Inconsistent internet usage on downloads

[Realragnarok]

I have an 80megabit per second download speed and on my browsers and every other piece of software I use I have full utilization, I've gone into settings and giving it a 10 GB cap to keep it from throttling but for some reason it will go down to zero and not be using any internet for some reason, it's causing 15 minute updates to take six to seven hours, if anyone has any information it would be greatly appreciated

[Cathulhu]

Usually that happens when an update is downloaded in chunks but Steam has problems applying/processing the current chunk.
This is usually either to the CPU or harddrive not being up to the task or some software interfering with Steam.

Steam uses Deltapatches. That means it only downloads the changed parts of files and some instructions to apply them.
Then it creates copies of the files that are going to be updated. If necessary those copies are decrypted and decompressed, then the update is applied, the file (if necessary) recompressed and re-encrypted and overwriting the original outdated file.

Copies are created so in case something goes wrong with updating, the client can still use the original file to try again without the need to download the full file due to a failed update.

[Jerry]

If your downloads cycle between full speed and zero, your computer is the bottleneck. Steam downloads are installed "on the fly", meaning the files are saved, unpacked and processed at the same time. That puts a huge strain on your hard drive, and your CPU gets busy too. If one of those is slower than your internet, the download has to let you catch up.
Check, if the green line for HD use remains high all throughout the process.

[Realragnarok]

I have an i7-9700k and a 3 tb SSD, and 64 g of RAM, which one needs to be upgraded?

[Cathulhu]

What brand and model is the SSD?

[Realragnarok]

Originally posted by Jerry:

If your downloads cycle between full speed and zero, your computer is the bottleneck. Steam downloads are installed "on the fly", meaning the files are saved, unpacked and processed at the same time. That puts a huge strain on your hard drive, and your CPU gets busy too. If one of those is slower than your internet, the download has to let you catch up.
Check, if the green line for HD use remains high all throughout the process.

I have 64 gigs RAM, an i7-9700k, and 4 terabyte ssd, which is the throttle?

[Realragnarok]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

What brand and model is the SSD?

HP I think

[Cathulhu]

Check the hardware/device manager to see what exactly the SSD's brand and model is.

Both AMD and HP do not manufacture SSDs.

P.S.: You can edit your posts, no need to spam.

[Realragnarok]

Originally posted by Realragnarok:

Originally posted by Realragnarok:

HP I think

Sorry it's AMD

Crucial t-700

[Cathulhu]

Ok, that seems to be a decent SSD with a proper DRAM Cache. Runs a bit warm so requires the included heatsink and some airflow.

Often those problems relate to cheap SSDs without a DRAM Cache which results in performance even below HDDs when processing data.

The CPU should be fine for that task. How high is the CPU load when you download stuff on Steam?

[Realragnarok]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

Ok, that seems to be a decent SSD with a proper DRAM Cache. Runs a bit warm so requires the included heatsink and some airflow.

Often those problems relate to cheap SSDs without a DRAM Cache which results in performance even below HDDs when processing data.

The CPU should be fine for that task. How high is the CPU load when you download stuff on Steam?

2-8%

[Cathulhu]

Ok, then your CPU is not at fault. It's quite bored actually, which is not a bad thing.
So, if the SSD isn't running at 100% and the CPU isn't either, that only leaves some software running on your PC that interferes with Steam. Like an antivirus or other security software that "listens" to what happens on your computer.

[Realragnarok]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

Ok, then your CPU is not at fault. It's quite bored actually, which is not a bad thing.
So, if the SSD isn't running at 100% and the CPU isn't either, that only leaves some software running on your PC that interferes with Steam. Like an antivirus or other security software that "listens" to what happens on your computer.

That seems really strange because it only happens on steam, it's totally fine on epic origin battlenet, I only have this problem with steam do you know of a software that would specifically Target steam?

[Cathulhu]

There is no such list. And i can't see what programs are running on your computer. You will have to find that yourself.
I have no problems downloading at 100 Megabit per seconds and both my CPU and SSDs are quite bored.
My ancient HDD though, that would struggle a bit to keep up.

[Shadow]

Are your network drivers up to date? You can check from your motherboards manufacturer.

Try reinstalling Steam. Try a beta version of Steam.

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/276C-85A0-C531-AFA3

Is it just Steam for sure? Or is it happening at specific times of the day? If the internet slows to a crawl no matter what software at a certain time of day, then it's probably network congestion from your ISP. You can also run a speed test to ensure you are getting your speeds.

https://www.speedtest.net/

You can try a clean boot to see if any other software you have that runs during start up or in the background is taking up all your speed.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows-da2f9573-6eec-00ad-2f8a-a97a1807f3dd#ID0EBBD=Windows_11

[Tomi Montana]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

Check the hardware/device manager to see what exactly the SSD's brand and model is.

Both AMD and HP do not manufacture SSDs.

P.S.: You can edit your posts, no need to spam.

HP actually used to manufacture SSDs actually not very long ago (2-3 years ago) , but decided to later pull out of the market (HP S700 SATA series SSDs and HP EX9xx series come up to my mind as an example)

AMD used to sell SSDs under the same name as their gpu (AMD radeon R7/R9 SSDs) almost a decade ago but they were rebranded and actually manufactured by OCZ.

Both haven't really had success in the SSD market.