I decided it’s time to upgrade my 2011 MacBook. I’m looking at the 14” M1 or M2. Either of these are more than enough computer for my use. My only concern is WI-FI 6E a deal breaker? I do not have a 6E router and probably will not for quite some time.
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WI-FI 6 vs WI-FI 6E
- Thread starter Nasus
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JPack
macrumors P6
Realistically, Wi-Fi 6 will provide 500Mbps to 1Gbps which should be enough for most users. By the time the Wi-Fi is deemed too slow, other parts of the computer are already really obsolete.
oneMadRssn
macrumors 603
This probably has more to do with the number of concurrent streams and MU-MIMO, than the 6 vs 6E.
The newest Macbooks support 2x2 MU-MIMO. Does the card in your gaming desktop support 2x2 MU-MIMO? Many wifi controllers built-in to the mobo are pretty low-end and don't support multiple streams.
It would also be channel width - the Macbooks I believe support up to 160mhz channel width, whereas low-end cards might only support up to 40 or 80mhz.
JPack
macrumors P6
Indeed, streams, antenna design, chipset, or interference from other components inside the desktop computer.
dmccloud
macrumors 68040
The desktop does support 2x2 MU-MIMO - it is a custom-built gaming PC with a gaming-class motherboard. So the only real difference is WiFi 6 vs. 6E on the computer being used at any given moment.
ilikewhey
macrumors 68040
i don't think the wifi 6e is the deal breaker, if anything, wifi 7 is already out so the whole wifi 6e is already outdated, plus the denser the radiowave transmission, the less walls it penetrates, therefore to achieve max bandwidth, you have to have little to zero obstruction between the laptop and the router.
the real question you should be asking is how long of battery life you want, both m1 and m2 will have significant better battery than your current, but the m2 pro's more efficiency core means you can get couple more hours than m1 pro
dmccloud
macrumors 68040
WiFi 7 will take a while to reach any measurable market saturation, and it will be more expensive for at least the first year. If anything, this will drop the price of 6E routers and make them more affordable.
ilikewhey
macrumors 68040
ofcourse, hell even wifi 6 barely has a footing compare to wifi 5, ac and lower, i'm still using 2.4ghz even though i have a wifi 6 router because its more reliable.
MBP 14" does not come in M1 or M2.
MBA 13" comes in M1 & M2.
MBA 15" comes in M2 only.
I noticed you kept your 2011 Macbook for a dozen years.
It is expected that the final Security Update for M1 will be by 2020 while M2 by 2022.
WiFi 6E vs 6 materially does not matter unless you push it to the limits.
Do you expect to connect to a wifi network with Internet that fast or connect to other computers in your home/workplace that fast?
xraydoc
Contributor
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. Unless you've got >1GB/sec internet service to your house, 6E won't help. And even if you do, you'll only get improved speeds with a 6E network in short distances from the router. Any further, and you'll be right back to wifi 6 speeds (or less).
Apple_Robert
Contributor
If you do a lot of streaming from Apple TV or a NAS, especially with multiple people, 1GB internet can make the difference.
Apple_Robert
Contributor
Don’t waste hard earned coins on overpriced 6E kit. 7 kit is already in the works.
dmccloud
macrumors 68040
I have a WiFi 6 router, and my computers are around 30-40 feet from the router in a different room entirely. My gaming desktop with WiFi 6 pulls around 600 Mbps, but my 14" MBP with 6E pulls 900-1050 Mbps from the same spot. So you should be fine with a WiFi 6 router instead of 6e
sounds like my MacBook Pro on 6e would be much faster than my current eero pro 6 (not e)
What is kit? The car from night rider tv show?
Not worth bothering. It’s basically a tech sheet difference like Bluetooth 5.0 vs. 5.3, something we get excited about on MacRumors but virtually impossible to notice in real life.
DHagan4755
macrumors 68020
6E is probably slightly worse than 6 in that regard since the higher the frequency the less penetrative it is. All Wi-Fi signals work best with line of sight (i.e. no obstructions).