mini PCI-e slot for WiFi

[Ryan Klug]

Where on my motherboard to I plug in a mini PCI express WiFi chip? I have the ASRock Z87M Formula OC motherboard.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z87M%20OC%20Formula/?cat=Specifications

I also have an Intel mini PCI-e wifi card. Intel Network 7260.HMWG WiFi Wireless-AC 7260 H/T Dual Band 2x2 AC+Bluetooth HMC
The specifications say there are 4 separate PCI-e ports (2 for graphics cards, 2 for peripherals, pretty obvious where they are), but it also says there is an additional mini PCI-e port and a mini PCI-e / mSATA port.

From the manual, it shows the combined mSATA / mini PCI-e port perpendicular between the PCIE1 and PCIE3 graphics ports. But my motherboard looks like the one on the ASRock page, where there is a chip in this location marked "122601." There is another perpendicular chip marked "122601" up from the PCIE1 slot. Does the wifi card go where these chips are? The manual does not say where the unshared mini PCI-e card goes.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Christian Angelo]

Yes they go there, apparently one is a half mini-PCI Express slot and the other is a mSATA/mini-PCI Express slot. I believe it goes in the half one. Determining which one is which should be in the manual

 

[Onus]

From the pictures at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157393 it looks like the mini PCIe port is behind the battery, pointing toward the back of the board.
Yes, upon reviewing the pics (and the prior comment), they aren't "chips," but are edge-connectors. The one behind the battery is where the wireless card goes, and the one between the slots is where the mSATA card goes.

 

[Ryan Klug]

I hope I can use that port with my dual slot graphics cards. I won't be able to use the shared (middle) mSATA port if I use dual graphics cards with SLI. Do I need to attach antenna wires for this chip to work? None came with my wifi "package." Thanks!

 

[Onus]

Any mSATA device should lay flat between the slots and not interfere.
You will need to use antennae for the wireless card. I recall looking a while back, and didn't see them on Newegg. Either I didn't search correctly, or it may be a specialty item that a place like Mouser Electronics would have.