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Forum Discussion
Daniellemorriss
Apr 02, 2025Follower
Is Upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 Worth It for AI-Powered Laptops with High-Bandwidth Needs?
Hey everyone!
I’ve been working on a variety of demanding tasks, including machine learning, cloud computing, and 4K video editing, which require a fast and stable internet connection for smooth performance. While my current setup works well most of the time, I’ve noticed occasional slowdowns, especially when transferring large datasets or running AI-driven applications in the cloud. Since I recently got an AI-powered laptop, I want to make sure I’m getting the best possible network performance to fully utilize its capabilities. This has me wondering whether upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 would provide a significant improvement in speed, lower latency, and overall efficiency, or if Wi-Fi 6E is still good enough to handle these high-bandwidth tasks.
- From what I’ve read, Wi-Fi 7 offers:
Higher speeds (theoretical speeds up to 46 Gbps!)
Lower latency (better for real-time AI tasks, gaming, and streaming)
More bandwidth (better for multi-device setups)
Improved efficiency (handles congestion better in busy networks)
Right now, I have a Wi-Fi 6E router, and while it works fine most of the time, I do experience occasional slowdowns when transferring large datasets or running cloud-based AI workloads. Would a Netgear Wi-Fi 7 router make a noticeable difference in performance, or is it still too early to upgrade?
Has anyone here upgraded to Wi-Fi 7, especially for AI-heavy tasks? If so, do you notice an improvement in speed, reliability, or latency? Would you recommend upgrading now, or waiting until more devices support it?
Looking forward to your thoughts!
4 Replies
- michaelkenwardGuru - Experienced User
Does your new wifi device support WiFi 7? Few do.
Disclaimer: Just another user with time on their hands.
- plemansGuru - Experienced User
I've used the 6E routers/mesh systems and the BE systems. I haven't seen much (if any) improvement for speeds/latency so far. Before investing in bigger/better systems, I'd invest in hardwiring in your laptop. If it doesn't have an ethernet port, a solid dock works well. I hardwired in my work laptop with a dock for better speeds/latency.
- michaelkenwardGuru - Experienced User
Wired bears wireless on all counts.
As an alternative to the dock, how about a USB > Ethernet adapter>?
I have a three-port USB with an Ethernet port.
There are dozens of variants out there.
Disclaimer: Just another user with time on their hands.
- plemansGuru - Experienced User
I've got a usb-c to 2.5gig ethernet adapter too for my laptop.
the dock is just nice because I have it connected to my KVM so I can swap between work laptop/home desktop with the push of a button. Makes it nice when you're running 3x 30 monitors between them 🙂