Cat 7 vs Cat 8 Cables: What's the Difference?

Supposedly, you have to install data cables for your newly built house, but you don’t know about them. And we all know that the variety of ethernet cables available in the market, such as Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, Cat7, Cat8, and so on, can get overwhelming.

So, if you are selecting a cable for your place, it is important to understand its features and capabilities.

Presently, Cat 7 and Cat 8 cables are marking their presence in the market with their efficiency and compatibility with other ports. Complicated questions are bound to arise, like whether using Cat 8 with standard Cat 7 would work or not.

To answer such questions before they arise, let’s understand Cat 7 and Cat 8 in detail, including their main differentiating point.

A Brief about Cat 7 and Cat 8 Cables

Let us understand both the cables in a brief.

Cat 7 Cables:

Category 7 cable, known as a Cat7 or Cat-7 cable, is used to cable the infrastructure of Gigabit Ethernet. It offers up to 600MHz—a perfect choice to cable your smart home. After cabling, you can even check for automation ideas. 

It supports high-speed ethernet communication up to 10 Gbps. These are backward compatible with Cat6, Cat5, and Cat5e categories. 

It provides a 100-meter 4-connector channel with shielded cabling. They require twisted wires to become a full shield system. Such systems are screen-shielded twisted pair (SSTP) or screened foiled twisted pair (SFTP) wiring. 

It eliminates alien cross-talk with improved noise resistance. It allows users to get higher speeds with longer cables.

Cat 8 Cables:

Category 8, Cat8 cable or Cat-8 cable, is an ethernet cable, which is a different type of cable standing apart from the previous cables. It supports a frequency of up to 2GHz(2000 MHz). It is limited up to the 30-meter 2-connector channel. It requires shielded cabling as well. The major point to consider is that it can support a speed of 35 Gbps or 40 Gbps. Overall, its physical appearance is similar to lower category cables. They terminate in RJ45 connections or non-RJ45 connections. It is compatible with all its backward versions. You can use it with the standard connectors of previous versions, such as Cat-7.

Cat 7 vs. Cat 8 Comparison

While comparing these cables transmission frequency and cabling length are of great importance. Here is the detailed comparison:

Performance:

The primary difference between Cat7 and Cat8 Ethernet cables is speed and frequency. Cat7 has a channel bandwidth of up to 10Gbps frequency of 600Mhz; Cat8 offers a channel bandwidth of up to 40Gbps at a frequency of 2000Mhz. 

Cat8 is recommended for data centers or 25G/40G applications and Cat7 for home or office network applications. Both cables utilize shielding to minimize interference, and although Cat8 is superior to conventional Cat cables over the 30-meter cable, its performance is much higher over the first 30 meters. 

If you want a cable that will guarantee high speeds and performance in a few years, you should go for Cat 8. If you want high performance but are more affordable, consider Cat7.

Cabling Length:

One of the main differences between Cat7 and Cat8 cables is their maximum length and bandwidth. Cat7 offers an Ethernet transmission speed of up to 10 Gbps over a maximum distance of 100 meters, thus making it ideal for expansive installations. 

On the other hand, Cat8 has a higher transmission speed of 25 Gbps or 40 Gbps but with maximum distance restrictions of up to 30 meters. This reduces the distance at which Cat8 is suitable for high-speed connections within data centers or areas with restricted space. 

While Cat7 is designed for longer distances of up to 100 meters and more, Cat8 provides higher speed but is limited to short distances only.

Pricing:

Pricing is a key difference when comparing Cat 7 and Cat 8 cables. In general, Cat 8 cables cost more than Cat 7 since they have better capabilities, providing transfer rates of up to 40Gbps, whereas Cat 7 links can only offer 10Gbps. This cost can also be attributed to Cat 8’s frequency capability of up to 2000 MHz; double that of Cat 7’s 600 MHz. 

The cost difference between Cat 7 and Cat 8 cables is justified by their intended use cases. While Cat 7 provides sufficient connection quality for home and office needs, Cat 8 is designed for data centers and applications requiring ultra-high data transfer rates. This makes Cat 8 more suitable for specialized environments demanding peak performance.

Cat 8 cables may cost between 20–50% more than Cat 7, with price varying by length and manufacturer.

Shielding:

When comparing Cat7 vs Cat8, both these cables are equipped with shielding to minimize interference. Cat7 has extra shielding that reduces signal strength (attenuation) loss as signals travel through the cable. 

However, to gain the performance offered by Cat7, one needs to utilize GigaGate45 connectors. Cat8 cables also have this shield but have better performance capabilities, as they support up to 40 Gbps of data rate over a 30-meter distance. 

Whereas Cat7 is more about lower crosstalk, Cat8 has both shielding and increased bandwidth for more complex connections.

Latency:

Another difference between Cat 7 and Cat 8 cables is latency. Cat 7 provides slightly less bandwidth than Cat 8 and even has upper bound latency, which tends more while dealing with data congestion. This means Cat 7 may not be best suited to real-time data transfer applications such as online gaming, and video conferencing. 

Cat 8 has more bandwidth allowances, up to forty Gbps with low latencies, and therefore it serves a better course for fast and dependable data service. 

The discrepancy is perhaps insignificant with common applications but becomes more apparent in high-performance or other demanding scenarios.

Future-proofing

The major difference between Cat 7 and Cat 8 Ethernet cables is their speed and ability to handle future upgrades. 

Cat 7 operates at good speeds and would suffice for most current technologies hence could be considered standard for business. 

However, Cat 8 is much faster than Cat 7, with a speed close to fiber optic cables, making it ideal for high-speed networking requirements. 

Cat 8 is ideal for use in data centers and server rooms, given that it meets shorter distances and high-performance tasks to other categories while being backward compatible with current devices through RJ45 connectors. However, fiber optic cables are still preferable for long-distance high-speed networks, although Cat 8 cables seem to have improved.

Cat7 or Cat8, Which One is Better for Home Network?

The Cat7 and Cat8 Ethernet cables are great for a home network, but there is a clear difference depending on your requirements. Among the types of Ethernet cables available, these two stand out for their advanced capabilities. Cat7 cables can transmit data at up to 10 Gbps and frequencies up to 600 MHz, more than any home user could ever need. 

Cat8 cables can therefore transmit at 40 Gbps and have a bandwidth of 2000 MHz, which makes it excellent for high performance or the future. This is especially true if your existing internet speed is below 1 Gbps or if your gadgets cannot handle the faster connection speeds of the Cat8. 

Cat7 cables are cheaper and can be compatible with most home devices. Cat8 is relatively newer and might be comparatively expensive, while it is intended for data centers or enterprise applications. CAT7 cables are shielded to minimize interference, while CAT8 provides better shielding than CAT7 to provide even cleaner signals. 

Cat7 is quite affordable for an average homeowner and should suffice, Cat8, however, can offer peak performance if one is willing to splurge a little more and future-proof high-end systems.

As Category 7 cables offer 1 100-meter 4-connector channel with shielded cabling, even if it operates at a higher frequency, there would be no improvement in data rate. Because 10GBase-T is still the fastest twisted pair-based data rate recognized by IEEE 802.3. Hence, even if a Category 7 cabling system is in your network, any available active equipment would have limitations of up to 10-Gbit/sec performance. It is not a recognized category by TIA.

Category 8 cables require shielded cabling. Unlike Cat5e to Cat6A, it has no unshielded twisted pair. The most likely cable construction for Category 8 will be 22-AWG S/FTP cabling.

Features Summary:

Pros and Cons:

Pros of Cat 7 Cables:

• Great for applications that require a lot of bandwidth, such as high-speed data transmission.
• Improved protection to minimize electromagnetic interference, guaranteeing consistent performance.
• Preparing for the future by ensuring compatibility with upcoming technologies such as 10 Gigabit Ethernet and beyond.
• Increased strength and durability due to thicker shielding and superior materials.
• Integration into networks is made seamless due to compatibility with current Ethernet standards.
• Appropriate for challenging environments, such as industrial and commercial surroundings.
• Enhanced signal-to-noise ratio leading to reliable and steady network connections.

Cons of Cat 7 Cables

• Higher cost compared to lower categories.
• Limited flexibility due to thicker shielding.
• Limited compatibility with older devices.
• Overkill for most home networking needs.
• Limited availability compared to Cat 5e or Cat 6.

Pros of Cat 8 Cables

• Data can be transferred at speeds of up to 40 gigabits per second.
• Increased data transfer capabilities for high-performance tasks.
• Enhanced immunity to electromagnetic interference.
• Enhanced readiness for changing network requirements.
• Enhanced capacity for extended cable distances in comparison to prior categories.

Cons of Cat8 Cables

• More expensive than earlier types of Ethernet cables.
• Restricted availability and limited compatibility with current hardware.
• Reduced maneuverability caused by thicker and less pliable cables.
• Greater vulnerability to disruption across extended distances.
• Specialized connectors and equipment are needed to achieve full performance.

Pick Your Choice!

These ethernet cables are modern-day products designed for cable-appropriate environments. Based on the feature comparison, you can choose a that fits your requirements and helps you render maximum data speed.

Still unsure which cable to choose? Post your question in the comment section below, and we'll do our best to help you.