Quick update: Here is what Google Gemini Pro says about this situation. Sounds plausible..
Why this specific adapter (Ziyituod/Generic) fails on Strix Halo
The adapter you linked (B07X462KRK) is a “passive” pass-through. It connects the pins from the M.2 card directly to the PCIe slot.
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Old Behavior: Older adapters assume the motherboard provides a clock signal 100% of the time (Free Running Clock). They often leave the
CLKREQ#pin on the M.2 card disconnected or floating. -
New Behavior (Strix Halo): The Strix Halo is a mobile-derived platform. It aggressively saves power by turning off the PCIe clock to a slot unless the device explicitly pulls the
CLKREQ#pin low to request it. -
The Mismatch: Your AX210 is screaming “Turn on the clock!” (pulling the pin low), but the adapter isn’t passing that signal to the motherboard. The motherboard assumes the slot is empty and cuts the clock. No clock = “Device does not exist.”