You cannot choose the right server size from a RAM figure alone. World size, the modpack, plugins, active farms and loaded chunks all contribute to the load.
We show how to write useful requirements and distinguish insufficient memory from CPU load or network latency.
1. Assess the world, not just RAM
- Which server type and Minecraft version are you using?
- What is the exact modpack release, or which plugins are required?
- How large is the existing world, and how much new terrain will players explore?
- Are there many active farms, redstone systems, entities or continuous background tasks?
- How much space do the world, logs and retained backups require?
2. Manage resources separately
| Resource | Which task does it support? | What to monitor |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | Memory needed by loaded world data, mods and plugins. | Memory exhaustion, frequent garbage collection and memory errors. |
| Processzor | Game logic, entities, farms and add-on processing. | The profile and server load measured during the slowdown. |
| NVMe storage | Storage for world files, add-ons, logs and backups. | Free space and growth of the world and backups. |
| Network | The connection between the player and server. | Latency, connection drops and the affected route. |
3. Collect data during the slowdown
A performance profile is useful when captured while the problem is actually occurring. Paper's official guide uses the spark profiler; check its availability for your server version and permissions.
- Record which gameplay activities coincide with the slowdown.
- If spark is available and you have permission, capture a profile during the affected period.
- Compare the report with server logs and memory usage.
- Change one setting or add-on at a time, then test with the same activity.
/spark profiler start --timeout 6004. Choose or upgrade a plan
- Start with the modpack author's requirements and measured load.
- Leave memory for the server process's other needs and runtime in addition to the Java heap allocation.
- Assess storage capacity including backups, not just the current world size.
- Before upgrading, agree on the transition process and whether a restart or migration is required.
