Downloads
Why are game and app downloads slower than my speed test?
Short answer: first check the units. Game launchers and browsers usually show megabytes per second (MB/s) while speed tests show megabits per second (Mbps), and 1 MB/s = 8 Mbps, so a 300 Mbps line downloading at 35 MB/s is working perfectly. If the gap is real after converting, the usual causes are the download server, your disk or CPU unpacking the files, Wi-Fi, a speed limit set inside the app, or other devices sharing the line.
Step 1: convert before you compare
Lowercase b is bits, uppercase B is bytes, and there are 8 bits in a byte. NETGEAR's support documentation gives a real example: a Wi-Fi file transfer of 4.76 MB/s "translates into 38.1 Mbps" (NETGEAR KB 19668).
| Speed test says | Ideal download in MB/s (÷ 8) | Realistic after overhead (about 90–95%) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 Mbps | 12.5 MB/s | 11–12 MB/s |
| 300 Mbps | 37.5 MB/s | 34–36 MB/s |
| 500 Mbps | 62.5 MB/s | 56–59 MB/s |
| 940 Mbps (gigabit) | 117.5 MB/s | 106–112 MB/s |
So a gigabit owner who sees "113 MB/s" in a launcher already has a full-speed download. If your converted numbers match, stop here: nothing is wrong.
Step 2: if the gap is real, find which side is slow
| Test | If it fixes the speed | If it doesn't |
|---|---|---|
| Pause downloads on other devices and consoles, then retry | The line was shared | Next test |
| Change the download region or server in the launcher's settings, restart the download | The first server or its route was congested | Next test |
| Watch disk and CPU usage in Task Manager or Activity Monitor during the download | If disk or CPU sits at 100%, your PC is unpacking slower than the line delivers | Next test |
| Plug the PC or console into the router with a cable | Wi-Fi was the limit | Next test |
| Check the app's own bandwidth limit setting | A cap was set | Collect evidence for the provider |
Why each of these happens
- The download server is not the speed test server. A speed test measures to a nearby, well-connected server. A launcher fetches from a content delivery network chosen by region, which can be busy on release days.
- Games are compressed. Launchers download compressed chunks and then decompress and write them. On an older hard drive or a busy CPU, writing is the bottleneck and the network graph shows gaps or a sawtooth.
- Apps limit themselves. Windows Update, for example, uses Delivery Optimization, whose policy settings include a "Maximum foreground download bandwidth (percentage)" and a background equivalent; by default these adjust dynamically rather than using the full line (Microsoft Learn: Delivery Optimization reference). Game launchers and consoles have similar download limit or "limit bandwidth" options.
- Wi-Fi costs more than you think. A device that shows a 300 Mbps link rate may move only 50–90 Mbps of real data, according to the same NETGEAR article.
A real case: when it really is the network
A user on r/techsupport with a 1000/1000 plan described game downloads that used to run at about 100 MB/s falling to 14–16 MB/s over several months, while Ookla tests still showed 400–600 Mbps down (r/techsupport thread). Units could not explain that gap: 14 MB/s is only about 115 Mbps. In cases like this, record the launcher speed, a speed test result and the time, on a cable, on three different evenings. That turns a feeling into evidence your provider has to answer.
How long should my download take?
Use the download time calculator with your measured speed. As a guide, an 80 GB game at a real 300 Mbps takes about 36 minutes at full speed (80,000 MB × 8 ÷ 300 Mbps ≈ 2,133 seconds) and about an hour if the launcher averages 60% of the line because of unpacking.
Related
Mbps vs MB/s explained · Why speed test results differ · Download vs upload speed · Router placement and Wi-Fi