9 Ways to Speed Up Steam Software and Download Games Faster

Steam is the #1 choice for PC gaming. Digital distribution channels and online communities host most of the games, but sometimes they work slowly as already explained in this article.

It can be frustrating if you want to start playing. To help you out, I've put together the best tips to block Steam download speed throttling and other performance tweaks to speed up your game downloads.

Close all other applications

It doesn't matter if you're using a powerful Alienware or a $500 gaming PC at home. If you are about to start playing a game, be sure to close all non-essential applications to speed it up (performance level).

Indie software that works with Steam can use data bandwidth as well as system resources. It will affect game downloads, online play and overall performance.

Games that require an internet connection may have latency for response, so it's important to have a good internet connection with as low a ping as possible.

Web browsers, software updates, and concurrent downloads all fall into this description. Disable everything, even cloud sync tools like Dropbox and Google Drive.

You can also make changes to the Steam client to avoid annoying downloads.

Open Steam, then Settings
Under the Downloads section, find Download Restrictions
Ensure Make sure the In-game downloads checkbox is unchecked
Consider setting a download schedule using the Update only between< checkbox /mark>

You can also terminate unnecessary processes. On Windows:

Right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager
Expand the view by clicking More Details
Check the Network column for anything that seems to be taking up bandwidth
Select the process and then terminate it by closing the process

Meanwhile, Linux and macOS users can also close unwanted background tasks. On macOS and Linux, you can close a process thanks to the activity monitor installed natively on both operating systems.

You can use the same process to shut down unwanted software that is hogging the CPU or RAM.

Use Windows Game Mode

Windows users can also use Game Mode before launching Steam. This mode suspends all other activity on your computer. To enable game mode on Windows 10/11:

Go to Windows 10/11 settings
Look for Games then go to Game Mode
Toggle Game Mode to On

Game Mode doesn't make a huge difference, but it does provide a useful boost on low performance systems.

Make sure Steam is a high priority app

9 ways to speed up Steam software and download games faster

Windows users can set the priority of Steam over other software and processes. It can instantly improve your system performance, even if it's not the download speed.

To do this, open the Task Manager again from the taskbar. And let yourself be guided:

Switch to the Details tab
Find the process steam.exe
Right-click on the process
From the menu, select Set priority then select High

It's that simple.

Improve Steam Store browser speed

Have you ever browsed the Steam store for a new game, only to find that the music video doesn't play not ? Or do you find that the entire client is slow to switch between store, library, and community modes?

These are frustrating problems that are very easy to solve.

The Steam Store is essentially a web browser, so it may experience the same issues as standard browsers. Clearing the cache will reduce browser latency and improve performance and overall speed.

Open Steam
Go to Settings
From the left menu, select Browser Internet
Click Delete browser cache
Confirm the cache clearing request by clicking OK

There is also a button to clear cookies, although this has no effect on the performance of the Steam client.

Install games on a faster hard drive or SSD

One of the main issues limiting the performance of Steam is your PC hardware b>. There are many ways to upgrade your PC to make it better, but the key is always the speed of your storage device (hard drive).

While upgrading from a mechanical hard drive (HDD) to a faster model (say 5400 rpm to 7200 rpm) might help, upgrading to an SSD is a better option. SSDs are based on the same technology as USB drives, so they are much, much, much faster.

Whether you choose a faster HDD or SSD, you can use faster storage for Steam. Migrating between data is straightforward, but there are two aspects to consider.

First, make sure the new device is optimized and formatted.

Second, the new storage must be large enough to hold your existing Steam library (some games on Steam are very heavy), so check the capacity.

When you're ready to move your data to the new drive, start your PC, load up Steam, then:

Open Steam
Go to Settings
In the left menu, go to Downloads
Click Steam Folders
Find and click Add Library Folder
Click the drop-down menu to select a new drive letter
Create a New folder
Accept the default name
Click OK

Existing games in your Steam library will then be migrated to the new, faster storage (SSD).

Is Steam throttling your downloads?

Due to high demand on its servers, Steam uses routing management to reduce the impact. This is called "throttling" and prioritizes certain types of data.

If your connection is throttling, causing download data to drop to 250 KB/s, you can change your Steam client settings.

Open Steam
Go to Settings
Find Downloads
Find Limit Bandwidth
Click the drop-down menu to set your maximum download limit
If your Download provider 'Internet Access (ISP) allows faster speeds than maximum, set No Limits
Click OK

Don't forget to restart Steam when you're done.

Choose a new Steam server

The Steam server you choose may slow downloads. It's no surprise that a lot of data is handled by Steam servers. But the problem may be that the wrong server is selected.

To verify this and select the correct server:

Open Steam
Go to Settings
Find Downloads
In the Download Region drop-down menu, make sure the server closest to you is selected

Now, all you have to do is click OK to confirm, then restart Steam for the changes to take effect.

Note that the server list is automatically updated when new servers come online and older devices are retired. Therefore, you should check every few months if your connection is updating to a slower server.

Can changing your ISP speed up steam?

ISPs (Internet Service Providers) also throttle Steam traffic. They do this to prioritize certain types of data, such as online shopping and social media, over high-speed activities such as online gaming, downloading, and video streaming.

It's true, the problem is usually your ISP, not Steam.

After all, a lot of data is processed by Steam servers, usually the service is sufficient. Just see a real-time graph of Steam bandwidth over the past 48 hours. You can browse the data to select an area and even see which ISP is providing the most bandwidth.

You can use this list as a guide to switching to a faster ISP. While the new ISP can still throttle data, throttling shouldn't affect games on Steam if the cap is faster and bandwidth is available.

Get faster Steam downloads with a VPN

Another way to speed up Steam is to play games through a VPN. The idea behind this is simple: ISPs throttle traffic, but managing encrypted traffic is another story. If your Steam download speeds are slow, connecting through a VPN is a good choice. It can even speed up online games and provide access to game servers that you wouldn't normally have access to.

If you use a VPN, make sure you choose a Steam server in the same country as your VPN. If your Steam servers are in New York, there is no need to use a VPN connected to a Toronto server.

You can read our article on how to choose a good VPN.

Don't suffer from slow vapor speeds

These changes can significantly improve the speed of your downloads from Steam.

You won't wonder why Steam isn't so slow anymore, it just works, delivering your games and DLCs fast. Combined with a VPN, you will no longer be limited by the speed provided by your ISP.

With Steam running smoothly, it's time to start playing your favorite games. Why not invite friends to play multiplayer Steam games?