5 Best Budget Modems For Gaming Xbox PS5 PS4

Are you looking for a good gaming modem for high speed and reliability? After testing almost 10 gaming modems I have curated the top 5 list of best budget gaming modems you can get right now.

You might already be aware that modems are used for making an Internet connection. And having a low-performance modem or old modem can hamper your internet speeds and connectivity.

Since the modern era of modem supports 5GHz connection, if you are having an Internet connection speed of more than 150Mbps it is really important to have the latest modem with such frequency support.

Let me cut the line and just suggest our top 3 picks first in this post. If you are in a hurry and do not want to read all the modems suggested by us, here are the top 3 picks you can choose from.

Top 5 Best Budget Gaming Modems to Buy Today

Above you can see the top 3 gaming modems that are recommended by me. Later in this post, I will show you the other 7 best gaming modems you can consider buying.

I will be discussing in detail each of the gaming modem’s features, pros, cons, and my review on this.

1. ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 – Best Overall:

First on the list is ARRIS SURFboard SB8200. This is a new company that you might have not heard of. Though performance and the price at which it comes compensate for the brand name.

It comes with DOCSIS 3.1 support that has up to a 2Gbps speed hold. It has two 1 gigabit Ethernet ports that support link aggregation. It has 32 downstream channels to support the download speed and 8 upstream channels to support the upload speed.

This modem is compatible with major U.S. Cable internet providers such as Cox, Spectrum, Xfinity, and others. To get the 2Gbps speed you need to check with your ISP first whether they provide 2Gbps support or not.

Note that it is not compatible with ATT, Verizon, Century Link, and other DSL or Fiber internet providers.

Review

This is the top choice on my list as an overall comparison. This modem comes with DOCSIS 3.1 support. I was able to get the speed of around 900Mbps and not above 1024Mbps that has been marketed by the brand.

But if you are buying any internet device such as Modem or WiFi there will be some latency in the connection due to which you may not get the actual speed stated by the company.

I have tested this device with my Cox connection and I was able to get the support of 2Gbps supports since Cox in my area was providing that support.

Yet I was not getting the exact 2Gbps speed over the internet once connected, it was lesser than that most of the time.

It helped me get internet connection stability and also saved the $15 per month modem cost from my internet bill.

It was easy to step up this device. Cox already provides the automated setups to follow to get it started for the new modems.

I followed the automated step provided by cox which did not work for me. Later I called Cox customer support and after a few minutes, they provided all the instructions to set up the Modem.

And within a few minutes, my Modem was working and there were no other issues. Hence the setup process was easy.

Since this modem has great specifications as well that most of the modems at this price point do not have. It has 3GB of RAM and 128MB/16 of NAND flash memory.

Overall it is a great modem that you can buy for under the $150 price tag. This device offers great durability, proper tech support, and ease of use.

2. NETGEAR Cable Modem CM1000 – Editor’s Choice

Second but the one which I recommend you to buy from this list is NETGEAR Cable Modem CM1000. As under the $150 range, this is the best modem you can buy right now in the market.

NETGEAR is a very well know and standard name in the market. Being a popular brand you can expect better support and customer service.

This modem comes with DOCSIS 3.1 support. It also comes in different varieties depending on the speed support you want. CM1000 only supports 1000Mbps download.

So if you want the support of more than 2Gbps download speed then you can consider buying CM1200 or CM2000 as both come at price little higher price.

CM1000 supports most of the Cable networks in the US such as Cox, Comcast, and Spectrum. Also, note that these modems are not compatible with ATT, DSL, or Fiber-related services.

CM1000 also works with any Wi-Fi router you have in your house. It has one Gigabit Ethernet port that connects to your computer or laptop or Wi-Fi router.

It supports 32 download channels and 8 upload channel bonding. Also comes with OFDM 2×2 support.

Review

Second on a list and it is my recommendation to buy this modem. Since it checks all the points from being a well-known brand to the quality of the product is offered at this price.

I was able to set up this Modem within a few minutes. Cox provided little support here to do it. But that didn’t take much time and the internet and WiFi started working immediately.

I got around 920Mbps of speed on my 1Gbps plan of Cox. I would rate that pretty decent as I got this speed over Wi-Fi.

The best part of this modem was it supports 4 Ethernet ports. So, I used one port to connect to my router and the other three I used to connect my personal computer directly from the router.

I was also able to get quick NETGEAR support as I ran into a problem with the heating of the device after a couple of weeks. And they instantly solved the problem hence full marks to their technical support team.

I also like its sleek design and the large number of lights indicating different functionality which lets you debug properly if you run into any problem. Overall it is a great product to buy.

3. Motorola MB8611 Cable Modem – Value for Money

Third, on the list is Motorola MB8611 Cable Modem. It comes with the support of DOCSIS 3.1. This modem supports a maximum download speed of 6Gbps and works with Comcast, Xfinity Gigabit, Cox, and Spectrum.

It works with any Wi-Fi router you have in your home. This modem does not come with inbuilt Wi-Fi routers. 

It has backward compatibility with 32 channels supporting download and 8 channels for upload. 

Each Ethernet port provides you with a maximum speed of 2.5Gbps. Hence you can enjoy high-speed internet for any computer, smart TV, game station, or another ethernet-cable device.

This modem also has support for low latency mode, which will enhance the internet speed and also save energy for interactive games. With this, you get the Active Queue Management feature to reduce the latency for gaming as well.

It also has a Proactive protection feature that saves your modem from lighting or any kind of power surge if occurs. Comes with 2 years of warranty and technical support in English and Spanish.

Review

If you are looking for a Modem completely for Gaming and do not care about the higher price then this is the Modem you should consider buying. It is a value for money device.

Connecting this device with my Cox connection was super easy. I followed the quick start guide provided by Motorola included in the box, called Cox to activate the service on my new modem and it was up and working in a few minutes.

For my Cox 1Gbps connection on Ethernet, I was able to get more than 930Mbps of speed consistently. Hence I can vouch for the 2.5Gbps speed you may get a speed of more than 1.5Gbps depending upon your Internet plan and company.

But I think Upstream is only supported as 800Mbps, hence you may not get the same upload speed. I was getting an upload speed of somewhere around 400Mbps based on my plan.

It has 5 status reporting LEDs on the front panel and 2 LEDs for the Ethernet port on the back panel. Making the indication for connection super easy and making sure that what is working correctly in case there is any problem with the internet.

It also supports the latest 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) LAN port. Not all Internet provider currently supports it but in the future, it might be really useful making this Modem as the future secure.

During my gaming session on this modem, I haven’t noticed any latency. But in gaming latency is also dependent on many other factors. But considering the internet latency, it was on par.

4. NETGEAR Nighthawk Cable Modem Wi-Fi Router Combo C7000

Fourth on the list is NETGEAR C7000 Combo Modem. This is for the people who do not have an internet connection of more than 400Mbps as that is the limit for this device.

This NETGEAR modem comes with a combo Wi-Fi and Modem. So you need not require an external Wi-Fi router to get your internet connection working. It is compatible with Cable providers such as Cox, Xfinity, Comcast, and Spectrum.

It has 24 channels for download with DOCSIS 3.0 support. It provides a great Wi-Fi range of up to 1800 square feet. And you can connect a total of 30 devices with this Combo Modem.

It has a 4 Gigabit Ethernet port and 2 USB ports to provide the fastest wired connection speed on your computer or other internet supporting devices.

So this device provides a total connection speed of 1900Mbps to 30 devices if connected at once. Hence providing maximum performance lets your device get maximum internet speed.

In this modem, USB ports are available that let you connect your printer or storage devices if you want to connect your modem with it. You also get Parental control features.

5. Motorola MG8702 Modem and Wi-Fi Router Combo

My last recommendation on this list is Motorola MG8702. This device is the combo that acts as both Wi-Fi and Modem.

It supports DOCSIS 3.1 technology. It also has a Gigabit Ethernet port. It supports 32 downstream channels and 8 upstream channels. This modem works with all the major US Cable Internet providers such as Cox, Spectrum, Xfinity, etc.

Note that this combo device does not support DSL or Fiber internet providers such as ATT, DSL, and Century Link. 

You will get the maximum and combined speed of 4Gbps from the Ethernet ports. There is a total of 4 ethernet ports provided in this device. It also supports Alexa voice assistant hence you can control your combo device with Alexa.

So, you can connect a total of 4 devices such as smart TV, gaming consoles, and other Ethernet devices directly with a wire on four ethernet ports.

This device is also quick in connection all you need to do is connect the coaxial cable and then call your internet provider to activate the modem. Perform setup for your Wi-Fi and your internet will be up and working.

You will get a dual-band Wi-Fi signal with the support of AC1600. It also comes with both IPv4 and IPv6 support. 

This device also comes with an intelligent traffic control system that reduces the lag and provides a seamless internet connection throughout.

With a special feature, this device also supports USB 3.0. You can connect hard drives and pen drives to share your files and videos using it. It has Broadcom full-band digital tuner.

I also recommend this device to anyone who is looking to buy a combo modem and Wi-Fi and does not want to compromise with quality with little extra money. It is a value-for-money device you can get right now.

Conclusion

That is all from the best gaming modem you can get right now. As you already read my top choice is NETGEAR Cable Modem CM1000 if you are looking only for Modem.

And my other recommendation is Motorola MG8702 if you are looking for a Combo device i.e. Modem and Wi-Fi router in one device.

I have tested all these devices with my Cox Cable Internet connection and with my Xbox gaming device. I haven’t got any problem with all the 5 listed devices in this post. And all of them worked fine for me.

Though my testing for only for a week with each device hence I cannot comment on long-term sustainability. But looking at the brand of each device, I can surely vouch that you cannot go wrong with any one of them for long-term use.

You can further read the best USB Bluetooth adapter if you want to use it for your PC and want a very tiny-sized product.

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