How Much RAM does Minecraft Need? [Minecraft Server Requirements]

Every gamer is facing the most common issue i.e. How much RAM does Minecraft Need? So you are at the right place where you will get complete information about "how much ram do you need for a Minecraft server".

Updated: 13 Feb, 23 by Susith Nonis 11 Min

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Minecraft is an incredible, fun, and engaging game that millions of people play worldwide, and everyone from kids and adults plays this game regularly. Minecraft also has online servers so that friends can get together and play Minecraft with each other. Also, this tutorial will help you to know How Much RAM Minecraft Needs? and the Minecraft server requirement to run your virtual world.

How Much RAM does Minecraft Need?

Gamers can also play with strangers on online servers and make new friends.  There are already thousands of fantastic Minecraft servers that can be easily accessed if you have the Minecraft game. However, you can also create your own Minecraft server to play with your friends without disturbance. 

If you wish to have a big server, then you can host and create a massive world of your own where you can invite many people to play and host the next 2B2T.  Before committing to making a Minecraft server, you understand your reasons for doing so and what Minecraft Server Requirements you need to meet to make one and safely (and reliably) host players. 

How much RAM do you need for a Minecraft server

Depending on the number of players active at any given time, Servers can take a lot of computing power and demand a lot of memory from the host device. Before discussing Minecraft PC requirements, let's briefly describe RAM and Minecraft server.  

In technology, a server is typically a large, powerful computer that takes up a cupboard or an entire room and connects to a network, allowing many people to communicate with it and pass requests through it. There is no doubt that we all depend on servers for the internet, online gaming, and many more. You’re connecting to a server every day. You can easily create your Minecraft server by following simple steps. 

How much RAM do you need for a Minecraft server

On Minecraft, servers are a brilliant and outstanding way to connect with other players and host a Minecraft world that multiple people can access simultaneously from various devices. There are thousands of notable Minecraft servers and hundreds of trendy ones, so if you’re looking to play a few fun minigames without the hassle of setting up your server or building the games yourself in an MC world, then forget about creating a server and browse for an already existing one.

Best hosting platforms like MonoVM offer outstanding Minecraft server services and the freedom to change different things on the server easily.  However, if you want to be the ruler of your server, create your world and allow people to play on it - whether that be your friends, family, or just random people looking to have fun in a Minecraft world - then a server might be a good idea for you. Besides, Minecraft servers have different pricing criteria, so brainstorm about how much a Minecraft server will cost.

Although many of the largest and highest demanding servers run well so that you can run actual servers (i.e. entire cabinets filled with computers), most small servers can be hosted on a single device as Minecraft server requirements are not that high. If you have a spare laptop you can dedicate to running a server, that's fantastic, and it'll do fine if it has the good processing power and memory.

Setting up and running your own Minecraft server can be expensive and time-consuming. That’s why many Minecraft players opt for Microsoft’s Realm feature, which allows players to create a multiplayer world with up to ten wireless players on devices anywhere in the world and play together. Realms are cost-effective, ridiculously easy, simple, and straightforward to set up, and won’t be painful.

However, suppose you want more than ten players or want to modify the world, edit its settings and generally customize it to your liking. In that case, only a server will cater to that desire and provide the compatible functionality needed to do just that.

If you’re looking for a sense of community and want to create a big world where many players can create societies and clans, fight against each other, build, explore and do much more, a server is perfect. Servers can accommodate many players if you have a fast-enough computer, enough processing power, and a lot of memory to hold the player’s data.  

Servers also allow you to modify or “mod” them. It means you can add special effects to the game and add various extra features not included by the game devs. For example, some mods add shaders to the game, making it much more beautiful and appealing. In contrast, others add new kinds of “mobs” into the game, and others add new storylines and modes.

So, if you’re looking for a world where many people can play together and you can modify it with new features, then you’ll need a server. Doing this on a Minecraft Realm doesn’t work because they don’t make it possible for you to change the world settings or add modifications.

 

Random Access Memory, or RAM is beneficial for a system's components because it maintains performance. What does RAM do? Regarding technicality, RAM increases the speed of transferring information to different system components. RAM offers a way to store or access extensive data quickly as it saves active applications' data. It was the basic introduction of RAM, so you will need good RAM to maintain your server's performance and other applications running in your system.  

Importance of RAM in Minecraft Server

First, we want to determine what RAM does and how much memory I need. So, RAM in a device offers a space for the system to read and write specific information required to be accessed through your CPU. RAM is an important part of your computer/laptop designed to perform all computing tasks.  To use a Minecraft server without errors, you must follow the recommended Minecraft PC requirements, such as 8GB RAM with Intel Core i5-4690 and newer versions. 

Why is More RAM better?

RAM has multiple benefits, such as improving FPS, making games smooth, running additional software, etc. So, it is evident that more RAM can make a big difference in gaming and make the Minecraft server smoother.  More RAM does two important things in Minecraft, and they are: 

  • It enhances the performance of the Minecraft server by delivering top-notch FPS and better rendering speed. 
  • More RAM eliminates eros and crash-related issues of the Minecraft server, so if you have excellent Minecraft server hosting but your game keeps crashing, change your system's RAM. 

If you are thinking about how much RAM you need, follow these six criteria to choose the right RAM for a Minecraft server.

  • Make sure to choose the RAM according to the number of users in the Minecraft server; for example, if a server has ten players, try to increase 1 to 2 GB for every five additional players.
  • Basic OS requirements in a system, like if your server has 32 GB RAM, will be 7 GB for your OS, and the rest will be used for the SQL server. 
  • Ensure that you consider the correct RAM that has sufficient space to run all the additional software on the server. 
  • Database size plays a vital role for a Minecraft server because it impacts the processing required for populating the data warehouse. For example, if you have a database of 30 GB, you can use 16 GB RAM. 
  • Growth occurs rapidly, so measure any database's growth rate so you can go for the appropriate RAM for your Minecraft server. 

Many people have the same question when setting up a Minecraft server, how much RAM do I need? You can run most small Minecraft servers on an average modern computer with enough processing power and memory. As we mentioned before, if you have a spare computer or laptop on which you can run the world, that'll do. However, the amount of Random Access Memory (RAM) you'll know can change considerably because it depends on how demanding your world is and how much memory your server will utilise for the players.

For example, suppose you have done a lot of modifications and extra features. In that case, it can increase the amount of RAM you'll need to efficiently run the server without having any lag or unexpected crashes. Generally, the more players you have, the more RAM you'll need to run a server effectively, so it is essential to have Minecraft server requirements. Based on the server player base, how much RAM do you need? It is good to have a typical vanilla world with players who actively participate in the game and use average memory; a gigabyte of RAM for every 20 users is reasonable.

RAM's size allows the game to be played with minimal lag and without crashing out of nowhere. It also means that any sudden increases in demand for memory usage can be dealt with because there'll be a RAM margin to spare.

As newly developed game versions become increasingly complex, you will need much more RAM. For example, any versions newer than about release 1.6 are going to need a lot more than a gigabyte for every twenty players; in fact, you should look into setting aside two or three gigabytes of RAM for every twenty players, especially if you want to play the world with the latest features or on the 1.8 version or higher.

When running your server, it is of the utmost priority to keep your eye on how much computing power (CPU) and Random-Access Memory the server uses. This is because if it is consistently using a hundred percent of your RAM, you absolutely must update to a newer device, allow more significant CPU and RAM usage, or upgrade your device with extra RAM fittings. We can't stress enough how important it is to use a powerful device for your server and ensure you have a backup amount of RAM so the server is never overloaded.

Sometimes crashes can happen that accidentally won't save people's work, and that's terrible. Suppose you're running out of memory or computing power. In that case, the server may kick players off randomly to make space or downright stop working, which can significantly damage your playing experience.

So, if you're planning to set up and run a Minecraft server, use a suitable device with enough RAM and make sure to have Minecraft minimum Specification. Otherwise, set up a Minecraft Realm instead. You're likely to save quite a bit of money and time, and it won't damage your device, forcing it to perform tasks beyond its capability.

Okay, we hope this article helped you understand a few of the significant reasons why it's so important to reserve a decent amount of RAM for your Minecraft server. As well as telling you what a Minecraft server is and how it works, we have given you a few solid reasons for setting one up and some arguments for why you shouldn't, especially if a Minecraft Realm would be sufficient for you.

We also discussed how much Random-Access Memory, or RAM, you'll need to run a Minecraft server effectively based on the Minecraft minimum specifications and what to do if you don't think you have enough to host your desired number of players and game modifications. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and don't forget to share this with your friends.

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Susith Nonis

Susith Nonis

I'm fascinated by the IT world and how the 1's and 0's work. While I venture into the world of Technology, I try to share what I know in the simplest way with you. Not a fan of coffee, a travel addict, and a self-accredited 'master chef'.

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Coleman Walker DDS

2024, Jul, 24

Great article! Minecraft really provides a wonderful platform for creativity and community building. The detailed explanation on server requirements and RAM is super helpful for anyone thinking about setting up their own server. It's clear that having enough RAM is crucial for a smooth gaming experience, especially if you want to host a lot of players or add mods. Thanks for breaking down everything so clearly – it really makes the process seem less daunting!