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A good Ethernet cable is often the unsung hero of a rig. It isn’t the main feature you’d show off, nor is it one you tend to even notice, but when it stops working perfectly you’ll know all about it. Whether you want to stream shows and movies, dive into the competitive scene of online gaming, or simply make the move from Wi-Fi, a good Ethernet cable is an absolute must.
However, understanding what separates one Ethernet cable from another is easier said than done. It certainly isn’t the most complicated component, but it has enough techno words to make it confusing for someone looking to make a quick purchase. Hence the purpose of this article – to distill Ethernet cables down to their brass tacks, what’s good, what’s bad, and whether they do what they should do well.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | DbillionDa Cat 8 Ethernet Cable
| 9.8 | Check Price |
 | Dacrown Cat 8 Ethernet Cable
| 9.8 | Check Price |
 | CableGeeker Cat 7 150ft Ethernet cable
| 9.6 | Check Price |
 | DanYee Cat7 Ethernet Cable
| 9.5 | Check Price |
 | Ultra Clarity Cables Cat6 Ethernet Cable
| 9.3 | Check Price |
 | Matein Cat6 Ethernet Cable
| 9.3 | Check Price |
 | Mediabridge Cat6/Cat5e Ethernet Cable
| 9.1 | Check Price |
Our criteria for the best Ethernet cable
While we are focusing on the best Ethernet cable for gaming, there isn’t anything special to look for. What makes a good Ethernet cable, in general, will make a good one for gaming too, provided you up the ante a bit. Specifically, the main features we’re looking at are the frequency, shown by its “Cat” value, and durability. A high Cat and high durability make for a high-quality Ethernet cable, one fit for even the most strenuous of online games.
Key features to consider
There are three major points to consider when shopping for Ethernet cables. Two are important indicators of quality, namely the Cat number and durability, while the length is more up to personal preference. Below is a more in depth look at each feature.
Cat number
This is the most important point of consideration for Ethernet cables, as it marks the throughput for each cable. A cable with a higher Cat number is capable of supporting faster speeds, while the reverse is true for lower Cat numbers. A high Cat number isn’t necessarily a make or break factor, however. Ethernet cables can only support what your internet gives them, meaning a high Cat number will do you no good if you have painfully slow internet.
Cable durability
Cable durability can be measured in a couple of ways, the most common of which is the AWG. This refers to the diameter of the cable, with a higher value indicating a smaller diameter. However, a smaller value indicates not only a larger diameter cable, but a lesser degree of resistance. This means they can transmit a signal over a longer distance, in addition to generating less heat. This generally indicates a more durable cable, but that isn’t always a guarantee, as materials are taken into account too. As an example, a 24 AWG cable will likely be longer than a 26 AWG cable, will generate less heat, and will be thicker.
Cable length
Cable length is exactly that, how far the cable can reach. It is generally down to preference, though the longer the length, the weaker the signal at the end. It is recommended to only get as much cable as you need, as wasted cable will mean wasted signal, especially past the 15m mark.
Top 7 Best Ethernet Cables for Gaming
- Heavy duty & Direct Burial: The double shielded Cat8 Ethernet cable is super-efficient in reducing EMI/RFI Interference and provide highest fidelity for long distance data transmission.
- 26AWG & Superior Performanc: Comparing with other 32AWG Ethernet cable, 26AWG Cat8 is thicker, a lot faster and stable in data transferring, which is perfectly suitable for AI smart products.
First up on our list is the DbillionDa Ethernet cable. This cable effortlessly meets our two main criteria, being both durable and offering a high rate of performance, with a good variety of lengths to boot. The cable is Cat8, boasting a solid bandwidth of 2000MHz, alongside speedy data transmission of 40Gbps. Thanks to this, anything you can think to do online, you will be able to do at the fastest speeds imaginable, making it easily one of the best Ethernet cables for gaming. In addition to this, the cable’s durability allows for great cable management. Behind the wall or under the floor is a given, but the DbillionDa cable is perfectly capable of working in the great outdoors, too. If you can find a practical use for that, of course.
Now, there is a big potential downside to this cable. While it offers a speedy connection, you will be bottlenecked by your ISP and your router. If neither of these can match the speed of the cable, then it’s as much of a waste as buying a ten-gallon container and only half filling it. By the same token, it will be a bit of future-proofing, if you intend to upgrade your internet later on.
- Durability
- Solid 2000MHZ Bandwidth
- Limited color options
- Ultra Internet speed: Cat8 precision twisted SFTP ethernet cable operates at a frequency of 2 GHz (2000 MHz), which enables higher bandwidth and requires shielding and is regarded as a new option for emerging 25GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T networks
- Universal Compatibility: Cat8 patch cable is fully backward compatible with all the previous(cat5, cat5e, cat6, cat6a and cat7) RJ45 cabling and equipment.
The Dacrown Ethernet cable occupies the same niche as the previous cable, though with a little more wiggle room. It’s another Cat8 cable, keeping the 2000MHz bandwidth and 40Gbps speed, making it a great call for gaming and streaming. It’s also pretty durable, which is great if you plan on leaving it exposed with pets in the house. It also has options for especially small sizes, going right down to 1.5ft, which could be handy if you’re only in the market for a small extension.
The Dacrown Ethernet cable does suffer from the same drawback as other Cat8 cables. Namely, if you don’t have fast internet, you’ll be sorely disappointed. In this case, you’re better off going for a Cat7 or lower.
- Great value
- Plenty of length options
- Very durable
- Only suitable for fast internet connections
- High Quality: Made of 4 shielded twisted pairs (STP) of copper wire with gold plated contact pins in each RJ45 Connector. This provides great resistance to crosstalk, noise, and interference.
- High Speed: Supports 600MHz high-speed data transfer for server applications, cloud storage, video chatting, high definition video streaming, and gaming. Cat7 cables are the best generation.
Next up is the CableGeeker Cat7 Ethernet Cable. This cable is an excellent choice if you have a good internet setup, but not one that can benefit much from a Cat8 cable. For starters, it’s an incredibly flexible and discreet cable, despite its size, owing to the flat cable design. This is great when linking devices over some distance, it doesn’t offer as much protection as thicker cable protections. How much of an issue this is will depend on your situation. If 150ft is a bit much for you, don’t worry. There are plenty of length and color options, so you’re sure to find something suitable for you.
Discreetness is good, but speed is what matters here. At Cat7, this cable offers a 600MHz frequency and can support speeds of up to 10Gbps, more than fast enough to make it one of the best Ethernet cables for gaming. It is certainly a downgrade from the Cat8 cables, but unless you have a top-of-the-range internet setup, you won’t notice a difference at all.
- Super flexible
- High speed data transfer
- High compatibility
- Limited protection
- Danyee Cat 7 Lan Cable support bandwidth up to 600MHz & transmitting data at speeds of up to 10Gbps
- Special surface braided nylon make the DanYee network cable stronger and elegant ,what's more,it is dirty-proof too
- RJ45 UNIVERSAL CONNECTOR -- RJ45 connectors offer universal connectivity to computers and network components
Going in the complete opposite direction of the discreet design offered by CableGeeker, DanYee takes a much more eye-catching approach with their Cat7 nylon braided Ethernet cable. There are ten lengths available, which is more limiting than a lot of other cables, but still enough of a selection to find something suitable. At Cat7, it has a solid 600MHz frequency and 10 Gbps speed, plus a surprising amount of durability. Rest assured, this DanYee cable is not simply function over form. Probably best to keep it inside though.
- Sleek design
- Durable
- Great value
- Limited to 10 lengths
- Each Cat 6 internet cable goes through rigorous testing to ensure a secure wired internet connection with exceptional speed and reliability
- High performance Cat6 ethernet patch cables are designed with extremely well-matched components for outstanding uniform impedance and very low return loss, providing lower crosstalk, and a higher signal-to-noise ratio.
Ultra Clarity Cables is next up on our list, showing that not only big cats offer some of the best Ethernet cables for gaming. It offers a frequency of 500MHz, while supporting speeds of up to 10 Gbps. This is only a small downgrade in frequency compared to Cat7 cables, while still supporting the same speeds. Needless to say, this is perfectly capable of supporting online gaming while not costing you nearly as much. This cable also comes in a decent variety of sizes, though nothing beyond 50ft. It’s good enough to get most jobs done, but you might need something bigger if you plan on an out-of-the-way installation. That said, this cable is nice and durable, one that you can bend without fear of splitting poor-quality plastic. It’ll be right at home crammed behind your desk, pinched against your ceiling, or wherever else you plan on putting it.
- Various length options
- Great value
- Limited to Cat6
- High Speed & Flexible: Professional gaming ethernet cable designed for gamers, transmit data at speeds up to 250 MHz/1Gbps, high-speed data transfer for online gaming and online high definition video streaming, server applications, cloud computing, video surveillance, long ethernet cable 100 feet provides smooth web surfing
- Flat Designed & Extra Long: Flat cable shape make the cat6 ethernet cable 100ft run along walls, corners easily and seamlessly. Can't even feel or see the cable run under a rug or carpet. Ultra-long design, convenient to link router or WiFi device and modem at home and office, do not worry about the length limit.
If you need a good quality Cat6 Ethernet cable with a bit more length, Matein has you covered. It comes at a handy 100ft length, which should be more than enough to hook up pretty much anything, anywhere you need. It has a sleek and flat design, which makes it perfect for covering a large distance without being an intrusion, neatly fitting under carpets, doors, or anywhere else. It’s also compatible with most devices, be that gaming consoles, PCs, or network printers, if that’s something you need.
Its speed does put it below the alternatives mentioned in this list, however. This Matein cable supports speeds of up to 1 Gbps, with a 250MHz frequency. While this is decent, it will be noticeably limiting for people with high-speed internet, presenting quite a bottleneck indeed. For lower speeds, however, this is an excellent cable to eke out a bit more performance, which could mean a lot in online gaming.
- High Speed & Flexible
- Flat Designed & Extra Long
- Compatibility & Higher Bandwidth
- Average performance
- CAT6 / CAT5e: Supports both Cat6 and Cat5e applications. The RJ45 connector used for this cable fits perfectly in both Cat6 and Cat5e ports
- CAPABILITY: Mediabridge Cat 6 cables can support up to 10 Gigabits per second (10 times the bandwidth of Cat5e cables). Meets or exceeds Category 6 performance in compliance with the TIA/EIA 568B.2 standard
The Mediabridge Ethernet cable is one of the best Ethernet cables for gaming that occupies Cat5. It has surprising capabilities, supporting speeds of up to 10 Gbps, with a frequency of 550MHz. Very solid stuff. It’s reasonably durable, able to bend and take a few knocks without giving up the ghost straight away, though less so than other entries in this list. It is limited in length though, only available at 15ft and 25ft. That’s generally enough to make most connections, but the lack of lengths definitely does not make this cable for everyone.
- Good value
- Solid capabilities
- Pretty durable
- Only available at 15ft & 25ft
Those are seven of what we think are the best Ethernet cables for gaming. Now, there are certainly plenty more high-quality Ethernet cables out there, so if we’ve missed any obvious choices, don’t hesitate to stick up for them in the comments.
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