Steam downloads slow down because of network congestion, your connection type, Steam server load, or settings on your computer that limit bandwidth

A slow Steam download usually comes from one of four places: your internet connection itself, the Steam servers you are pulling from, something else on your network eating bandwidth, or Steam settings that cap your speed. The good news is that most of these are things you can check and fix in minutes. The bad news is that if your internet plan is genuinely slow, no setting change will make Steam faster than your connection allows.

Start by checking what speed you are actually getting. Open a browser, go to speedtest.net, and run a test. Write down the download speed number — that is the ceiling for Steam, no matter what you do. If Steam is downloading at 2 MB/s and your speedtest shows 100 MB/s, something on your computer or network is the problem. If speedtest shows 2 MB/s, your internet plan is the bottleneck.

Key Takeaways

  • Check your actual internet speed at speedtest.net first — Steam cannot download faster than your connection allows.
  • Close other programs and browser tabs that use the internet, because they compete with Steam for bandwidth.
  • Change your Steam download region to a server closer to you or with less traffic, found in Settings > Downloads > Download Region.
  • Restart the Steam client completely — close it from the system tray, wait 10 seconds, and reopen it.
  • If one game downloads slowly but others do not, the problem is usually server-side and waiting an hour or two often fixes it.

Close everything else using your internet

The single most common reason for slow Steam downloads is that something else on your computer is using bandwidth at the same time. A browser with 20 tabs open, a torrent client, a cloud backup, a Windows Update, or a video call will all slow Steam down because they share your connection.

Close your web browser entirely. Close any cloud storage apps like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox — they sync in the background and you will not notice until you close them. Check the system tray (the icons in the bottom right corner of your screen) for anything that looks like it might be uploading or downloading. If you see a cloud icon, a sync icon, or anything with an arrow, right-click it and close it.

On Windows, open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc. Click the Network column header to sort by network usage. Anything showing a number other than 0 is using your internet. Close what you do not need. Restart Steam after you have closed everything else.

Change your Steam download region

Steam has servers in different parts of the world. If you are far from your assigned server or that server is overloaded, your download will be slow. You can change which server Steam uses.

Open Steam. Go to Settings (the gear icon in the top left). Click Downloads on the left side. Find the line that says Download Region. Click the dropdown and pick a region closer to you or a different one entirely. The United States has multiple options — if you are on the East Coast and it is set to a West Coast server, switching will help. After you change it, restart Steam completely: close it, wait 10 seconds, and open it again. Start your download fresh.

If you are not sure which region to pick, try the one that matches your location first. If that does not help, try a different one and test again. There is no penalty for switching.

Limit how much bandwidth Steam uses

Steam has a setting that caps how fast it downloads. This is usually off, but if someone on your computer turned it on, it will make downloads crawl.

Open Steam. Go to Settings > Downloads. Look for the line that says Limit bandwidth to. If there is a number in that box, Steam is capping itself. Either delete the number and leave it blank, or set it to something much higher than your actual internet speed. If your speedtest showed 50 MB/s, set this to 100 MB/s or just leave it blank. Click OK and restart Steam.

Restart the Steam client completely

Steam sometimes gets stuck in a slow state and restarting fixes it. This is not the same as closing the window — you need to close it from the system tray.

Look at the bottom right corner of your screen where the clock is. Find the Steam icon in the system tray (it may be hidden — click the up arrow to see all icons). Right-click the Steam icon and click Exit Steam. Wait 10 seconds. Open Steam again by clicking its icon on your desktop or searching for it in the Start menu. Start your download fresh.

Check if the problem is on Steam's side

Sometimes Steam servers are slow or overloaded, and there is nothing you can do on your end. You can tell if this is the problem by testing a different game.

Start downloading a small, popular game like Team Fortress 2 or Dota 2 (both free). If this game downloads at full speed but the game you were trying downloads slowly, the problem is with that specific game's server, not your connection. In this case, wait an hour or two and try again. If the small game also downloads slowly, the problem is your connection or your computer.

You can also check the Steam status page at steamstat.us to see if there are known server issues. If the page shows red or orange for your region, Steam is having problems and waiting is your best option.

Update your network drivers and check for malware

Outdated network drivers can slow downloads. On Windows, right-click the Start button and click Device Manager. Find Network adapters and click the arrow next to it. Right-click your network adapter (usually called Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and click Update driver. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software. Windows will install it if one is available.

Malware can also slow your internet by running in the background. Run a full scan with Windows Defender (built into Windows) or Malwarebytes (free version available). Close Steam before you scan, then restart it after the scan finishes.

Switch from Wi-Fi to ethernet if you can

Wi-Fi is convenient but slower and less stable than a wired ethernet connection. If your computer is near your router, plug in an ethernet cable. Restart Steam and test your download speed. If it is noticeably faster, Wi-Fi was the problem. If you cannot run a cable, move your computer closer to the router or move the router to a more central location in your home.

If you are using Wi-Fi and cannot switch, make sure you are on the 5 GHz band, not 2.4 GHz. The 5 GHz band is faster but has shorter range. Check your router settings or ask your internet provider which band you are on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Steam download fast sometimes and slow other times?

Server load changes throughout the day. Steam servers are busier in the evening when more people are downloading. If your download was fast at 3 AM and slow at 7 PM, that is normal. Try downloading during off-peak hours, or switch to a different download region to find a less busy server.

Does restarting my router help?

Yes, sometimes. Unplug your router for 30 seconds, plug it back in, and wait for it to fully restart (usually 2 to 3 minutes). This clears temporary network problems. Restart Steam after the router is fully back online.

What if I have tried everything and Steam is still slow?

Contact your internet provider and ask them to check your line. Slow speeds can mean a problem with your connection that only they can fix. Also check whether your internet plan speed matches what you are paying for — some plans are genuinely slow, and you would need to upgrade to go faster.

Does Steam download faster if I pause and resume?

Pausing and resuming sometimes helps if Steam got stuck, but it is not a reliable fix. If you have tried everything else and a download is still crawling, pause it, wait 30 seconds, and resume. If that does not help within a minute, restart Steam instead.

Can I download multiple games at once to go faster?

No. Downloading multiple games at once splits your bandwidth between them, so each one goes slower. Download one game at a time for the fastest speed.