10 Ways To Improve Steam Downlaod Speed!
To improve your Steam download speed, change your download region to a less-congested
server, clear the download cache, and remove any bandwidth limit in Steam’s Downloads settings.
Then switch to a wired Ethernet connection and close background apps so Steam can use your full
internet bandwidth. Here are 10 proven fixes, ranked from the fastest win to the deepest tweak.
🔥 10 Ways to Increase Steam Download Speed
- Test your internet speed and restart your router
- Change your Steam download region
- Clear the Steam download cache
- Remove Steam’s bandwidth limit
- Disable download throttling during streaming and gameplay
- Switch to a wired Ethernet connection
- Close background apps that use bandwidth
- Set Steam to High priority in Task Manager
- Turn off Windows Delivery Optimization
- Update Steam and drivers, and test without a VPN
Test your internet speed and restart your router
Steam can never download faster than the plan you pay for, so start with a
clean baseline.
- Run a quick test at fast.com or Speedtest and note your speed in Mbps.
- Unplug your modem and router for 30 seconds, then plug them back in.
- Retest — a fresh connection often clears slow, congested sessions.
but your ISP sells Mbps. Divide Mbps by 8 to get your real ceiling — a
100 Mbps plan tops out around 12.5 MB/s.
Change your Steam download region
Steam auto-picks the closest server, but the closest one is often overloaded
at peak hours. Switching regions is the single most effective fix.
- Go to Steam › Settings › Downloads.
- Open the Download Region dropdown.
- Pick a nearby, less-busy city (or one in an off-peak time zone) and let the download resume.
winner — if a new region is slower, just switch back.
Clear the Steam download cache
Corrupted temporary files can stall a download for no obvious reason.
Clearing the cache forces Steam to rebuild it cleanly.
- Open Steam › Settings › Downloads.
- Click Clear Download Cache and confirm.
- Sign back in when prompted — your installed games are not affected.
Remove Steam’s bandwidth limit
A cap you (or a preset) set long ago will silently hold every download below
your real speed.
- Go to Steam › Settings › Downloads.
- Find Limit bandwidth to and set it to No limit.
- Save and restart the download.
Disable download throttling during streaming and gameplay
By default Steam slows downloads while you stream or play. If speed is your
priority, turn that throttling off.
- In Steam › Settings › Downloads, disable
Throttle downloads while streaming. - Turn off Throttle downloads while in-game for full speed during play.
Switch to a wired Ethernet connection
Wi-Fi is shared and loses signal with distance. A cable gives Steam a
dedicated, faster path to your router.
- Connect your PC to the router with an Ethernet cable.
- Can’t go wired? Move closer to the router and use the 5 GHz band.
Close background apps that use bandwidth
Browsers, cloud sync, video calls, and other launchers all compete with Steam
for your connection.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Close bandwidth-heavy apps (Chrome, OneDrive, Netflix, Epic, etc.).
- Pause downloads on other devices sharing your network.
Set Steam to High priority in Task Manager
Steam decompresses game files as it downloads them, so a busy CPU can
bottleneck speed on older PCs.
- Open Task Manager and click the Details tab.
- Right-click steam.exe › Set priority › High.
SSD instead of an HDD also removes a common slow-down.
Turn off Windows Delivery Optimization
Windows can share your bandwidth to send updates to other PCs, quietly eating
into your Steam download.
- Go to Settings › Windows Update › Advanced options › Delivery Optimization.
- Turn off Allow downloads from other PCs.
Update Steam and drivers, and test without a VPN
Outdated network drivers and background security tools can cap your speed
without warning.
- Keep the Steam client and Windows/network drivers up to date.
- Temporarily disable your VPN and any third-party firewall/antivirus to see if speed jumps — then re-enable them.
Steam. Otherwise a VPN usually reduces download speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Steam download so slow?
Usually a congested download region, a leftover bandwidth limit, a corrupted download cache,
Wi-Fi instability, background apps using your connection, or a CPU/HDD bottleneck during file
decompression. Working through the 10 steps above fixes almost all cases.
What is a good Steam download speed?
Anything close to your plan’s ceiling. Since Steam displays MB/s, divide your plan’s Mbps by 8:
100 Mbps ≈ 12.5 MB/s and 500 Mbps ≈ 62.5 MB/s. If you’re far below that, one
of the fixes above is holding you back.
Does changing the Steam download region actually help?
Yes — it’s the most reliable fix. Steam defaults to the nearest server, which can be overloaded
at peak times. A nearby, less-busy region often increases speed instantly.
Why does my Steam download start fast then slow down?
Common causes are in-game or streaming throttling settings, slow HDD write speed, CPU strain
while decompressing large files, or other devices grabbing bandwidth mid-download.
Can a VPN increase Steam download speed?
Rarely. A VPN only helps if your ISP is specifically throttling Steam traffic. In most cases it
adds overhead and makes downloads slower, so test with it off first.
The bottom line: start with your download region, cache, and bandwidth limit —
those three fix most slow Steam downloads in under two minutes. Then go wired and close
background apps to squeeze out the rest of your speed.
