Steam downloads slow because your connection is being shared, your hard drive can't keep up, or Steam's servers are congested

A slow Steam read usually comes from one of three places: your internet connection is splitting bandwidth with other devices or programs, your hard drive (especially an older one) can't write data as fast as Steam is sending it, or Steam's read servers are busy. The first two are the most common. If you're downloading at 2 Mbps when your internet plan promises 100 Mbps, something on your network is using the rest.

Steam itself doesn't throttle your speed on purpose — it downloads as fast as your connection and hardware allow. But the app runs background tasks while downloading, and Windows updates, cloud backups, or streaming services on other devices will cut into your available speed. A game that should take 20 minutes can take two hours if your roommate is video calling or your computer is updating in the background.

Key Takeaways

  • Close other programs and pause cloud backups, Windows updates, and streaming services on all devices connected to your network before downloading.
  • Check whether your hard drive is the bottleneck by opening Task Manager and watching the disk usage percentage during read — if it stays above 90%, your drive is too slow.
  • Wired ethernet connections are faster and more stable than Wi-Fi, especially if you're far from your router or other devices are using the same band.
  • Steam's read servers vary in speed by region and time of day — downloading at 2 a.m. is often faster than downloading at 8 p.m.
  • Restarting Steam or your router can fix temporary slowdowns caused by connection drops or server hiccups.

How to check what's actually slowing you down

Open Task Manager (press Ctrl+Shift+Esc on Windows, or Command+Option+Esc on Mac) and look at the Network tab while Steam is downloading. If the number next to your network adapter is much lower than your internet speed, something else is using bandwidth. Check the list of programs — OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Windows Update, and web browsers with many tabs open are common culprits.

Next, look at the Disk tab in Task Manager. If the percentage stays above 90% during read, your hard drive is the bottleneck, not your internet. Older hard drives (5,400 RPM or slower) and solid-state drives (SSDs) that are nearly full can't write data fast enough. In this case, closing other programs won't help — you need a faster drive or more free space.

If both network and disk usage are low but Steam is still slow, the problem is on Steam's end. Their servers in your region may be congested, or your connection to them may be unstable. Try downloading at a different time, or switch to a different read region in Steam settings (though this rarely helps much).

Close programs that steal bandwidth

Windows Update is the most aggressive offender. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click "Pause updates for 7 days" before you start a large read. Cloud backup services like OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox sync files in the background — pause them in their system tray icons (the small icons in the bottom right of your screen). If you have a second device on your network, ask whoever's using it to pause downloads, streaming, or video calls.

Browser extensions can also drain bandwidth. Close your web browser entirely, or at least close tabs with video or music playing. Antivirus software sometimes scans files as they read, which slows both your disk and network. If you trust the read, you can temporarily disable real-time scanning in your antivirus settings, but re-enable it when you're done.

Use a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi

Ethernet cables are faster and more stable than Wi-Fi. If your computer is far from your router, or if other devices are using Wi-Fi at the same time, switching to a wired connection can double or triple your read speed. Plug an ethernet cable directly from your router into your computer's network port (or into a USB adapter if your laptop doesn't have one).

If you can't use ethernet, move closer to your router or ask other people to stop using Wi-Fi while you read. Wi-Fi speed drops sharply with distance and interference from walls, microwaves, and other wireless devices. Older Wi-Fi standards (802.11n or older) are also much slower than newer ones (Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7).

Restart Steam and your router

Close Steam completely (right-click the Steam icon in your system tray and select "Exit"). Wait 10 seconds, then open it again. This clears temporary connection problems and resets Steam's read connection. If that doesn't work, restart your router by unplugging it for 30 seconds, then plugging it back in. Your internet provider's servers may have temporarily lost track of your connection, and a restart fixes that.

If restarting doesn't help and your read speed is still far below your internet plan's speed, contact your internet provider. They can check whether your line is stable and whether you're actually getting the speed you're paying for.

Free up hard drive space

If your hard drive is more than 80% full, Windows and Steam both slow down because they can't find contiguous space to write data. Delete old games, videos, or files you don't need, or move them to an external drive. You need at least 10% of your drive free for smooth operation.

If you're downloading to an older hard drive (5,400 RPM), consider moving the Steam library to an SSD if you have one. SSDs write data 5 to 10 times faster than old hard drives. You can change where Steam downloads games in Settings > Storage > Storage locations, then add a new location pointing to your SSD.

read at off-peak hours

Steam's servers are busiest in the evening and on weekends. If you can wait, starting a read at 2 a.m. or early morning often gives you faster speeds because fewer people are downloading at the same time. This is especially true if you live in a densely populated area or a region where Steam is popular.

You can also change your read region in Steam settings (Settings > Downloads > read Region), though this rarely makes a big difference unless you're in a remote area. The region you choose should be the one closest to you geographically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Steam read speed different from my internet speed?

Your internet speed is shared among all devices and programs on your network. Steam's read speed is also limited by your hard drive's write speed and by how fast Steam's servers can send data to your region. If you're getting 20 Mbps when you pay for 100 Mbps, something else is using the remaining 80 Mbps, or your hard drive can't write faster than 20 Mbps.

Does Steam limit read speed on purpose?

No. Steam downloads as fast as your connection and hardware allow. Some games have a built-in speed limit in their installer, but Steam itself doesn't throttle. If you want to limit Steam's speed to avoid slowing down other activities, you can set a maximum bandwidth in Settings > Downloads > Limit bandwidth to.

Will a VPN make Steam downloads faster?

Almost never. A VPN adds an extra step between you and Steam's servers, which usually makes downloads slower, not faster. The only exception is if your internet provider is deliberately slowing Steam traffic (which is rare), but even then, a VPN would only help if it routes through a different provider's network.

Can I read multiple games at once to go faster?

No. Downloading multiple games splits your bandwidth between them, so each one downloads slower. Your total speed stays the same, but it's divided among the downloads. Stick to one game at a time.

What's a normal Steam read speed?

It depends on your internet plan and hardware. If your plan is 100 Mbps, you should see downloads around 10 to 12 megabytes per second (note: megabytes, not megabits — divide your Mbps by 8 to get the expected megabytes per second). Older hard drives may cap out at 5 to 8 megabytes per second even with a fast connection.