How Much RAM and CPU Does a Game Server Need?
By Linus Pierre · Updated October 2026
How to size a game server without guessing: what each part does, why games differ so much, and how to tell when an upgrade will actually help.
It depends on the game far more than on the number of players. Start from the figure in your game’s own requirements guide, choose a plan with fast single-core CPU performance, and upgrade only when your server’s graphs show a real bottleneck.
- RAM holds the loaded world, so map size, mods and world age push it up.
- CPU runs the simulation. Most games lean on one fast main thread, not lots of cores.
- Player slots are a limit, not a resource. More slots do not add RAM or CPU.
What RAM and CPU actually do on a game server
A game server is a computer program that keeps your world running and tells every player what is happening in it. It needs four things from the machine it runs on, and each one fails in its own way.
- Its job
- Runs the game simulation: AI, physics, crafting, every tick
- When it runs out
- Everyone lags at the same moment
- Its job
- Holds the loaded world, players, mods and saved state
- When it runs out
- Stutters that build up over time, then crashes
- Its job
- Stores the world files, saves, logs and backups
- When it is slow
- Long start-ups and pauses when the world saves
- Its job
- Carries every player’s connection to the server
- When it is the problem
- High ping for players far from the data centre
RAM is the server’s working memory. Everything the game needs to keep loaded sits here: the parts of the map that are active, the buildings, items and creatures in them, every connected player and every mod. If the game needs more than the plan gives it, the server starts to stutter, then crashes or refuses to start.
The CPU does the thinking. Many times a second, it works out what every player, creature and machine in the world does next. In most games much of that work happens on one main thread, so the speed of a single core matters more than the number of cores. A server can show plenty of spare CPU overall while one busy core holds everyone back.
Storage matters when the world loads and saves. Fast SSD or NVMe storage keeps start-ups short and stops save pauses from turning into lag spikes. Network is mostly about distance: a server in a UK data centre gives UK players a shorter, steadier connection than one abroad.
Why one game needs 4 GB and another needs 16 GB
There is no single answer to how much RAM a game server needs, because games load and simulate very different amounts of world. A small vanilla world may run happily on a modest plan, while a heavily modded survival map can need several times as much. These are the factors that move the number:
- How much world stays loaded. Bigger maps, and players spread out across them, keep more of the world active at once.
- How old the world is. Bases, machines, tames and stored items pile up. A server that feels fine in week one can struggle months later.
- Mods and plugins. Large content mods and custom maps raise the baseline before anyone joins.
- Peak players. Each connected player adds some load, but usually less than the factors above.
- How the game uses memory. Some servers, such as Project Zomboid, run on Java, where the heap setting caps what the game can actually use.
Starting points from our game guides
Our per-game guides explain each of these figures and where they come from. Use them as a starting point, then adjust for your mods and world.
| Game | Where to start | What pushes it up | Compare hosts |
|---|---|---|---|
| DayZ | 6 GB is the official floor; 8 GB is safer with a few mods; busy modded servers commonly land at 10–16 GB | Map choice, large mods, player count | DayZ hosts |
| Project Zomboid | 8 GB is the practical floor for a small Build 42 group | Players spread across towns, map mods, long-running worlds | Zomboid hosts |
| Icarus | 8 GB for a small crew or fresh world; 12 GB for a shared Open World up to the 8-player cap | World age: bases, tames, farms and machinery | Icarus hosts |
| Rust | Facepunch lists 12 GB of free RAM, with more for larger maps | Map size, plugins, late-wipe build-up | Rust hosts |
| Valheim | 4 GB is a practical starting point for a small, mostly vanilla world (not an official minimum) | Heavy mod stacks, busy worlds | Valheim hosts |
| Enshrouded | Keen Games’ 16 GB figure describes a whole self-host machine, not a rented plan size | Player count; CPU headroom matters most | Enshrouded hosts |
| Space Engineers | Keen minimum 6 GB and a 3.2 GHz CPU; recommended 10 GB and 4.5 GHz | Large grids and busy worlds; clock speed drives sim speed | Space Engineers hosts |
| RuneScape: Dragonwilds | Official rule: 2 GB plus 1 GB per player, so 8 GB covers a full group of six | Nothing beyond six players; extra RAM does not raise the cap | Dragonwilds hosts |
| V Rising | 6 GB for most small vanilla groups; 8 GB for mods or up to about 20 players | Castle count, mods, population | V Rising hosts |
| Path of Titans | About 4 GB for up to 10 players; about 8 GB for up to 20 | AI population, map mods, peak players | Path of Titans hosts |
Playing something else? Every game page in our game hosting hub covers the hardware that matters for that title.
How to choose the right size
Use this flow to pick a sensible starting plan. It works for most games, as long as you start from that game’s own figure.
Watch the graphs after launch
Most host panels show RAM and CPU use over time. That tells you far more than any rule of thumb. As our DayZ RAM guide puts it, RAM above about 90% at peak means it is time to upgrade, while RAM below half most of the time suggests you are paying for more than you need.
Player slots are not RAM
Many plans are sold by player slots. A slot is just the maximum number of people allowed on the server at once. It does not add memory or processing power. Two plans with the same slot count can have very different amounts of RAM behind them, so always check the RAM figure, and set your player limit to what the hardware can really handle.
How much CPU does a game server need?
Hosts rarely make a fuss about CPUs, but for many games the processor decides how smooth the server feels. Three things matter most:
- Single-core speed. Most game servers do their main work on one thread, so a fast modern core beats a larger number of slower ones. Our Space Engineers sim speed guide shows how clearly one game’s performance follows clock speed.
- Shared or reserved cores. On shared game hosting, your server shares a processor with other customers. A good host keeps each machine lightly loaded. A “vCPU” on a VPS is also a share of a physical core, not a whole one.
- Honest listings. Hosts that name the processor model or clock speed make it much easier to compare plans than hosts that only list RAM.
Rule of thumb: if your server lags for everyone at once while RAM is fine, the CPU is the likely cause. More RAM will not fix it. Reducing load, such as entity counts, mods or player caps, or moving to a faster machine will.
Is it RAM, CPU or something else?
Before you pay for an upgrade, match what you see to its likely cause. Many “server problems” are not about RAM at all.
| What you notice | Likely cause | Check this first |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone lags or rubber-bands at the same moment | CPU: the main thread is maxed out | CPU use per core, entity and building counts, heavy mods |
| Lag builds up the longer the server runs, then a restart fixes it | RAM filling up | The RAM graph over a day; schedule regular restarts |
| Crashes with out-of-memory errors, or it will not start | Not enough RAM, or the game’s memory setting is too low | Plan size against peak use; the heap setting on Java games |
| Only one or two players lag | Their own connection | Their ping, Wi-Fi and distance from the data centre |
| Pauses every few minutes when the world saves | Slow storage or a very large save | SSD or NVMe storage, save size, backup timing |
| Everyone abroad has high ping | Server location | Pick a data centre close to most of your players |
For game-specific fixes, see our guides to Valheim lag and desync, Project Zomboid server lag, DayZ server performance and CS2 server lag.
What to check on a host’s plan page
- Guaranteed RAM: a fixed figure, not “up to”. Compare it with your game’s starting point above.
- Named CPU: the processor model or clock speed. Vague terms like “high performance” tell you nothing.
- Storage type: SSD or NVMe, plus how much space your saves, mods and backups will need.
- Upgrades in place: whether you can move to a bigger plan without reinstalling or moving your world.
- Usage graphs: whether the panel shows RAM and CPU over time, so you can see when to upgrade.
- Location: a data centre near your players. UK groups should look for a UK location.
- Slots vs resources: if the plan is sold by slots, find the RAM behind it. Our cheap hosting guide compares value across UK hosts.
RAM and CPU questions
Will more RAM fix lag on my game server?
Only if RAM is what is running out. If memory sits near its limit at peak or the server crashes with memory errors, more RAM helps. If everyone lags at once while RAM is fine, the CPU is usually the bottleneck, and if only some players lag, it is likely their connection.
How much RAM do I need for 10 players?
It depends on the game more than the player count. For example, our guides give about 4 GB for a small Path of Titans server of up to 10 players, while DayZ starts at 6 GB even when empty. Check the requirements guide for your game, then add headroom for mods.
Do mods need more RAM?
Usually, yes. Large content mods, custom maps and plugin packs raise the memory the server needs before anyone joins. Small tweaks often add very little. Start one tier above the base figure for a modded server and watch the RAM graph.
Can I upgrade my server later?
With most game hosts, yes. You can usually move to a bigger plan from the control panel without losing your world. Check that the host upgrades in place, so you can start at a sensible size rather than overpaying from day one.
Does the CPU model matter for a game server?
Yes. Most game servers rely on one fast main thread, so a modern processor with high single-core speed often matters more than extra RAM or more cores. Hosts that name their CPU model or clock speed make plans easier to compare.
