To be able to browse the Internet, it is necessary to have different hardware elements, as well as software. Something fundamental in a computer is to have a network card. It can be both Ethernet and Wi-Fi, since we can connect by cable or wirelessly. However, not all of them will work the same, nor will they have the same resources. In this article we are going to talk about gaming network cards. We are going to explain what it means and why it improves the connection when playing online.
What is a gaming network card?
To be able to play over the Internet and not have problems, it is necessary to have a good speed and that the latency is also low. For this to happen, it is important to have a good contracted rate, a good router, wiring or devices to improve Wi-Fi. But so will the network card and that’s where gaming can do best.
A gaming card is nothing more than a card specially oriented to play online. It will make the most of the available resources and allow you to play online in the best conditions. Perhaps with a normal card we can play the same, but sometimes it does not optimize the connection to achieve that plus.
There really isn’t a big difference compared to a conventional network card. It is common that, when looking for this type of device, we find the term gaming network card or network card to play. Basically it consists in that it has everything necessary to be able to play with guarantees , without having problems with cuts.
Gaming-oriented network cards are not only Ethernet, but we can also find them Wi-Fi. In both cases, it will improve the connection and optimize it in order to be able to play online in the best possible conditions.
How it improves the connection
But, how does a network card improve the connection to play? Its objective is to make the most of the resources that we have contracted. That is, optimize the bandwidth to the maximum, concentrate the connection on that device to be able to play on the Internet without problems, without cuts appearing.
These network cards are going to have a higher sync speed . We are going to be able to notice this difference especially in Wi-Fi cards, which are going to be able to increase the maximum data transfer rate.
In addition, this type of Wi-Fi gaming cards also have a greater range . They usually have at least two antennas (unlike normal ones, which usually have one) and will allow better coverage from one place to another in the house. Keep in mind that we may need to play from a room where we have a game console and it is far from the router.
It also improves the connection thanks to the heatsink they have. This will allow overheating problems that cause cuts and poor speed.
Features to consider
Not all cards are the same, so there are some aspects that we must take into account if we want to buy a gaming network card. Things like the speed, coverage or technology they use can be decisive in choosing from the full range of options available.
Maximum speed
The first characteristic to take into account is the maximum speed at which it will be able to work. This is decisive, since it is useless to have 1 Gbps Internet, for example, if we then connect via Wi-Fi and the card does not support more than 600 Mbps. The same in the case of cable, although there would be fewer problems here.
Therefore, we must check very well what is the maximum bandwidth that it supports. Today it is common to find network cards that work even up to 10 Gbps, although today we cannot contract such rates in Spain, but we will be prepared for when the time comes.
QOS technology
An important detail when we opt for a gaming network card is whether or not it has QoS technology. The normal thing is that if it is a specialized one to play on the Internet, this type of technology is present but it is advisable to confirm it and not have any problem in this regard.
What QoS technology does is automatically allocate bandwidth to each task and prioritize those that are online games. Therefore, we can make the most of the resources when we go to play online.
low latency
Another important characteristic is to observe that it has Low Latency or low latency. This is important when playing over the Internet, since high ping can significantly affect the games and whether or not you can access certain servers to play online with other users.
This also differs from more normal cards, where they do not emphasize latency so much and more on speed. But for what interests us, which is playing online, it is something that we should look at very carefully.
WiFi 6
On the other hand, if you are going to connect wirelessly, it is interesting that it has Wi-Fi 6, which is the most recent wireless technology. This will allow the speed to be maximum, as well as achieving good stability without problems appearing.
Newer cards are going to have a Wi-Fi 6 compatible chipset. This will allow higher modulation of up to 1024-QAM and a theoretical maximum speed of up to 10 Gbps, which is better than the next lower technology, Wi-Fi 5. For online gaming, all of this is very useful.
Tips for playing online
After talking about what a gaming network card really is, which we have seen basically has technology more oriented to playing over the Internet, we are going to explain some general tips to play over the Internet in the best conditions. In this way we will avoid cuts, as well as excessive latency.
improve connection
The first thing we can do is try to improve the connection as much as possible. How can we do this? For example using devices that improve Wi-Fi coverage . We can use repeaters, Mesh systems or PLC. In this way we will take the connection from one place to another without the distance being such a great impediment.
We can also use better wiring. Not all Ethernet cables are the same and, for example, if we use an old one we will be limited to 100 Mbps or Fast Ethernet. Likewise, the router that we use must be powerful to allow us to have a good speed and there are no problems when connecting the video game console or computer.
Use up-to-date systems
Another important tip is to always have everything up to date . Here we can mention several factors. One of them is the device itself that we use. For example Windows, in case of playing from the computer, as well as the game console itself. We must always have the latest versions of the firmware and all the patches that appear.
But we must also apply the same in the case of the network card. It is essential to update the drivers and thus opt for the maximum speed. In the case of Windows we can go to Start, write Device Manager, Network adapters and there we select the corresponding one and click Update driver.
Concentrate the network
If you are going to play online, it is best to avoid other devices or programs that are consuming resources. You can concentrate the connection and make that game that will require the best connection work smoothly, stable, without problems of any kind.
A good idea is to avoid updating a system at the same time you play or avoid using the cloud, as this will consume a lot of bandwidth and we could have problems.
If possible, better by cable
Although it is not something that is always possible, we do recommend playing via cable instead of Wi-Fi. It is true that wireless connections have improved a lot in recent years, but in order to play over the Internet it is necessary that the latency is as low as possible, in addition to having a good bandwidth.
There the cable is still superior. Therefore, if we can connect the computer or game console directly to the router via Ethernet cable, the better. This will ensure that you are receiving the best signal possible.
In short, as a conclusion we can say that the term gaming network card refers to cards that are specially designed to play online. It will have technology that will help lower latency, make the most of bandwidth and prevent cuts from appearing.
