Steam Downloads Constantly Fluctuating, have tried multiple fixes none working.

[Johnny Sins]

I've had an issue downloading things on Steam for the last year.

The issue in question is that my downloads will typically start strong (~100MB/s) and then slowly drop to about 50MB/s and then 0MB/s. My disk speed will also do the same thing, so I know it's not the download throttling while it waits for my SSD to catch up and unpack everything recently downloaded.

Had similar issues on my old PC, but since I've gotten a new one.

My setup:
AMD Radeon 5950X
GTX 3090
1TB NVME M.2 SSD
32GB RAM
Windows 11
Asus PRIME 570-X PRO Motherboard

My internet speed:
900 Mb/s (112 MB/s) download
40 Mb/s (5 MB/s) upload
(Currently hardwired to the modem, with a gigabit capable ethernet cord)

What I've done to attempt to fix it:
Reinstall Steam
Change download regions, numerous times to various in the US and overseas
Whitelisting my Steam in Windows Defender (no anti-virus besides that)
Going into my device settings and altering the way my SSD reads/writes
Turning off/on every setting in Steam Downloads page thinking it's just some small bug
Ensured all Windows updates were installed
Ensured all drivers were up to date

Nothing has fixed it thus far, and I'm growing increasingly frustrated as it's a total coin flip on how fast a large game will install. a 50GB game will either take a few minutes or a couple of hours.

[Elucidator]

Did you get the drivers from the website that sells the hardware of your computer?
so for example, that Asus Prime motherboard, did you grab the drivers from the support section on that page?

https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/prime/prime-x570-pro/helpdesk_download/?model2Name=PRIME-X570-PRO

Find the specs of your SSD, and also grab the driver from the website of that SSD if you didn't; and update the firmware of the device.

[Satoru]

Setam can obliterate 1gbps connections

Your downloads are limited by

1) your CPU
2) your disk IO
3) your anti-virus
4) your ISP

[Johnny Sins]

Originally posted by Elucidator:

Did you get the drivers from the website that sells the hardware of your computer?
so for example, that Asus Prime motherboard, did you grab the drivers from the support section on that page?

https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/prime/prime-x570-pro/helpdesk_download/?model2Name=PRIME-X570-PRO

Find the specs of your SSD, and also grab the driver from the website of that SSD if you didn't; and update the firmware of the device.

Just updated the SSD firmware, issue persists. All the motherboard updates/software I've used is direct from Asus.

[Johnny Sins]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Setam can obliterate 1gbps connections

Your downloads are limited by

1) your CPU
2) your disk IO
3) your anti-virus
4) your ISP

CPU is a 5950X, so there's no bottleneck there
My disk is an SSD, so no bottleneck there
I have no anti-virus besides the built in Windows Defender, which has Steam whitelisted
My ISP has gigabit internet that I'm using so that's not a bottleneck

[Iceira]

I Read things diffrently in topic.
"it waits for my SSD to catch up and unpack everything recently downloaded."

this is know as write behind cache issue. ( i can say work as intended even )

if you had fiddle with it to option is on or its set to default on then its clearly you main storage is not fast enough or not RAID Solution, problem you need to graps both statement is correct,
and you need to understand this is learn from Server educations, or very hardcore games that use Raid Solution, this is nothing new, to have Media solution that write fast enough, then 1 disk.

this has been said so many times, in diffrent post.

talk with IT Educate ppl , forget standard reply.

cache or buffer, has always been there, to know and master it all can be diffcult, we all learn this way back at DOSD age with 16 mega byte RAM, then standard was lesser then 4, then we use Ncache2 from norton, and disk media cant keep up, this is why i reply on it. so other learn from it .
and its your network work as intended , its you that send ICMP to server with stop i cant keep up.

so you need to be network engineer amd educated in pc to know all this , or be very lucky to read or learn this somehow, and that almost impossible.

be happy steam moderator dont close post with things thats not a steam issue at all.
try see it they allow it so user learn from others.

or what other know or have diffrent opinion on the subject.

this dont ruleout as out point out hardware issue or its Drivers.
then you just have double error as seen as same 1 error.

then you get the process of faulthy finding, with test pc or spare, then you know how little i trust what other say i do, this old ways has caught many issue even then it happend to me, problem is where do we go then we have issue, that's right, most of the time its deal with it yourself,unless Brand support or other know better.

and thats the problem with steam, some user are advance hardcore player that know all, and they dont know others issue then they are gaming,

dont expect free help from top ace pc user ( or should i call them hardcore steam player there know pc Build in top of this, they are few here. ) dont forget you are in media storage type issue, this has been neglect by many, because i have SSD and i know all, welcome to first class tunnel vision person. SSD is not fast enough then buffer up bite you in the butt.

dont use my word just because i have a clue on the subject, still your jobn to live with it or check disk propertise or ask own BRAND board what im talking about. or disk support
i dont think other support palace will reject it as not my problem.
im sure steam will see it as such then they techniocaly just use it, they are not hardware support to this subject.

you can try Steam hardware im sure they can tell you this, if other there has a clue what all this is about.

you can even say you have pc Build issue depend on buffer up issue.

and we are back at user own problem, and what you can afford even. ( all depend on view point. )

gl with it.

ps.
i think that disk driv is know for write behind cache, and keep make issue here on steam, so why have you not read them.
1TB NVME M.2 SSD
its simple impossible for me and other steam helpers with to keep track on previous post.

Technicaly this post should be closed and link to other Solution post.
thats how things is done in Support places.

[Elucidator]

Originally posted by Iceira W10:

I Read things diffrently in topic.
"it waits for my SSD to catch up and unpack everything recently downloaded."

this is know as write behind cache issue. ( i can say work as intended even )

@Iceira [W10]
Note that OP said the following:

Originally posted by Johnny Sins:

Going into my device settings and altering the way my SSD reads/writes

I assumed from this that OP tried disabling the write caching.
I assumed from this the cache on the device would be bypassed, and so the graph on downloading would be stabilized. (even if downloading ends up being overal slower)

I still think it maybe the SSD's NVMe driver. I haven't seen OP confirm whether or not they actually went to Samnsung or whichever brand SSD they have's website to grab the correct driver for the SSD.

I don't know too much about computers (no education), so what I know I learned myself.
but I realize it could be a network issue. Still I doubt it since companies usually do a good job.


Edit: but... in all honesty,
I haven't confirmed whether this behavior is more incidental and related to Windows Update or whatever software there is on OPs PC. If things are occupied, they are occupied, and Steam's download progress counts as a Media Stream in windows. (No clue why though, but it means that it is influenced by settings that change media stream networking behavior.)
I don't know if there are moments in time where it does work or not.

[Iceira]

Dnt feel bad Elucidator, you know the problem with link's . they can edit things , and this is why i told him contact own Support

and its okay , and why i mention check with spare pc, most error is found that way.
this has been proof so many time can yuo repeat the error, sure then we can blain the system even.

then network reduce DL , its user that cant keep up.
this is why all point at own end.

"my SSD to catch up and unpack everything"
this is corrent statement, now you neeed to know Buffer and cache. and what to do about it.

this is why i said gl with Find a network enginner and PC build master, i can only said i know this from server that serve way more user then OP , we talk about Domain server and many user. with incoming traffic, this cant be learn other ways, most private user dont have such.

im sure you can see a issue WITH SSD to multiuser access, not even my private pc have such buffer up issue.

as i said he need to contact own Board and harddisk support even, and yet they can say work as intended, then its simple hes media type and own problem to deal with better write storage.

its end there, user own problem for missing insight, or what will you call it , the right person that know buffer up issue. and he told this himself. ( we are over in advance pc build , and now you need ppl that know this topic, get faster disk solutions. atm its RAID, some day other media is there, but we are not there yet.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Johnny Sins:

Originally posted by Satoru:

Setam can obliterate 1gbps connections

Your downloads are limited by

1) your CPU
2) your disk IO
3) your anti-virus
4) your ISP

CPU is a 5950X, so there's no bottleneck there
My disk is an SSD, so no bottleneck there
I have no anti-virus besides the built in Windows Defender, which has Steam whitelisted
My ISP has gigabit internet that I'm using so that's not a bottleneck

Just because you have an SSD doesnt mean your disk or cpu are not bottlenecks

Steam cna obliterate your connection. If its not then its a local issue not a steam problem

Look at your peformance monitor and espeiclaly look at your disk % utilization. I guarantee you're hitting 100%

[Iceira]

Dont get me wrong on the self learned person, problem is you need to Reseach topic then need them, and that has come into current time , with big Solution you need the right books . internet aient going to fix wrong reading books that is outdate, in IT things change fast, and we other can say no they dont, its same BS from the past, thats somehow keep repeat itself.

disk and slow writes, was also there way back and it seem to be same on SSD disk.
i think its odd so few know this, but who said next gen ppl know this.

and there was alot of self learned in the past.
not sure the hardware support on disk and board are aware of the issue the make then user dont know buffer up issue, and yet they can say work as intended, aient support problem to tell him hes disk cant keep up. ( there are many ways to explan all this. )

same as you and me, we might can drive a car, but i dare you say you can driver a fomula one car, with no training and get away with it with no scrates at all, and stay alive.

this is my point drive a car is not same thing as a top ace fomula one car, you need alot of experience or traning.

again good luck OP, find the right person that know alot about it, they are not here as gamers most of them i know dont have time for gaming at all.

actual they dont know anything about pc build most of them is specialist in 1 thing only, and that the problem with highend educated ppl, they ask other with game experience.

ask steam hardware Group, maybe you can get lucky there.

[Franinator]

Originally posted by Johnny Sins:

I've had an issue downloading things on Steam for the last year.

The issue in question is that my downloads will typically start strong (~100MB/s) and then slowly drop to about 50MB/s and then 0MB/s. My disk speed will also do the same thing, so I know it's not the download throttling while it waits for my SSD to catch up and unpack everything recently downloaded.

Had similar issues on my old PC, but since I've gotten a new one.

My setup:
AMD Radeon 5950X
GTX 3090
1TB NVME M.2 SSD
32GB RAM
Windows 11
Asus PRIME 570-X PRO Motherboard

My internet speed:
900 Mb/s (112 MB/s) download
40 Mb/s (5 MB/s) upload
(Currently hardwired to the modem, with a gigabit capable ethernet cord)

What I've done to attempt to fix it:
Reinstall Steam
Change download regions, numerous times to various in the US and overseas
Whitelisting my Steam in Windows Defender (no anti-virus besides that)
Going into my device settings and altering the way my SSD reads/writes
Turning off/on every setting in Steam Downloads page thinking it's just some small bug
Ensured all Windows updates were installed
Ensured all drivers were up to date

Nothing has fixed it thus far, and I'm growing increasingly frustrated as it's a total coin flip on how fast a large game will install. a 50GB game will either take a few minutes or a couple of hours.

Your SSD is the limiting factor. You need something like an SN*%)X is keep sustained write speeds. Its my only SSD that will do this guaranteed!

[mellowbug]

Steam deck does the same.. at least mine does. Always fast at first and after a while it starts slowing down then it starts randomly dropping to zero.

[Adam]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.