Cat5e VS Cat6 Plenum Cable-The Best Gaming Ethernet Cable

Online gaming is a fascinating trend developing among the young generation. Whether you are a casual gamer or a competitive one, no one likes to get interrupted between the games due to connectivity issues. Although they invest a lot in equipping themselves with high-tech PCs, the best gaming consoles, and installing high-resolution graphic cards in their systems it is not enough. A high-performance Ethernet cable is also one of their basic needs such as Cat5e or Cat6 plenum cable.

Now, the point is which Ethernet cable fulfills their needs efficiently? There are several different options available in the market in this regard. The selection of the right one is the main concern. The right cable with the right specifications should be your preference.

Wi-Fi networks are perfect to play online games but they have their issues. Your placement should be accurate according to your router to get uninterrupted connectivity on Wi-Fi networks. Otherwise, many factors can interrupt your Wi-Fi connections such as walls, furniture, your distance from the router. All these factors can impact negatively your online gaming experience.

On the other hand, using a cable network that is designed using high-efficiency Ethernet cables will give you a fantastic experience of online gaming. You will not face any connectivity issues until your internet service provider has some issues in their service.

All Ethernet cables are not equal. They come with different specifications and features. It depends on your needs and requirements that which cable fulfills them appropriately. If you are playing a normal kid game then you may not need a high-tech Ethernet cable. An ordinary cable will fulfill your requirements effectively. On the other hand, if you are playing high graphics adult games then you must need to install an Ethernet cable that provides you lightning-fast speed to upload these graphics.

Normally, it is suggested by the network engineers to always install a high-rank Ethernet cable in your networks. It protects you from future expenses that you may have to bear in the form of maintenance expenses of low-grade cables or on their up-gradation. Once you install a high-rank cable, you remain secure against these expenses and can enjoy uninterrupted connectivity for a better gaming experience.

The Best Options Of Ethernet Cables For Gaming

You will find a wide range of Ethernet cables in the market from which you can choose the one according to your needs and requirements. They come with different data transfer speeds, bandwidths, and structures. Similarly, their manufacturing features also differ from each other in sense of the conductors used in them and the outer jacket types. Some are only different from each other in color and shape.

The most important step is the selection of the right Ethernet cable category. They are categorized according to their types and specifications. The most common ones that are used in the home networks are Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a. Some other category cables are also available in the market like cat5, cat7, and cat8. The word “Cat” in their name stands for “category” and the number represents their different variants.

The round and flat shape of the cables is also a feature to look for while designing a home network. Sometimes, it is not possible to install a round shape wire in homes due to lean spaces. In this scenario, a flat shape wire is a perfect solution to use.

Now, how do you decide which cable is the best for your gaming needs? It is a difficult decision to make. You must understand your requirements first and then select an appropriate Ethernet cable according to them.

The top category cables such as cat7 and cat8 are mostly advisable to be used in high professional areas like in server rooms and others. With that, they come with those connectors that are not found on most Gaming consoles and PCs. Therefore, they are not recommended to be installed in home networks.

Now, the remaining options left to you are Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a. Cat5 is now getting obsolete and most manufacturers do not produce it anymore. You may find it in some stores but it is also not recommendable for gaming due to its availability issues and low specifications. Whereas, Cat6a comes with almost the same features and qualities that Cat6 plenum 1000ft cable possesses. So, why invest more in an expensive cable if you are getting the same features in low price cable.

The actual competition remains between Cat5e plenum cable and Cat6 plenum cable. From these two options, you have to decide which one suits you best. Cat6 is a better option than cat5e if you are playing heavy graphical games and your data transfer needs are very high.

The Best Options Of Ethernet Cables For Gaming

They both come with good specifications and features. Both of them can be a good option for you to fulfill your online gaming needs. Cat6 is the upgraded version of Cat5e. Hence, it possesses some extra qualities that make it a better option.

Interference Controlling Factor

The speed of the cable does matter a lot in this selection but it is not the only talking point. Many other factors also impact this selection. One of them is the better handling of interference by Cat6 CMP cable in comparison to cat5e plenum cable. It comes with excellent features of controlling crosstalk and EMI properties.

Both these cables come with 4 pairs of twisted wires inside their outer jacket. The thing that makes Cat6 more reliable and efficient in the presence of “spline” in between these 4 twisted pairs of wires. You do not find this separator in the Cat5e cable. This separator enhances the performance of the cable against interference factors like crosstalk and EMI. Therefore, the Cat6 CMP cable gives you a better connectivity experience as compared to cat5e.

Shielded & Unshielded Cables

Some cables are also available with extra coating on twisted pairs of wires. This extra coating is done through a foiling sheet. It can be present on single pair separately or all 4 pairs can be coated altogether as well. This extra coating further improves the efficiency of the cable against interference factors and makes it more efficient. This cable usually comes with a mark of STP where “STP” stands for “Shielded Twisted Pairs”. On the other hand, Cat6 unshielded plenum cable 1000ft are marked as UTP where “UTP” stands for “Unshielded Twisted Pairs”. Cat6 UTP cable is less expensive in comparison to STP cables.

Speed And Bandwidth Differences

The speed and bandwidth of Ethernet cables are the most important factors of their selection. There should be no compromise on these factors in any case. Cat6 plenum comes with a data transfer speed of 10Gbps up to 55 meters whereas cat5e has a data transfer speed of 1Gbps up to 55 meters.

This distance is quite enough to set up a home network. Most individuals do not need longer cables than 55 meters. It should set up your gaming network successfully. Above 55 meters, the data transfer speeds of both Cat5e and Cat6 CMP cable become equal at 1Gbps. If you are using cat5e up to 100 meters then you are pushing the cable to its limits whereas Cat6 can support up to 10gbps so, 1Gbps is not its limit.

Cat6 works at a bandwidth of 250MHz whereas, Cat5e bandwidth is limited to 100MHz. Therefore, it can process more data at the same time. Even some manufacturers also offer you this cable that works at a bandwidth of 350MHz. In this regard, Cat6 is a better option than cat5e.

Reliable Supplier

The quality of the cables may vary from manufacturer to manufacture. Therefore, you need to select the right supplier as well. The one who is producing reliable and trustworthy products. These cables are manufactured under a strict set of standards but to match those standards is not possible for every manufacturer. Therefore, the quality of the cables may get compromised in some cases.

Selection From Different Variants of Cat6 Plenum Cable

Once it is figured out that Cat6 is a better option than cat5e as a gaming Ethernet cable. Now, the next step is the selection of cable from its different variants. Whether you should buy a shielded cable or an unshielded cable? Or you should buy a pure copper variant or one comes with CCA conductors?

It depends on your needs and budget. The shielded cable with pure copper conductors is much expensive than unshielded cables with CCA conductors. So, your budget limits will decide which cable you should choose. Secondly, it is always recommended to buy pure copper cables as they are more efficient and reliable in comparison to copper-clad aluminum cables.

With that, you can select the color and shape of the cable according to your desires. It has nothing to do with connectivity. Hence, we can say that Cat6 pure copper cable is the best gaming Ethernet cable available in the market that can fulfill your needs and requirements appropriately.

Why iTechCables?

As we discussed above that you need a reliable and trustworthy supplier as well to get these Ethernet cables. All the manufacturers are not producing top-quality products. In this scenario, iTechCables will resolve your issues effectively. We provide our customers with top-rated products at cost-effective prices. We are not only the suppliers of Ethernet cables, but we manufacture them as well. We meet all the quality standards efficiently.

The defined bandwidth of Cat6 plenum cable in the set of standards is 250MHz but we provide our customers the same cable with an augmented bandwidth of 350MHz. Our product quality and our services make us superior to our competitors. Feel free to contact us at any time. Our customer support team is available for your guidance 24/7.