Work out how long a game download takes at your connection speed, allowing for real-world throughput.
Gigabytes are converted to megabits by multiplying by 8,000, then divided by the throughput actually achieved. Real transfers never hit line rate because of protocol overhead, disk speed and contention, so the efficiency factor derates it first. A game download quoted at line rate is always optimistic; planning a maintenance window on the derated figure is what stops it overrunning.
Gaming Download Time
Time = size × 8,000 ÷ (line rate × efficiency), in seconds
Time = size × 8,000 ÷ (line rate × efficiency), in seconds Gigabytes are converted to megabits by multiplying by 8,000, then divided by the throughput actually achieved. Real transfers never hit line rate because of protocol overhead, disk speed and contention, so the efficiency factor derates it first.
A game download quoted at line rate is always optimistic; planning a maintenance window on the derated figure is what stops it overrunning.
This calculator takes 3 inputs: Game download size, Connection speed, Achieved share of line rate. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.