Two worthwhile features in gear wires. Stainless steel for no rust and a smoother finish than possible with galvanized wires.

Die drawn, where the finished cable is run through a die squashing the outside strands into a smoother unit. To understand what die drawn means, take 19 pennies and arrange them with one in the middle and six around it, then another 12 around that. That's roughly what 19 strand wires are.

So there are highs and lows around the outer surface. Now imagine if the outer layer is squashed to form a smooth circle. Obviously wire with a smooth surface will have lower friction moving through the housing.

Other features include teflon coatings which some believe in, but I find to wear off fairly quickly.

Also, make sure the housing is of the compressionless type where the steel strands run almost lengthwise. There are small quality differences, but IME, square cuts at the ends, and use of proper ferrules make a bigger difference than any quality difference in the housing itself.

I hope this helps. There are various brands out there, but shopping features should steer you straight.