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It may be a real nuisance to cope with steam download speed slow. It might feel like an eternity waiting for the next update to your favorite game or attempting to get your hands on a new game as soon as possible. If you have above-average internet connections and need help downloading on Steam, use this useful troubleshooting guide to figure out what’s wrong.
Even while the overall quality of your internet can be a major issue when it comes to downloading games, there are a variety of other factors that might be causing your download speed to stall. We hope this method addresses the problem as quickly as possible, whether you’re downloading on a game PC or Steam Deck.
If you’re tired of waiting, time is of the essence, so let’s get started with the quickest and easiest repairs accessible right now. We’ll look at Steam and non-Steam alternatives for improving internet speed and some additional tips and techniques.
Check Your Internet Connection
Before blaming the Steam client, ensure your internet connection isn’t causing Steam to download your games to take longer than normal. The simplest method to validate this is to test your connection speed. Any speed test website will allow you to test your connection.
If your download speed is slower than normal, see our post on how to increase your internet speed. If this restores your internet speed, try downloading games from Steam again. Contact your internet service provider if nothing seems to be working (ISP). If your internet connection is stable and everything but Steam games downloads quickly, it’s time to dig deeper into your system.
Check That Steam has Enough Bandwidth
To begin, you should provide the Steam app with as much bandwidth as feasible. Close any other downloads running concurrently, close resource-hogging browsers, double-check that you are not streaming any material, and stop down any internet-connected apps.
To see which programs use the most network resources, utilize the Task Manager (CTRL + Shift + Esc). Examine the Network column for non-essential programs consuming a lot of data. Furthermore, check that Steam isn’t in Efficiency mode, making it a lower-priority operation. More information on how to check that and disable efficiency mode may be found here.
Disable Windows’ Metered Connection Feature
Users can control their broadband use by using Windows’ metered connection feature. Although it might help you conserve data if you have a data cap, it can limit how applications utilize the available bandwidth. As a result, a metered connection may cause your steam download speed slow down.
To confirm it is not enabled, perform the following steps:
- Go to Settings by right-clicking on the Windows Start button.
- Select Network & Internet from the left sidebar.
- Select Wi-Fi.
- Select your Wi-Fi connection.
- Deactivate the toggle next to Metered connection.
Remove Download Cache
Clearing your Steam cache will help you cure various problems and issues, one of which is poor downloading speed. Just as emptying your internet browser’s cache might help your download rates, the same can be stated with Steam. Here’s how it’s done:
- Begin by launching Steam.
- From the top navigation bar, select the ‘Steam’ tab.
- Select the ‘Settings’ tab from the drop-down menu. Inside, select the ‘Downloads’ tab from the list of available choices.
- Click the ‘Clear Download Cache’ button towards the bottom of the downloads tab.
- When asked, click OK to enable Steam to erase all temporary files discovered in the cache.
- Steam will resume after the task is done. Simply re-enter your credentials and verify your download speeds.
Change the Download Server Address
The location of the server from which you obtain Steam downloads significantly impacts their performance. By default, Steam connects you to the nearest server to give you a better connection, but it may not deliver the optimal speed rate if it’s congested.
You may discover which servers are nearest, have less traffic, and offer decent download speeds by using a worldwide traffic map on the Steam download data page. Once you’ve selected a server, proceed with the following procedures to change the region on Steam:
- Start Steam.
- Select Settings from the Steam tab in the top-left corner.
- Select Downloads from the left sidebar.
- Choose your download region from the dropdown menu.
While other servers may provide faster download speeds, you can wait until the demand on the nearest server drops and then download the game. However, if changing the area does not affect download speed, go to the following step.
Stop Using Internet-Sucking Applications
Steam itself rarely causes slow download rates inside Steam. Typically, steam download speed slow down is caused by external forces that divert important bandwidth away from Steam. If this is the case, you should check for any background programs consuming huge amounts of internet traffic.
It could be anything from a Windows update to Torrent clients, other gaming platforms, Netflix, or music streaming. In any case, these can significantly slow down your Steam download performance. Close these programs while Steam updates, then restart them when they’re done.
1. Go Wired
For wireless users, being hard-wired into your internet router is a proven method to enhance internet speed. While wireless connections are convenient for many reasons, they aren’t the most effective method to connect to the internet, especially if you want the quickest available speeds. When offering a connection to your device, wireless connections must compete with other connections for internet bandwidth as well as physical barriers (such as walls).
That being said, if you’re having trouble with download speeds, you should try going wired. Simply inserting an Ethernet cable into your PC and connecting it to the router might double (if not triple) the speed you’re getting.
2. Disable VPN
Finally, one of the simplest methods to fix low download speeds on Steam is to disable any VPN services operating in the background. While a VPN does not inherently reduce internet speed on your PC, it does add another barrier to the extensive number of action steps your internet must take when downloading from Steam. Turning off your VPN may result in a slight increase in internet speeds.
3. Turn Off Your Antivirus Software And Windows Defender
Disabling your antivirus software and Windows Defender may also increase your internet speed. Our post on how to optimize Steam’s download speed on Windows might help you get started.
EndNote
You should be able to speed up your Steam downloads by adopting the fixes indicated in the post. If none appear to work, the issue may be outside your computer and your network. As a result, check that your network is functioning properly.
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