A game server on a VPS gives your group or community a world that stays online without anyone leaving a PC running. Games differ widely in what they need, so the right plan depends on the game, the number of players and how many mods you add. This guide explains what drives those needs, why location matters as much as size, and how to choose between Linux and Windows.
Before you start
Collect the facts for your game:
- The game's official dedicated server requirements, from the developer's documentation or wiki.
- Expected players online at the same time, not total members.
- Mods, plugins or map size you plan to use.
- Where most of your players live.
Note: Each game publishes its own requirements and they change with updates. Use the developer's current figures as your baseline and treat the advice here as guidance on top.
What drives RAM use
Memory holds the loaded world, players' data and any mods. It grows with:
- Players online: each player loads more of the world around them.
- World size and view distance: larger loaded areas mean more memory.
- Mods and plugins: heavy modpacks can need several times the memory of the plain game.
- The operating system: Linux without a desktop leaves more RAM for the game than Windows does.
Some games run in Java and need a memory limit set at start-up. Give the game a clear budget and leave the rest for the operating system.
What drives CPU use
Many game servers run their main simulation loop, the tick, on one thread. That means:
- The speed of each core matters more than the core count for the main loop.
- Extra cores still help with world generation, plugins, networking, backups and other services on the same server.
Signs of CPU strain are lag spikes, rubber-banding and "server can't keep up" messages in the log. See how many CPU cores you need for how to read CPU use.
Location and ping
Players feel latency before anything else. A powerful server on another continent still feels laggy. Choose a server location close to where most players live, then test with a ping from a player's PC.
Linux or Windows
Linux VPS
Most popular dedicated servers have Linux builds, including Minecraft, Valheim, CS2, Rust and many Steam games through SteamCMD. Linux uses less memory for itself and is easy to automate with scripts and tools such as LinuxGSM.
Windows VPS
Some games only ship a Windows dedicated server, or their Linux build lags behind. Pick Windows when that is the case, or if you prefer to manage the server through a desktop. You connect with Remote Desktop on port 3389.
Check the game's documentation for which builds exist before ordering.
Rough sizing approach
- Start from the developer's recommended specs for your expected player count.
- Add memory for mods and plugins, based on the modpack's notes.
- Add a couple of gigabytes for the operating system, more on Windows.
- Add 25–50% headroom for growth and events.
- Check disk needs: game files, world saves and backups of those saves.
Check it works
Invite players and watch a busy session.
On Linux:
topWatch the game process's CPU and memory, and the load average at the top. Press q to quit.
On Windows, use Task Manager → Performance.
Also watch the game's own log or console for lag warnings, and ask players for their in-game ping.
Troubleshooting
- Lag with few players: a single-threaded main loop is maxed out. Reduce view or simulation distance, remove heavy plugins, or pre-generate the world.
- Server crashes with out-of-memory errors: raise the game's memory limit if the server has spare RAM, or upgrade the plan.
- Players cannot connect: the game's port is closed in the firewall. Open the exact ports and protocols the game documents.
- High ping for some players: they are far from the server. Consider a location between your player groups.
Next steps
- Plan your firewall: game server ports and protection.