIOS version.

 

3. If AX210 is not supported, which Wi-Fi 6 (AX) card is compatible?

• Recommended Upgrade: The best alternative would be the Intel AX200 (Wi-Fi 6, not 6E). It supports both PCIe and USB modes and doesn’t require CNVi support.
• The AX200 has a much higher success rate in older HP laptops and should work as long as your BIOS does not block it.
• Ensure you get an AX200 with the standard M.2 2230 key (not the vPro variant, which may not be fully supported).

 

Additional Considerations:

• BIOS Update: If you're running an outdated BIOS, updating it might help with compatibility.
• Drivers: Make sure to install the latest Intel Wi-Fi drivers from Intel’s website after installing the new card.
• Antenna Support: The AX210 and AX200 both support 2x2 MIMO like your current 8260, so your existing antennas should work fine.

 

Final Recommendation:

If you want Wi-Fi 6, the Intel AX200 is the safer choice. The AX210 (Wi-Fi 6E) is unlikely to work due to CNVi limitations.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, @Ashrafulh 

The Intel AX210 is not a CNVi card and would have just as good a chance of working as the AX200.

It's the AX211 that is a CNVi card.

This link has the list of Intel CNVi cards that would not work in your notebook:

What Are the Intel® Integrated Connectivity (CNVi) and Companion RF...

Suggested HP part numbers.

AX210:

Intel AX210 Wi-Fi 6E 2x2 AX + Bluetooth 5.2 M.2 2230 non-vPro   HP part # / SPS # M27269-005

AX200:

Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 ax 2×2 + Bluetooth 5.0 MU-MIMO M.2 2230 non-vPro   HP part # L35282-005.

[NonSequitur777 · Accepted solution]

@Paul_Tikkanen,

Thank you for the clarification! You’re absolutely right—the AX210 is not a CNVi card, and it's the AX211 that requires CNVi support. I appreciate the correction.

That said, while the AX210 has a better chance of working than I initially suggested, HP business-class laptops sometimes have BIOS-level restrictions on non-certified Wi-Fi cards. Since HP doesn’t officially list the AX210 as an option for the EliteBook 840 G3, there's still a possibility of incompatibility, though some users have successfully installed non-HP Wi-Fi cards.

For the safest upgrade path, the Intel AX200 remains a strong recommendation, as it has a proven track record of working in older HP laptops. However, users willing to experiment could try the AX210, ensuring they have the latest BIOS and drivers installed.

You see, upon reviewing the HP EliteBook 840 G3 Maintenance and Service Guide, the officially supported WLAN modules for this model are:

• Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
• Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
• Broadcom BCM943228Z 802.11n 2x2

The Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 is not listed among the supported WLAN modules in this guide, indicating that HP has not officially validated or certified this card for use in the EliteBook 840 G3. Hence, my POV is that installing a non-listed WLAN module may result in compatibility issues or limited functionality. For optimal performance and support, it's recommended to use WLAN modules specified in the official HP documentation.

Thanks again for the input -I always appreciate learning and refining recommendations!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Here's a discussion where someone installed an AX200 in the 850 G2 (previous model to the G3. 

The 850 G2 has the 15.6" display.

HP 850 G2 I am looking to upgrade the wifi card to best I can AX if poss...? : r/Hewlett_Packard

So, that would seem to confirm that the AX200 would work just fine in the 840 G3.

I still believe that the AX210 would work as well.