Gamers always seek better speed and upgrade their equipment from time to time for a better gaming experience.
The same is the case with ethernet cables too, as there are a few different models of ethernet cables; gamers often get confused about the best version.
The CAT 7 ethernet version is one that shook the heads of many people. However, it promises the same speed but with better bandwidth.
So, Is CAT 7 Ethernet Cable Good for Gaming?
CAT 7 Ethernet cables can be good for gaming as it is one of the latest versions and can support maximum speed for your gaming. But gaming doesn’t need a lot of internet speed, so CAT 7 might not be worth the money. Hence, most gamers prefer CAT 6, CAT 6a, or even CAT 5e.
Additionally, you should have the latest high-speed supported hardware to get the best speed because if the hardware like routers and switches don’t support high speed, it can affect bottleneck.
If you also use a NAS server or any other server connected to your computer, it will also be going to speed up data transfer a lot.
Here’s Why CAT 7 Ethernet Is Good For Gaming?
Here are a few advantages of CAT 7 which can help you in gaming.
#More Shielding
CAT 7 Ethernet cables have more shielding than previous versions, which helps eliminate outside electromagnetic interference.
If you have strong power sources, towers, and other interference, then CAT 7 can be a better choice for your gaming, as outside interference impact gaming latency.
Thus, CAT 7 ethernet is mostly used by data centers, workstations, factories, and others, but it is not that popular in houses. People skip shielded cables for normal houses; here, you can read more about it.
#More Bandwidth than CAT 6a
Although if you compare CAT 7 with the previous CAT 6a, you’ll find the speed is the same, with CAT 7, you get 100 MHz extra bandwidth [total 600MHz] for more data transmission.
So more bandwidth will definitely help in gaming by transmitting more data at a particular time. Hence, it can improve ping and other vital stuff while gaming.
#Solid Connectors
Metal connectors are better than plastic to make your Internet connection more stable.
CAT 7 and CAT 8 Ethernet cables are built with solid metal connectors, ensuring more stable connectivity than a normal plastic one.
Why Should You Not Use CAT 7 Ethernet for Gaming?
You heard the benefits; now it is time to read the drawbacks, as there are so many drawbacks of CAT 7 ethernet cables. They are;
#It Overkills
First and foremost, for gaming, you don’t need too much speed and bandwidth; gaming needs good GPU, CPU, and other stuff.
According to Xfinity, 3mbps is enough for most video gaming, but to reduce the ping and maintain a good latency, anything above 25mbps is good for online gaming.
For that reason, CAT 5e, CAT6, or CAT6A is well enough for gaming. I also asked gamers in a community, and according to 90% of users, CAT 7 and CAT 8 are overkill for stuff like internet surfing, watching movies, gaming, and streaming.
However, CAT 7 is good for factories, data centers, and near high EMI areas.
#Not a Certified Standard
IEEE standardized Ethernet cables. Since the 1980s, Ethernet cables have been under IEEE 802.3 standards.
But believe it or not, CAT 7 ethernet cables are not included in their IEEE 802.3 standards. Expert says the manufacturers modified the CAT 6 or CAT 6a ethernet with more shield and metal connectors, and then they are marketing and promoting it.
IEEE has standardized CAT 8 after the successor of CAT 6 and CAT 6a.
#Rigid Cable
The CAT 7 and CAT 8 cables are much stiffer or more rigid than CAT 5 or CAT because of more shielding.
So, running a CAT 7 ethernet cable will not be an easy installation task because you have to be careful with bends, terminations, and other stuff.
You have to be calm and careful because of the cable’s stiffness.
#Expensive
Last but not least, CAT 7 ethernet cables are more expensive than CAT 5 and CAT 6. It costs more due to more shielding, connectors, and other stuff.
Thus, it can impact your budget too. Rather it would be wise to spend some extra bucks on new-gen switches and routers.
So, Which Ethernet Category Is Best for Gaming?
If you visit online shopping like amazon or others and search for CAT 7 ethernet, you can notice only a few brands offering CAT 7 cables. Most of them are not as recognized as they should be.
I love the brands Truecable and Monoprice, and I have not seen any CAT 7 ethernet from them on Amazon and also on their official website. You can read more about the ethernet brands here.
Thus, looking at all those points, you can easily determine CAT 7 Ethernet cables will not be the right choice for gaming, although they can serve a few extra advantages that might not be worth the money.
Instead, it would be much better to use CAT 6a, which can make your setup futureproof as it can do 10 gigs. Gamers also prefer to go even with CAT 5e.
Lastly, people who tried CAT 7 feel that it is the same as CAT 6a. So you can try CAT 7 on your own if the budget is not an issue or go with CAT 6a.
People have also said that CAT 7 has only a 3-4% increment compared to CAT 6a but not in every case; for most cases, the speed is same.
