How Much RAM and CPU Does a Game Server Need?
It depends on the game, the map or world, the mods and the player count, but there are reliable starting points. A small Minecraft server can run on 1 to 2 GB, while a fresh ARK: Survival Ascended map alone is listed at 8 to 10 GiB before anyone joins. CPU is a different question: most games care about the speed of one core far more than the number of cores.
Below are figures taken from developer documentation and community wikis, labeled as minimums or guidelines, followed by how to size your own server and what to make of "unlimited" resource claims. Figures were checked on 2026-11-01; game updates can change them, so check current patch notes.
- RAM needs range from about 1 GB (small vanilla Minecraft) to well over 8 GB (ARK: Survival Ascended, Palworld, modded 7 Days to Die).
- Single-thread CPU speed usually matters more than core count; most of these games use only a few cores effectively.
- Mods, bigger maps, more players and longer uptime all raise memory use.
- Official minimums are for getting the server to start, not for a pleasant populated server; leave headroom.
- Watch your own memory and CPU graphs for a week; they beat any rule of thumb.
On this page
RAM, CPU and storage by game
The table lists published figures. They come from different kinds of sources, so the last column says which. None of them is a guarantee for your particular setup.
| Game | RAM | CPU | Storage | Source type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minecraft: Java Edition | 1 GB for 1-4 players, 2 GB for 5-10, 4 GB for 10+ (default settings, new world) | Good single-core speed; about three cores used at most | Not stated | Minecraft Wiki, community |
| Minecraft: Bedrock Dedicated Server | 4 GB for OS plus server on Windows 10; more beyond 10 players | Dual-core minimum; quad-core 3 GHz or faster recommended | Not stated | Minecraft Wiki, community |
| Rust | 4 GB free | Faster CPU needed as max players increase | 4.5 GB free; SSD/NVMe strongly preferred | Facepunch wiki |
| ARK: Survival Ascended | About 8-10 GiB for The Island on a new save, no players | 4 logical cores recommended; single-thread matters more | About 11 GiB | ARK Wiki, community |
| ARK: Survival Evolved | About 3.5-4.5 GiB for The Island new save; +50-150 MiB per player | 2 logical cores sufficient; never scales past 4 | About 18 GiB | ARK Wiki, community |
| Palworld | 16 GB stated; 8 GB bootable but higher crash risk | 4 cores recommended | Fast SSD recommended; no size given | Palworld Docs, developer |
| Satisfactory | 8 GB minimum; 16 GB recommended for large saves or more than four players | Intel i5-3570 or Ryzen 5 3600 class, or better; single-thread matters most | About 12.4 GB on Windows | Satisfactory Wiki, community |
| 7 Days to Die | 6 GB free minimum; 10-16 GB comfortable for modded or 4+ players | 4 fast cores minimum; 6+ high-clock cores comfortable | 15 GB SSD minimum | 7D2D community wiki |
Single-thread vs multi-thread: why clock speed wins
Most game simulations run their main loop on one thread: they must process world updates in order, so adding cores does not make that loop faster. The sources above agree. Minecraft Java uses a few cores but typically not more than three, and the Minecraft Wiki says hyperthreading does not seem to benefit it much. ARK Survival Evolved's wiki says the workload never scales beyond 4 cores. Satisfactory and 7 Days to Die list single-thread speed as the priority.
So a 16-core server at low clock speeds can lag where an 8-core high-clock processor does not. When comparing hosts, ask for the CPU model and its clock speed, not just a core count. Extra cores still help with the OS, plugins, backups and other work running beside the game.
What makes RAM use grow
- Map or world size: ARK's wiki shows RAM varying widely by map; The Center is listed at 10.5 to 12 GiB on ASA, higher than The Island's 8 to 10 GiB.
- Player count: the ARK wiki estimates 50 to 150 MiB per connected player on Survival Evolved; the Minecraft Wiki suggests a player object itself needs about 50 to 100 MB, though servers typically use more.
- Mods and plugins: these add code, assets and entities. 7 Days to Die's community wiki lists a higher comfortable range for modded servers.
- Save age: bases, entities, loaded chunks and world data accumulate. Satisfactory's wiki recommends 16 GB for larger saves.
- View distance and spawn settings: in 7 Days to Die, ServerMaxAllowedViewDistance is described as high-impact on memory and performance.
Memory can also creep up over uptime. Scheduling a restart every day or two is a common way to keep it in check, and your graphs will tell you whether you need one.
Minimum, recommended and what you should actually buy
Developer minimums are generally the point at which the server starts and works with few players. Palworld's documentation illustrates this: 8 GB is described as bootable but with out-of-memory crash risk, with 16 GB listed as the requirement. Rust's wiki says the 4 GB free figure varies with use case and population.
A practical sizing method is to start from the published figure for your game and map, add the player and mod overhead above, then add headroom of roughly 20 to 30 percent. That percentage is a rule of thumb, not a published number. Then run the server for a week under real load and adjust.
How to measure what your server really uses
- Record a baseline
Right after a restart with nobody online, note memory and CPU in your host's graphs.
- Watch peak hours
Check at your busiest time. Compare memory when full, not just when the server is fresh.
- Look at trend over days
Memory that keeps rising until a crash suggests a leak or a mod problem, while a flat line with spikes suggests a sizing question.
- Separate CPU from network
If one core is pegged and players complain about rubber-banding, you are CPU-bound. If CPU is low and lag is widespread, suspect network or an attack.
Why "unlimited" resource claims need context
"Unlimited slots" usually means the host does not cap player count, not that your hardware stretches infinitely. A processor that is shared with other customers, or oversold, delivers less than its core count suggests during peak hours. Ask three things: are the cores dedicated or shared, is the node oversold, and what happens when you hit the ceiling?
That removes an artificial cap, but it does not remove the game's own limits: a game bound to one thread will not get faster because more cores are available, and a poorly optimized mod still costs what it costs. Honest hosting means telling you both sides. ChicagoServers states that its nodes are not oversold and that it does not impose CPU or RAM limits.
If you are choosing a host from scratch, our host-selection checklist covers the other questions to ask alongside resources.
Frequently asked questions
How much RAM does a Minecraft server need?
The Minecraft Wiki lists 1 GB for 1-4 players, 2 GB for 5-10 and 4 GB for more, with default settings and a new world. Mods, plugins, larger worlds and higher view distance all raise that.
Is CPU or RAM more important for a game server?
It depends on the game, but single-core CPU speed is usually the first bottleneck, while RAM becomes the limit on large maps, modded servers and older saves.
How much RAM does a Palworld server need?
Palworld's official documentation lists 16 GB, and says 8 GB is bootable but increases the risk of out-of-memory crashes. Fast SSD storage is also recommended.
Can a server have too much RAM?
Extra RAM does not hurt, but it does not fix lag if the CPU core is the bottleneck. Past what the game and your mods use, more memory mostly sits idle.