Why is my Sims 4 download stuck around 80 KB/s?

September 7, 2026 3 answers
Asked by MellowCedar47
I'm not very experienced with computers and could use some help. After giving up on an external hard drive, I found a 58 GB USB drive and decided to install The Sims 4 through the EA app because I don't have much storage or money for another drive. The download started successfully, but the speed is extremely slowโ€”usually around 80 KB/s, with only occasional spikes into the hundreds. At this rate, it looks like the installation could take several days. I'm using T-Mobile 5G internet, but I'm not sure what speed we're paying for. Could the USB drive be causing the slowdown, or is this more likely an internet or Wi-Fi issue?

Answers

CopperLime31
Turning off Wi-Fi on another device usually wonโ€™t make a major difference unless that device was actively using a lot of bandwidth. Your best test is to pause the installation and run a speed test near the computer. If the connection looks normal, the USB drive or the EA appโ€™s download server is more likely responsible. At 80 KB/s, though, Iโ€™d avoid assuming the internet is the only issue.
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BrightHarbor2
The first thing to figure out is whether the bottleneck is your internet connection, Wi-Fi, or the USB drive. Run a speed test on two different devices. If both get similar results, that is probably the connection speed youโ€™re receiving. If one device is much slower, its Wi-Fi hardware or signal may be the problem. Also check whether your internet plan lists speeds in megabits per second, since download apps often show megabytes per second. Those units are different: 10 MB/s is roughly 80 Mb/s.
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QuietPanda8
The flash drive could definitely be the problem, especially while the game is being installed directly onto it. Many basic USB thumb drives have very slow write and random-write speeds, so the EA app may pause or slow down while unpacking and writing files. A USB drive is also not ideal for running a game from. If possible, download the game to your computerโ€™s internal drive first, then move it to better storage later after clearing some space.
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