Gaming & Internet
Steam Download Time Calculator
See how long a Steam download will take at your connection speed - and read Steam’s MB/s figure correctly.
Free to useNo sign-up requiredNo watermarkRuns in your browser
Steam’s download page shows a speed and a time remaining, but the speed is normally in megabytes per second while your internet plan is sold in megabits - so a perfectly healthy download can look eight times slower than you expected.
Enter the download size and your speed in either unit to get a best-case download time, the data transferred, and the MB/s figure Steam should show if your connection is running at full speed.
How this tool works
Enter the download size
Use the size in Steam’s Downloads queue if you can; it can differ from the disk space listed on the store page.
Enter your speed
Your plan in Mbps, a speed-test result, or the MB/s rate Steam shows.
Set an overhead allowance
5% covers network overhead; use 0 for the raw figure.
Read the time
Hours, minutes and seconds, plus the equivalent MB/s.
How it works
Download time = size × (1 + overhead) × 8 ÷ speed. The × 8 converts bytes to bits, because speeds are measured in bits per second. A 60 GB download at 100 Mbps takes 60 × 8,000 ÷ 100 = 4,800 seconds - 1 hour 20 minutes.
Steam downloads game content compressed, then decompresses and writes it to your drive. That is why the download size in the queue can be noticeably smaller than the disk space a game needs, and why a download can sit at 100% while Steam finishes writing files - that part depends on your drive and processor, not your connection.
Steam shows rates in bytes by default, with an option in its Downloads settings to show them in bits instead. Either way, the calculator shows both, so you can compare Steam’s number with your plan.
Common reasons for a slower download: Wi-Fi rather than a cable, other devices using the connection, a download-region server that is busy or far away, a bandwidth limit set in Steam’s settings, and a slow hard drive that cannot write as fast as the internet can deliver.
Common use cases
- Deciding whether a new game will be ready to play tonight.
- Working out whether Steam’s reported MB/s means your connection is performing as it should.
- Planning a big download around a metered or capped connection.
- Comparing how much an upgrade to a faster plan would save on large downloads.
Mbps vs MB/s: why your download looks eight times slower
Internet plans are sold in megabits per second (Mbps). Game sizes are in gigabytes, and many download screens show megabytes per second (MB/s). A byte is 8 bits, so a 100 Mbps plan downloads at most 12.5 MB/s. Seeing “12.5 MB/s” on a 100 Mbps connection means it is working at full speed.
To estimate by hand: a gigabyte is 8,000 megabits, so each GB takes 80 seconds at 100 Mbps, 16 seconds at 500 Mbps and 8 seconds at 1 Gbps - before any slowdowns.
| 25 Mbps (3.1 MB/s) | 8 h 53 min |
|---|---|
| 50 Mbps (6.25 MB/s) | 4 h 27 min |
| 100 Mbps (12.5 MB/s) | 2 h 13 min |
| 300 Mbps (37.5 MB/s) | 44 min |
| 500 Mbps (62.5 MB/s) | 27 min |
| 1 Gbps (125 MB/s) | 13 min 20 s |
Formula
Data transferred
download size × (1 + overhead %)
Download time (seconds)
data (bytes) × 8 ÷ speed (bits per second)
Mbps to MB/s
Mbps ÷ 8
100 Mbps = 12.5 MB/s.
Worked examples
A 60 GB game on a 100 Mbps plan
With no overhead: 60 GB × 8 ÷ 100 Mbps = 4,800 seconds, or 1 hour 20 minutes. Steam should show about 12.5 MB/s.
A 100 GB download where Steam shows 50 MB/s
50 MB/s is 400 Mbps. With 5% overhead, 105 GB × 8 ÷ 400 Mbps = 2,100 seconds - 35 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Steam show 12 MB/s on my 100 Mbps connection?
Because Steam is showing megabytes per second and your plan is in megabits. 100 Mbps ÷ 8 = 12.5 MB/s, so 12 MB/s is essentially full speed.
Why is the download size smaller than the game’s size on disk?
Steam downloads compressed data and unpacks it as it installs. The queue shows the amount to download, while the store page lists the disk space needed afterwards.
Why is my Steam download slower than my plan?
Wi-Fi, other traffic in the house, a busy or distant download server, a bandwidth limit in Steam’s settings, or a slow drive can all hold it back. Trying a different download region or a wired connection often helps. Steam does not promise any particular speed.
Why does the download pause at 100%?
Steam may still be unpacking and writing files, or allocating disk space. That is limited by your drive and processor rather than your internet connection.
Is my information sent anywhere?
No. You type a size and a speed; the calculation runs in your browser.