My boyfriend has a prebuilt CyberPowerPC that has always had unreliable Wi‑Fi. We installed an Intel Wi‑Fi 6E AX210 PCIe adapter, and it now gets the expected speeds—around 1200+ Mbps compared with the old adapter's 40–100 Mbps. However, the original Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC still causes connection problems whenever Windows starts.
Disabling it in Device Manager does not help, and we could not find an option in the Gigabyte BIOS to disable it. Uninstalling the Realtek drivers fixes the problem temporarily, but Windows reinstalls them after every restart. The old adapter appears to be built into or mounted on the motherboard, so we are unsure whether it can be removed. What is the best permanent way to disable or remove it?
3 Answers
If the Realtek device is listed as a PCIe adapter, it may not be soldered directly to the motherboard. Prebuilt systems often use a small Wi‑Fi module or an M.2-to-PCIe adapter hidden behind a bracket or shield. Look at the rear expansion slots and inside the case for a small card with antenna wires attached. Disconnect the PC from power before removing it, and have a technician do it if you are not comfortable working inside the case.
You can also try preventing Windows from automatically installing that device’s driver through Windows device-installation settings or Group Policy, then uninstall the Realtek device and scan for hardware changes. However, this is more of a workaround. Since removing the Realtek hardware appears to solve the problem permanently, that is preferable if the card or module is accessible.
Check the BIOS’s advanced and peripheral settings carefully. Gigabyte sometimes hides onboard Wi‑Fi controls several menus deep, so the option may not be visible on the main page. If there is no setting for the Realtek adapter, removing or disconnecting its hardware is the most reliable solution.
I looked through the additional BIOS menus but still couldn’t find a setting for it. Physically removing the adapter may be the next step.
The new adapter is consistently much faster, and removing the old driver completely stops the connection problems, so this seems to be an adapter-selection conflict rather than a general wireless or signal issue.