What Type of Ethernet Cable is Best for Gaming?
As a gamer, smooth, lag-free gameplay is my top priority. I need to know what Ethernet cable will reliably handle my internet speeds to prevent warping or disconnects while I’m battling other players online. The short answer is – choose a Category 6 or 6a shielded cable to sync your bandwidth needs for fast, interrupt-free gaming under 100Mbps internet plans. Better shielding safeguards the signal too.
Now let me break down the details so you pick the right cord to immediately step up your setup’s performance. I’ve tested tons of cables and want to skip that hassle so you spend less time troubleshooting and more time dominating matches with your upgraded wired connectivity…
Types of Ethernet Cable Available in the Market
Before deciding on an Ethernet cable, it helps to understand the different types available and what categories they fall under. The most common options are:
Category 5e
Category 5e cables can support faster Gigabit Ethernet networks and bandwidths up to 100MHz. They are also backward compatible with Category 5 cables. It can still respectable internet speeds up to 1Gbps, perfect for handling anything from web browsing to streaming shows in HD
Category 6
These cables transmit data up to 250MHz and are faster than Category 5e, making them well-suited for Gigabit networks. Provides better noise immunity over longer distances.
Category 6a
Supports bandwidths of 500MHz and can handle 10 Gigabit networks. Ideal for fast data transfers and high network traffic. Backward compatible with Category 6 and 5e.
Category 7
Currently, the highest Ethernet cable category supports extreme speeds of 600MHz. Overkill for most home uses but allows 10+ Gigabit speeds.
Category 8
The latest Ethernet standard supports astronomical speeds of 2,000MHz. Primarily used in data centers and storage networks needing ultra fast 25/40 Gigabit transfers over short distances.
As you can see, higher category numbers generally indicate cables that can handle more bandwidth and faster Gigabit speeds. The scale goes: Cat 5e < Cat 6 < Cat 6a < Cat 7 < Cat 8. However, higher bandwidth cables also come at a premium cost.
| Category | Speed | Frequency | Range |
| Cat 5e | 1 Gbps | 100 MHz | 100 m/328 ft. |
| Cat 6 | 1 Gbps | 250 MHz | 100 m/328 ft. |
| 10 Gbps | 37 m/122 ft | ||
| Cat 6a | 10 Gbps | 500 MHz | 100 m/328 ft. |
| Cat 7 | 10 Gbps | 600 MHz | 100 m/328 ft. |
Cat 8.1 | 25 Gbps | 2000 MHz | 30 m (98 ft.) |
| Cat 8.2 | 40 Gbps |
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Which Category of Ethernet Cable is Best for Gaming?
When choosing an Ethernet cable for gaming, you don’t necessarily need the highest category cable available today. That’s because extremely fast multi-gigabit internet packages are still relatively uncommon for home use. What matters most is picking an Ethernet cable category properly matched to your internet speeds.
Ideal Internet Speed for Seamless Gaming
When it comes to internet packages for gaming, faster speeds and more bandwidth are always welcome to enable stutter-free, high definition performance.
- Nintendo Switch: Needs only a minimum of 3Mbps download and 1Mbps upload for smooth online multiplayer in games like Mario Kart, Splatoon, and Super Smash Bros even with 8 players.
- Xbox: Requires around 3Mbps download and 0.5Mbps upload to handle fast-paced multiplayer gaming and voice chat. Peak speeds of 8-10Mbps or above improve bandwidth for stutter-free HD game streaming.
- PlayStation: Can easily support online gameplay for most titles at just 2Mbps download and 2Mbps upload speeds. Faster 25Mbps+ connections mainly benefit game and media downloads/streaming.
- Steam: Functions fine for basic online play at 5Mbps download and 3Mbps upload rates. At least 50Mbps speeds help accelerate digital game downloads from Steam’s servers.
For online competitive gaming, an internet download speed of only 100 Mbps is typically sufficient when hardwired over Ethernet. This allows low latency for real-time combat and fast loading while streaming game assets. Faster speeds above 25 Mbps provide headroom and are great if available, but not critical.
Given this reasonable speed range suitable for gaming, Category 6 and 6a cables offer more than enough headroom at 100Mbps, 250Mbps, and 500Mbps respectively. Unless you have Gigabit or multi-Gig internet, choosing these mid-range cables over higher speed Category 7 and 8 likely makes the most economic sense.
What to Look for While Buying Ethernet Cable for Gaming
When choosing the best Ethernet cable for your specific gaming setup, there are a few key factors to consider beyond just the category type, including:
The Cable is Shielded or Not
Shielded Ethernet cables have protective foil and/or braided metal surrounding the internal wire pairs. This prevents electromagnetic interference for better speed and signal quality. Unshielded cables lack that outer shielding but are more flexible and cheaper.
For gaming, shielded Ethernet cables are recommended because they safeguard against potential packet loss and latency spikes over long distances. This translates to less warping, disconnects, and interrupted gameplay. The shielding also keeps your network traffic safer from interception.
What’s the Core Inside – Solid or Stranded
Ethernet cable cores contain either solid or thin stranded copper wires inside. Solid core wires provide maximum throughput but stranded cores with tinier gauge wires are more flexible and suited for frequent bending or movement.
Solid core Ethernet cables make the most sense for stationary gaming setups and consoles. The slight speed edge and reduced network overhead help lower gaming latency. Just take care not to kink or excessively bend solid cables to prevent internal shorts.
If you frequently pack up your VR gaming rig for events or LAN parties, stranded “patch” Ethernet cables combine portability and performance. Just be sure to purchase thick, high-quality stranded cables suited for either Cat5e or Cat6.
Selecting the right Ethernet cable leads to lower latency, faster downloads, and minimal interruptions during intense gaming sessions. Evaluating the above criteria helps narrow down the perfect cable to fit your budget and gaming needs.
Wrapping Up
After getting the right Ethernet cable matched to your internet speeds, you can finally help that noob teammate carry his weight without dropping to the desktop. No more raging mid-headshot or strategizing big plays on a jittery connection. Now you’ll laugh instead of screaming when the defeat screen loads yet somehow you placed first. Enjoy silky gameplay and know I’m always here to provide fellow gamers advice for maximizing every bit of hardware.
Just finished a winning streak thanks to your pro Ethernet cable tips! Have any other tricks to reduce lag that I should try next? Hit me up in the comments!
