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World desk8 min

Vintage Story Server Requirements: RAM, CPU and Hosting Explained

The Vintage Story Wiki estimates 1 GB base RAM plus 300 MB per player, four CPU threads, and 1 GHz plus 100 MHz per player. Learn how to apply those figures, match Linux runtimes, configure port 42420, choose storage, and evaluate paid hosting versus self-hosting.
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For a normal Vintage Story survival world, the Vintage Story Wiki gives a conservative planning estimate of 1 GB of base RAM plus 300 MB per player, with four CPU threads recommended. It also estimates CPU frequency at 1 GHz base plus 100 MHz per player. These figures are guidance for a particular survival-world assumption—not guaranteed minimums or a promise that every world will perform well at exactly those allocations.

Your final choice also depends on the game version, operating system, savegame storage, mods, network setup and whether you host at home or rent a monthly server.

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The official baseline: memory and CPU

The dedicated-server guide on the Vintage Story Wiki describes its figures as “a rough, conservative estimate of the hardware requirements, assuming a normal survival world where players like to spread out.” That wording matters: a tightly grouped group of players, a heavily modded world and a busy server can behave differently from the assumption behind the estimate.

Resource Planning estimate How to interpret it
Memory 1 GB base RAM + 300 MB per player Use as a starting point for a normal survival world; world activity, mods, settings and other processes can change actual use.
CPU 4 threads recommended A recommended thread count, not a guarantee of smooth performance.
CPU frequency 1 GHz base + 100 MHz per player A rough planning indicator; processor architecture and sustained performance also matter.

The guide does not present these numbers as results from a named benchmark study. The publication year for the estimate is not stated, so treat them as the Wiki’s planning guidance and recheck the current dedicated-server page when you deploy a new release.

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How much RAM do you need for your player count?

Apply the memory formula to the number of simultaneous players you expect. For example, four players gives 1 GB + (4 × 300 MB) = 2.2 GB of server memory. That is the calculated baseline, not the amount of total system RAM your machine should contain: the operating system, file cache, monitoring tools, voice chat and other services need memory too.

Concurrent players Formula Calculated server RAM
1 1 GB + (1 × 300 MB) 1.3 GB
4 1 GB + (4 × 300 MB) 2.2 GB
8 1 GB + (8 × 300 MB) 3.4 GB
10 1 GB + (10 × 300 MB) 4 GB
20 1 GB + (20 × 300 MB) 7 GB

Round your host’s capacity upward rather than allocating the exact arithmetic result. The performance guide advises having at least 4 GB of system RAM free before starting a server. That is available headroom for the machine as a whole, not an instruction to give every server 4 GB. If the computer also runs the game client or other services, those workloads reduce the memory available to the server.

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Why the player formula is only a starting point

  • Players who travel in different directions can cause more world data to be active than a group building in one area.
  • Mods can add memory demand or change the amount of work performed each tick.
  • World settings and the size of active areas affect usage.
  • Backups, panels, databases or other applications on the same host consume memory outside the server allocation.

Watch actual memory use after several players explore, build and return to previously visited areas. A large allocation cannot compensate for a slow CPU, storage stalls or a network problem.

CPU threads and frequency: what the figures mean

The Wiki labels four CPU threads recommended and gives a rough frequency estimate of 1 GHz base plus 100 MHz per player. Using that arithmetic, eight players produces 1.8 GHz and 20 players produces 3 GHz as planning figures.

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Concurrent players Frequency estimate
1 1.1 GHz
4 1.4 GHz
8 1.8 GHz
10 2 GHz
20 3 GHz

Do not read those values as a processor shopping list or a guaranteed minimum. Two CPUs with the same advertised frequency can deliver different sustained performance, and a host may share cores with unrelated workloads. The four-thread recommendation is likewise a rough indicator; it does not describe every scheduler, virtualization layer or mod combination.

Operating-system and .NET requirements

The dedicated-server guide lists Windows and Linux as operating-system choices. Linux instructions are for x64 unless you deliberately use the separate experimental ARM64 path.

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Match the .NET runtime to the server version

On Linux, the required .NET runtime changes with Vintage Story releases:

Vintage Story server version Runtime identified by the guide
1.22.0 or later .NET 10
1.21.0 .NET 8
Earlier than 1.21.0 .NET 7

Check the exact server version before installing a runtime. Installing a different major runtime can prevent the server from starting even when the hardware is adequate. When updating the game, verify whether the runtime requirement changed instead of assuming the previous installation remains correct.

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Storage and performance settings

Use SSD storage for the savegame

The Vintage Story performance guide recommends keeping the savegame on an SSD. Faster storage can reduce delays when the server reads or writes world data, especially as players explore. The recommendation does not specify a required capacity, interface or particular drive model; choose enough space for the operating system, server files, savegame growth and backups.

Leave system memory available

The same guide advises having 4 GB or more of system RAM free before starting a server. Treat this as troubleshooting and performance guidance, not a universal current minimum: the page notes that it was last verified for Vintage Story 1.19, while newer releases may behave differently.

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Trade view distance or tick rate for CPU headroom

If the server is CPU-bound, the performance guidance identifies two configuration levers:

  • MaxChunkRadius: lowering it reduces the surrounding chunk area the server has to maintain, trading view distance for lower CPU demand.
  • TickTime: increasing it trades a lower tick rate for additional CPU headroom.

Change one setting at a time, restart if required by the configuration workflow, and observe whether the symptom improves. Because the guide’s verification note is for version 1.19, confirm the current configuration documentation and valid ranges for your release before applying these changes.

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Networking: ports, firewalls and outside players

The dedicated-server guide identifies 42420 as the default port. Its Linux examples show allowing both TCP and UDP on that port where required. A server that works for a player on the same local network can still be unreachable from the internet.

  1. Confirm which port the server is configured to use; use 42420 if you have not changed the default.
  2. Allow the port through the host operating system’s firewall, including TCP and UDP rules where your setup requires both.
  3. If players connect from outside your home network, configure the router’s port-forwarding rule to the server computer’s local address.
  4. Give players the correct public address and port, and test from a network outside your own LAN.

Router menus and firewall commands differ by operating system and equipment. The important capacity implication is that network accessibility is part of hosting: sufficient RAM and CPU do not help if the port is blocked or forwarded to the wrong machine.

ARM64 support and mod compatibility

The Wiki labels ARM64 dedicated-server support experimental. It also states that coded mods using Harmony patching will not work on ARM64 under the library-availability conditions described on the page. If your world depends on those mods, verify current compatibility before selecting an ARM-based host. A conventional x64 environment is the less risky choice when mod support is essential.

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Paid hosting or self-hosting?

The official guide says both approaches are available: monthly paid hosting exists, and setting up a server on personal equipment is “not terribly difficult.” It does not compare providers, plans, prices, support levels or affiliate programs, so a hosting decision should be based on the resources and operational work you can verify for a specific offer.

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Decision area Questions for monthly hosting Questions for self-hosting
CPU and RAM How much RAM is allocated, and what CPU performance is provided rather than merely advertised? How much memory remains after the operating system and other workloads, and are four useful CPU threads available?
Version and runtime Does the service support your Vintage Story version and the matching .NET runtime? Can you install and update the required runtime yourself?
Storage Is the savegame stored on SSD-backed storage, and how much space is included? Can you place the savegame on an SSD and reserve space for growth?
Backups How are backups made, retained and restored? What is your backup schedule, destination and restore procedure?
Network and uptime How is the default port exposed, and what uptime or network protections are documented? Can your connection accept outside players, and will the machine remain powered on?
Maintenance and support Who handles updates, failures and configuration changes? Can you administer the operating system, firewall, updates and troubleshooting?
Recurring cost What is the complete monthly charge for the required allocation and storage? What electricity, hardware, connectivity and maintenance costs recur?

For a small private world, self-hosting can be practical when you already have suitable hardware, an SSD and a reliable connection. Paid hosting shifts administration and uptime work to a provider, but the advertised plan still needs to be checked against the RAM, CPU, version, storage and backup questions above.

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A practical sizing and setup checklist

  1. Fix the target version. Record the exact Vintage Story release and check its server documentation.
  2. Estimate simultaneous players. Apply 1 GB + 300 MB per player for an initial memory figure and 1 GHz + 100 MHz per player for a rough frequency indicator.
  3. Reserve host headroom. Ensure at least 4 GB of system RAM is free before startup, while accounting for the operating system and other services.
  4. Choose the architecture. Use Windows or Linux; choose x64 by default, and treat ARM64 as experimental with a separate mod-compatibility check.
  5. Install the matching runtime. On Linux, use .NET 10 for 1.22.0 or later, .NET 8 for 1.21.0, or .NET 7 for earlier versions, as identified by the guide.
  6. Put the savegame on SSD storage. Keep space available for world growth and backups.
  7. Open the network path. Configure port 42420, firewall rules and router forwarding as needed for outside players.
  8. Observe real behavior. Check memory and CPU during exploration and peak activity rather than judging only from the idle server.
  9. Tune deliberately. If CPU headroom is limited, test a lower MaxChunkRadius or a higher TickTime, confirming settings for your current release.

Common failure symptoms and what to check

The server will not start after installation

Verify the Vintage Story version and the installed .NET major version first, especially on Linux. A runtime mismatch is a software prerequisite problem, not evidence that more RAM is needed.

Players experience slow loading while exploring

Check whether the savegame is on SSD storage, whether the host is short of free system memory and whether CPU usage is constrained by other workloads. Exploration can create more active world work than a stationary group.

The server is reachable locally but not remotely

Check the configured port, host firewall rules, router forwarding and whether both TCP and UDP are allowed where required. Test from an external network.

Mods fail on an ARM host

Review whether the mod uses Harmony patching. ARM64 support is experimental, and the guide warns that coded Harmony-based mods will not work under the library conditions it describes. Move to a compatible x64 environment or confirm an updated compatibility statement before migrating the world.

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CPU pressure remains high

Reduce MaxChunkRadius or increase TickTime as performance trade-offs, then measure again. Also check player distribution, mod load and other processes before buying more memory.

Bottom line

Start planning with 1 GB of base RAM plus 300 MB per player, four recommended CPU threads and the rough frequency formula of 1 GHz plus 100 MHz per player. Keep at least 4 GB of system RAM free, use SSD storage for the savegame, match Linux’s .NET runtime to the game version, and treat ARM64 as experimental. Whether you rent monthly or self-host, verify resources, version support, backups, network access and maintenance responsibilities instead of choosing on a headline plan size alone.

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