ASUS AX58BT Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 Dual Band PCIe Adapter Review

TweakTown's Rating: 90%

The Bottom Line

The AX58BT is a fantastic upgrade for any PC, we just hope it paves the way for 4x4 client adapters.

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ASUS has been a leader in consumer networking platforms for the last few generations, and moving into Wi-Fi 6, they intend to push that further. While Rivet was first to market with a Client Wi-Fi 6 solution for Notebooks, Motherboards, and Mini PCs, ASUS is looking at users upgrading their home network wanting a desktop PCIe solution.

The AX58BT is the next evolution of the ASUS PCIe AIC lineup. This solution features a 2x2 radio offering 600Mbps connectivity for the 2.4GHZ band and 2.4Gbps for the 5GHz band. It fully supports Wi-Fi 6, WPA3 Security, 160MHz channels, and is powered by the Intel AX200 chipset. Bluetooth 5.0 is also included with the AX58BT via internal USB connection.

MSRP of the ASUS AX58BT comes in at $69.99 with a one-year warranty.

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Packaging for the 58BT is rather simple, with an image of the adapter to the right and features to the left.

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The back goes into more detail with even more features listed, including WPA3 security, BT5.0 among others.

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The scope of delivery includes the antennas, base, and Wi-Fi 6 adapter. Additionally, we have a half-height plate and the USB cable for BT 5.0 connection.

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The antenna base allows you to extend your setup out into open air for better signal quality while also allowing for direct connection of the antennas if you choose not to use the base.

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The PCIe plate of the AX58BT offers two antenna connections.

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On the flip side, we have an x1 interface for PCIe connection and flat connection for USB.

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As mentioned in the opening words, the AX58BT uses the Intel AX200 chipset and takes advantage of a custom PCB for installing m.2 E+A key devices.

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The testing of each of these adapters was completed on the TP-Link Archer AX6000. This gave us the most amount of control over what band was being tested in our real-world environment. For the AX58BT, we were able to reach 202Mbps on the 20MHz band and 330Mbps with 40MHz.

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Using the same test setup, I moved over to 5GHz and started with 80MHz. The ASUS brought in 822Mbps, a touch more than the Killer. With 160MHz, both adapters tested were held back by the single gigabit wired connection of the router. That said, the AX58BT reached 945Mbps.

The AX58BT is a fantastic solution for those looking to take immediate advantage of their recent router upgrade to Wi-Fi 6. Build quality follows what you have become accustomed to with the PCE lineup from ASUS with a custom PCB and heatsinked design. The included antenna kit offers multiple options for users that may store their chassis away in a cabinet and need that extension for better Wi-Fi reception while retaining the ability to attach the antennas to the AX58BT directly. Bluetooth 5.0 setup is simple, and while it requires the use of the internal USB header, it can be kept tidy for custom builds.

Performance of the AX58BT was on par and in most cases, slightly better than the AX1650, but still within that 10% give or take window. 2.4GHz performance reached a top performance of 330Mbps using the 40MHz band, while 945Mbps was the top mark due to router constraints in 5GHz.

As for pricing, ASUS has this unit setup quite nice as a package for $69.99. As for competition, GIGABYTE just released its GC-WBAX200 at $39.99, albeit with cheaper antennas.

Tyler's Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS Crosshair VIII Formula X570 (buy from Amazon)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (buy from Amazon)
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16GB 2x8GB DDR4 3600 (buy from Amazon)
• Cooler: Corsair H110 Platinum (buy from Amazon)
• Case: Corsair Obsidian 500D (buy from Amazon)
• OS Storage: Corsair MP600 1TB (buy from Amazon)
• Power Supply: Corsair RM850x (buy from Amazon)
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 (buy from Amazon)