The reported download rates and real transfer speeds don't match.
The reported download rates and real transfer speeds don't match.
I understand the distinction between Mbps and Mbps well. You’re connected via roughly 25 feet of Cat5e Ethernet. You subscribe to gigabit internet but typically experience about 800Mbps download speeds according to Speedtest.net. However, actual downloads often drop to around 15Mbps regardless of what you play—whether it’s GamePass, Battle.net, or Steam. I only once saw a download reach 97Mbps, which made me wonder if my ISP was throttling gaming traffic. I tried using a VPN but the speeds remained unchanged. If you have any suggestions or solutions, I’d appreciate them!
The difference comes from how the B is written (capital or not). Big B stands for bytes, small b for bits. I initially thought about damage to the Ethernet cable, but at 15MB/s it’s unlikely since it exceeds 100Mbps and the link should already be gigabit. Regarding server regions, using Steam with a different download location won’t affect this unless background activity changes.
I moved from US-Atlanta to US-Dallas, and my download speeds reached a high of 65.3MB/s before settling around 25MB/s. According to the app I used to track network activity, almost nothing else was consuming much bandwidth except for tablet updates. Also, problems arise when I switch to the app from my ISP provider and designate my computer as the "Priority Device." I also attempted to clear the Steam download cache before testing.
Either the Steam servers aren't able to provide you that much, or the ISP's bottlenecking somewhere deeper down.
It might also slow down your CPU if the game requires decompression. You can quickly determine this by looking at Steam's CPU statistics.