Both the Arris Surfboard SBG8300 and the Arris Surfboard SB8200 are powerful multi-gigabit cable modems which are designed to offer an satisfactory 4K (Ultra) experience of video streaming and virtual reality gaming without any kind of lag whatsoever.
Lets check out some common things between both devices:
- They meet the latest web browsing standards and are compatible with all the major Internet service providers.
- They are Multi-Gig cable modems.
- Both contenders support DOCSIS 3.1 and DOCSIS 3.0 standards as well because of backward compatibility.
- Both of them are compatible with Windows, Linux, Macintosh, IPv6, IPv4, and major ISPs.
- Both of them support 32 SCQAM (downstream) and 8 SCQAM (upstream) bonding channels when working in DOCSIS 3.0 mode.
- Both of them deliver 2 years of warranty.Both of them support 2 OFDM (downstream) and 2 OFDM (upstream) bonding channels when working in DOCSIS 3.1 mode.
Here the Arris SB 8300:
- is equipped with a built-in WiFi router while its competitor is not.
- has a chipset of Intel Puma 7 while SB8200 has a BCM3390 Broadcom chipset in it.
- delivers downloading speed up to 4 Gbps but can provide over 10 Gbps on customization.
- delivers downloading speed up to 2 Gbps but can provide up to 10 Gbps on customization.
- is more expensive than SB8200.
Compared to SB8200, SBG8300 provides twice the downloading speed. It also has a built-in WiFi router in it. The only disadvantage of SBG8300 is having an inferior chipset to its competitor.
Table of Contents
Side By Side Comparison:
| General Specifications | Surfboard SBG8300 | Surfboard SB8200 |
| DOCSIS Standard | 3.1/3.0 | 3.1/3.0 |
| Speed | Up to 4 Gbps | Up to 2 Gbps |
| Built-in Modem Router | Yes | No |
| Ethernet ports (1-Gigabit Ethernet LAN port) | 4 | 2 |
| Network Protocol | IPv4, IPv6 | IPv4, IPv6 |
Overivew of both devices
Arris SBG8300 has four 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports along with a built-in WiFi router. It provides download speed up to 4 Gbps download speed due to the restriction of 4 Ethernet ports but can be upgraded to deliver over 10 Gbps.
Its built-in WiFi router can deliver up to 2350 Mbps (AC Wave 2 AC WiFi). It also supports IP multicast service.
It contains the core chipset of Intel Puma 7.
On the flip side, the Arris SB8200 has two 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports with no WiFi router in it. Due to two Ethernet ports, it delivers downloading speed up to 2 Gbps but can be upgraded to provide up to 10 Gbps.
To connect two of its Ethernet ports, Arris SB8200 provides the facility of link aggregation. It contains the core chipset of Broadcom BCM3390.
Performance Comparison
Both of our contenders meet the DOCSIS 3.1 standard as well as DOCSIS 3.0 standard through backward compatibility.
They support 2 OFDM downstream and 2 OFDMA upstream channels bonding in the case of DOCSIS 3.1.
They support 32 SCQAM downstream and 8 SCQAM upstream channels bonding in the case of DOCSIS 3.0.
It shows that their modulation method and bonding channels are the same.
But their downloading and uploading speed differs due to SBG8300 having more number of Ethernet ports in it.
Their receiving and sending data rates are being mentioned in the table below which would be enhanced to their maximum potential.
BCM3390 of Broadcom and Intel Puma 7 is being installed in both modems as their core chipsets respectively.
BCM3390 is a very advanced chipset that ensures the enhancement of spectrum allocation’s efficiency.
On the other hand, Intel Puma 7 seems to have an issue in packet processing specifically to TCP/IP.
Even though Arris SB8300 has an inferior chipset in it, its high number of Ethernet ports allows for its high data rate.
And its upgraded version can provide over 10 Gbps which gives it an edge over its competitor.
Hence, SBG8300 is a superior choice if you are looking for better performance and high speed.
But Arris SB8200 would be preferred in terms of durability.
Hardware and Design Differences
Even though the manufacturer is the same, their design is quite different from one another.
Arris SB8200 has a light grey color while its competitor has two types of colors, dark grey and pitch black covering its outer and inner surface respectively. The size of this modem is also smaller but its still having more weight.
The front panel of both contenders is equipped with diagnostic LED lights to indicate their working status.
Arris SBG8300 has only two LEDs indicating different statuses of internet transmission and WiFi.
There are four LED lights on Arris SB8200 which indicates its online connection, power status, receiving, and sending data signals.
Both of them have two LED lights on each Ethernet port on their rear panel as well. They represent the data rate, either it is above or less than 1 Gbps.
Arris SB8200 has two while its competitor has four 1-Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. While the other modem has a built-in WiFi router in it but its competitor is not equipped with this facility.
Besides having a different number of Ethernet ports, the rest of the ports are the same; cable connector, power port, and reset button.
A Broadcom BCM3390 core chipset is being installed in Arris SB8200 while its competitor has a chipset of Intel Puma 7.
Overall, we think that the design of Arris SBG8300 is more attractive due to its enchanting shape and color grading. It also has twice the Ethernet ports and contains a superior chipset in it.
Not to mention that it is equipped with wireless technology. So it is clearly a win for Arris SBG8300 in this regard.
Which modem has better Compatibility?
Including some famous brands like Comcast, Cox Communications, and Spectrum, both of the contenders are compatible with all the major internet service providers.
They meet the latest Network Protocol standard which is IPv6 to deliver unlimited IP addresses and secure data transfer.
Both are compatible with Windows (from Windows 7 to 10), UNIX, Linux, and Macintosh (10.4 or higher).
Interface Comparison
Both of them have three kinds of interfaces; network interface & RF (Radio Frequency) provides interconnection between your computer and local network, and the power interface provides AC/DC power to the cable modem.
Their types and specs are mentioned in the table given below.
| Parameters | Surfboard SBG8300 | Surfboard SB8200 |
| RF Interface | One F-type connector (External) | One F-type connector (External) |
| Network Interface | Four Base-T Ethernet (RJ45 connector) | Two Base-T Ethernet (RJ45 connector) |
| Power Interface | 12V DC | 115VAC, 60Hz |