Carl S.
Running a modded Minecraft server isn’t the same as running vanilla. Mods add hundreds of new blocks, items, and mechanics, and your server needs enough memory to keep them all active without lagging or crashing.
The question is: how much RAM is enough?
4GB? 8GB? 12GB?
In this guide, I’ll break it down by modpack size, number of players, and setup type.
Quick Overview: RAM Requirements For Modded Servers
If you want to skip everything get the best suggestion then here's what I recommend:
| Server type | Players Online | Mods | Recommended RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Modded | Less than 10 | Less than 30 | 6-8 GB |
| Medium Modded | 5-15 | 30-100 Mods | 8-10 GB |
| Heavy Modded | 5-20 | 100+ | 10–12 GB |
| Large Community | 20-50+ | 200+ | 16GB+ |
How Mods Use RAM
You’ve probably seen threads or Reddit posts saying “just get 8GB and you’re fine.”
That’s… half true.
Mods are greedy. Some are light (like JourneyMap). Others, think, RLCraft, or Create are small RAM devourers.
Each new block, mob, or dimension adds data the server must store in memory. So when your world loads, every machine, every custom item, every dragon has to exist somewhere, and that’s in RAM.
Here’s what typically impacts RAM usage:
| Factor | What It Means | RAM Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Mod Count | More mods = more code, textures, and entities. | High |
| Player Count | Each player loads their own area + mobs. | Medium–High |
| World Size | The more you explore, the more chunks stay loaded. | Medium |
| Automation | Hoppers, machines, farms = constant ticking. | High |
| Activity | Additional overhead. | Varies |
Recommended RAM For Popular Modpacks
| Modpack | Recommended RAM |
|---|---|
| The Pixelmon Modpack | 6-8 GB |
| RLCraft | 6-8 GB |
| SkyFactory 4 | 6-8 GB | Roguelike Adventures & Dungeons | 6-8 GB |
| Better MC [FABRIC] BMC1 | 6–8 GB |
| Star Technology | 6-8GB |
| Better MC [Forge] BMC4 | 8-10GB |
| All The Mods 6 | 6-8GB |
| All The Mods 7 | 8-10GB |
| All The Mods 8 | 8-10GB |
| All The Mods 9 | 8-10GB |
| All The Mods 10 | 8-10GB |
| Prominence II: Hasturian Era | 8-10GB |
| DawnCraft - Echoes of Legends | 10-12GB |
| Crazy Craft Updated | 10-12GB |
| GenCraft | 10-12GB |
| TNP Limitless 7 | 10-12GB |
| A Certain Rabbit's Dawncraft | 10-12GB |
| All The Nodes | 10-12GB |
How To Optimize RAM Usage
If your modded server still lags, it’s not always about adding more RAM. Try these optimizations first:
1. Use Optimization Mods
Before upgrading your plan, try adding a few lightweight performance mods, they can make a massive difference.
2. Pre-generate worlds
Exploring new terrain is one of the biggest lag triggers in Minecraft. When a player walks into an unexplored area, the server has to generate new chunks on the fly which eats CPU and memory.
There are pre-generation tools like:
- Chunky (Fabric/Forge)
- Chunk-Pregenerator (Forge)
These tools generate the world before players join, meaning less real-time chunk stress and smoother gameplay later.
3. Adjust view and simulation distance
Every block you see, and every mob moving in the background, takes up memory.
View Distance controls how many chunks around each player stay loaded.
Simulation Distance controls how far away the server keeps redstone, mobs, and machines active.
Feel free to play around with both of these to see what values work for you.
There are many different ways you can optimize your server. If you are looking to maximize performance check out our server optimization guide here.
Conclusion
Modded Minecraft will always push your hardware harder than vanilla. The trick isn’t maxing out your RAM; it’s finding balance between power and optimization. If you’re still seeing lag after tuning things up, that’s your sign to upgrade, not before.
