Workload · Hosting a game server
Game servers on a whole machine picked by its fastest core
Game servers live or die by one processor thread. The loop that moves every player, creature and block leans mostly on a single core, and when that core falls behind, everyone in the world feels it. Here you rent a whole dedicated machine, choose it by its single-thread score, and run any game you like on it.
Monthly, no contract. A machine already in the rack is yours about 30 minutes after the order is approved; the payment check comes first and is the part that varies.
01What a game server needs
Four things decide whether your server lags
Most hosting adverts sell slots and player counts. The machine underneath is what actually sets the tick rate, so here is what to look at before you pay for anything, ours or anyone else's.
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01
One fast core
The ARK wiki says single-thread speed matters more than core count, and the Satisfactory server guide asks for a single-thread score of 2000 or more. Every processor in our table clears that bar. Extra cores help when you host several servers at once; a quicker core helps every player on each one.
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02
Memory for every player and mod
Memory grows with the map, the number of players, the age of the world and each mod you add. Pocketpair recommends 16 GB for a Palworld server and more than 32 GB for a large one, and an empty ARK: Survival Ascended map takes 7 to 12 GiB before anyone joins. Leave headroom: a server that runs out of memory crashes.
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03
Fast storage for the saves
Worlds save all the time. Palworld's documentation warns that slow storage can corrupt save data, and Facepunch strongly recommends an SSD or NVMe drive for Rust. Choose NVMe where the machine offers it; the table says which ones do.
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04
Distance to your players
Latency is mostly distance, and no hardware fixes a server on the wrong continent. Put yours in the city nearest most of your players, then measure the round trip from your own browser instead of trusting a map.
02Game by game
What the games people host today ask for
Each line comes from the game's own documentation or its official wiki, read in October 2026. Games patch often, so check the linked page again before you size a big server.
| Game | Server runs on | Memory and processor | Default ports | How you install it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minecraft: Java Edition | Any system with Java 25, which the game needs from version 26.1 | 2 GB for a small vanilla world; more for players, plugins and mods | 25565 TCP | The server file from minecraft.net |
| Minecraft: Bedrock Edition | Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 and later, or Ubuntu | Not stated by Microsoft | 19132 UDP, 19133 UDP (IPv6) | The free Bedrock Dedicated Server download |
| Palworld | 64-bit Windows or Linux | 16 GB recommended, more than 32 GB for larger servers; 4 cores or more | 8211 UDP | SteamCMD |
| ARK: Survival Ascended | Windows only | 7 to 12 GiB per map before players join; 4 logical cores per server | 7777 UDP | SteamCMD, app 2430930 |
| Rust | Windows or Linux | About 12 GB free, more for large maps; a faster processor for more players | 28015 UDP | SteamCMD, app 258550 |
| Satisfactory | 64-bit Windows or Linux on x86; ARM is not supported | 8 GB, or 16 GB past four players; single-thread score of 2000 or more | 7777 TCP+UDP, 8888 TCP | SteamCMD, app 1690800 |
| Valheim | Windows or Linux | Not stated by Iron Gate | 2456-2457 | The Valheim Dedicated Server tool on Steam |
| FiveM | Windows or Linux | Not stated by Cfx.re | Set during setup | A free license key from the Cfx.re Portal, then txAdmin |
Sources: Minecraft Wiki, Microsoft Learn, Palworld server docs, ARK Official Community Wiki, Facepunch wiki, Satisfactory Wiki, Valheim support and FiveM docs.
ARK: Survival Ascended is the Unreal Engine 5 version of the game, and its figures are not those of the older ARK: Survival Evolved, so an old guide for one will mislead you about the other.
03The machines
Dedicated game servers, ranked by one thread
Every processor we sell that scores 2000 or more on PassMark's single-thread test, fastest first. Each price is the whole machine in its entry build and sits beside exactly what that build includes. Memory, drives and port speed can all be raised on the order form.
| Processor | One thread | Memory | Drives | Port, unmetered | Cities | Entry build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD EPYC 72F38 cores / 16 threads · 3.7 → 4.1 GHz | 3,070 | 32 GB to 1 TB DDR4 | SATA SSD | 1 Gbps | NY BUC | $233.59/moAMD EPYC 72F3 8-Core 3.70GHz 256MB · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × SATA-SSD 240 GB · 1 GbpsConfigure |
| Intel Xeon E-2286M8 cores / 16 threads · 2.4 → 5.0 GHz | 2,694 | 32 GB to 64 GB DDR4 | NVMe | 1 Gbps | BUC | €105.99/moIntel Xeon E-2286M 8 CORE 2.40 GHz · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × NVMe-SSD 240 GB · 1 GbpsConfigure |
| AMD EPYC 751332 cores / 64 threads · 2.6 → 3.7 GHz | 2,536 | 32 GB to 1 TB DDR4 | SATA SSD | 1 Gbps | NY BUC | $227.59/moAMD EPYC 7513 32 CORE 2.60 GHz 128MB L3 CACHE · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × SATA-SSD 240 GB · 1 GbpsConfigure |
| AMD EPYC 776364 cores / 128 threads · 2.5 → 3.5 GHz | 2,517 | 32 GB to 1 TB DDR4 | SATA SSD | 1 Gbps | NY BUC | $237.59/moAMD EPYC 7763 64 CORE 2.45 GHz 256MB L3 CACHE · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × SATA-SSD 240 GB · 1 GbpsConfigure |
| AMD EPYC 741324 cores / 48 threads · 2.7 → 3.6 GHz | 2,400 | 32 GB to 1 TB DDR4 | SATA SSD | 1 Gbps | NY BUC | $217.59/moAMD EPYC 7413 24 CORE 2.65 GHz 128MB L3 CACHE · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × SATA-SSD 240 GB · 1 GbpsConfigure |
| Intel Xeon E3-1585L v54 cores / 8 threads · 3.0 → 3.7 GHz | 2,208 | 32 GB to 64 GB DDR4 | NVMe | 1 Gbps | NY MIA SF AMS BUC | $62.58/moIntel Xeon E3-1585L v5 Quad Core 3.00 Ghz · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × NVMe-SSD 240 GB · 1 GbpsConfigure |
| Intel Xeon E5-2667 v48 cores / 16 threads · 3.2 → 3.6 GHz | 2,189 | 32 GB to 1 TB DDR4 | SATA SSD | 1 Gbps | NY MIA SF AMS BUC | $87.47/moIntel Xeon E5-2667 v4 8 Core 3.20 GHz · 32 GB DDR4 · 2 × SATA 500 GB (RAID 1) · 1 GbpsConfigure |
| Intel Xeon Gold 623020 cores / 40 threads · 2.1 → 3.9 GHz | 2,175 | 16 GB to 1 TB DDR4 | SATA SSD | 1 Gbps | NY MIA SF AMS BUC | $108.07/moIntel Xeon Gold 6230 20 Core 2.10 GHz · 16 GB DDR4 · 2 × SATA-SSD 240 GB (RAID 1) · 1 GbpsConfigure |
| Intel Xeon Gold 613612 cores / 24 threads · 3.0 → 3.7 GHz | 2,166 | 16 GB to 1 TB DDR4 | SATA SSD | 1 Gbps | NY MIA SF AMS BUC | $108.07/moIntel Xeon Gold 6136 12 Core 3.00 GHz · 16 GB DDR4 · 2 × SATA-SSD 240 GB (RAID 1) · 1 GbpsConfigure |
| Intel Xeon Gold 612612 cores / 24 threads · 2.6 → 3.7 GHz | 2,140 | 16 GB to 1 TB DDR4 | SATA SSD | 1 Gbps | NY MIA SF AMS BUC | $99.97/moIntel Xeon Gold 6126 12 Core 2.60 GHz · 16 GB DDR4 · 2 × SATA-SSD 240 GB (RAID 1) · 1 GbpsConfigure |
| Intel Xeon Gold 613016 cores / 32 threads · 2.1 → 3.7 GHz | 2,072 | 16 GB to 1 TB DDR4 | SATA SSD | 1 Gbps | NY MIA SF AMS BUC | $99.97/moIntel Xeon Gold 6130 16 Core 2.10 GHz · 16 GB DDR4 · 2 × SATA-SSD 240 GB (RAID 1) · 1 GbpsConfigure |
Scores are PassMark's single-thread ratings for one processor, read 3 October 2026; each processor's own page is linked from our Intel and AMD pages. A line sold only in Europe is priced in euros.
AOne world with friends
Start with the cheapest fast machine in all five cities
For a Minecraft, Valheim or Palworld world with a group of friends, that is the Intel Xeon E3-1585L v5 at $62.58/mo: Intel Xeon E3-1585L v5 Quad Core 3.00 Ghz · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × NVMe-SSD 240 GB · 1 Gbps. Raise the memory before you raise anything else if you plan on mods.
BA community or a cluster
Take cores and memory when you run several servers
Each game server is its own process on its own port, so one machine can carry a survival world, a creative world and a Discord bot side by side. That is when the many-core processors lower down the table earn their price: they keep a fast thread for each server and room for a lot of memory.
How long it takes: a machine already in the rack is handed over about 30 minutes after the order is approved. A build to order takes 4 to 24 hours when we hold the parts, and longer when a part has to be bought in. Any configuration other than a finished server taken as it stands carries a one-time setup fee of $29.
Or take a finished machine as it stands
The live list below shows every machine already built and racked, at today's price and without the custom-build setup fee. It holds all kinds of servers, not only fast ones, so check the processor against the table above before you choose. Use Filters to narrow it down.
04Five cities
Put your game server close to your players
Our machines run in New York, Miami, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Bucharest. Your browser times a round trip to each one below. A player who lives near you will see something close to the same number.
The figure is the quickest of three tries after one warm-up, so the first connection's setup is not counted as lag. Ask a friend in another country to open this page too, or ping a test address from their own computer. To follow the route out of our network, use the looking glass.
# Windows, macOS or Linux: one line per city ping 162.244.81.236 # New York ping 38.126.208.235 # Miami ping 198.145.121.234 # San Francisco ping 209.127.202.254 # Amsterdam ping 89.39.149.246 # Bucharest
Two promises about the network
Your port is not shared with any other customer at the access switch, and nothing meters the traffic that crosses it. A busy evening, a mod pack your players download on join, a map file that gets passed around: none of it is counted. Every machine in the table above includes 1 Gbps, some other lines include 500 Mbps, and faster ports are an option on the order form.
Where to put it
Players across North America: New York or Miami for the East Coast and Latin America, San Francisco for the West Coast. Players across Europe: Amsterdam for the west, Bucharest for the east and the Balkans. Split communities sometimes run one server per side of the ocean. The numbers above will settle it faster than any map.
05Setting it up
You install the game, we keep the machine running
This is game server hosting on bare metal, without a game panel or one-click installs on top. You get the whole server with full root or Administrator access, which means any game, any mod loader and any version you like.
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Choose the system
Pick it at checkout: Ubuntu 26.04 or 24.04, Debian 13, AlmaLinux 10, or Windows Server, with the license added on the order form. ARK: Survival Ascended needs Windows. You can reinstall from the control panel whenever you like, free.
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Install SteamCMD
Valve's command-line tool downloads most dedicated servers, Palworld, ARK, Rust and Satisfactory among them, and updates them with the same command. Minecraft, FiveM and Valheim have their own downloads, listed in the table above.
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Add a panel if you want one
Pterodactyl and Pelican, a fork of it, are free open-source panels that run each server in its own Docker container. Pterodactyl's node service, Wings, needs Linux and does not run on Windows. AMP from CubeCoders is a commercial panel that runs on either.
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Open the ports, invite players
Allow the game's ports through the server's firewall, using the defaults in the table above or your own, then share the address. Back up the save folder somewhere other than the server itself.
# downloads the server, and updates it when you run it again steamcmd +force_install_dir ~/rust +login anonymous +app_update 258550 validate +quit
What comes with the machine
- The whole server, root or Administrator access, and no other customer on it
- One IPv4 address and IPv6
- An unmetered port that is not shared at the access switch
- Monthly billing with no contract; 3, 6 or 12 months paid at once are 5%, 10% or 15% cheaper, licenses excepted
- Support on chat: our AI answers in seconds and can check your server for you, and a person takes over whenever you ask
What we do not do
- No managed game panel, mod installs or game updates on your behalf
- No DDoS protection, on any machine, as a feature or as an extra
- No uptime percentage. The service agreement credits you when the network is down or a failed part is not replaced in time
06Questions
What people ask before they host a game server
01Which dedicated game server should I start with?
For one world and a group of friends, start with the cheapest fast machine sold in all five cities, the Intel Xeon E3-1585L v5 at $62.58/mo in its entry build, and add memory if you use mods. If you plan to run several servers or a modded ARK cluster, pick a processor with more cores and a higher memory ceiling from the table.
02How much RAM does a game server need?
It depends on the game, the map, the number of players and the mods. As a guide from each game's own documentation: a small vanilla Minecraft world runs in 2 GB, Satisfactory wants 8 GB and 16 GB past four players, Rust needs about 12 GB free, and Pocketpair recommends 16 GB for Palworld and more than 32 GB for a large server. Add the operating system on top and leave headroom, because running out of memory crashes the server.
03Can one machine run several game servers?
Yes. Each server is its own process on its own port, so you can run two Minecraft worlds and a Valheim server side by side, or several game servers in Docker under a panel such as Pterodactyl. Give each one a fast core and its own share of memory, and choose a processor with enough cores to go round.
04Do you include a game control panel?
No. You get the whole machine with full root or Administrator access and install what you like: SteamCMD for most games, a free panel such as Pterodactyl or Pelican, or the commercial AMP. If you get stuck, our AI chat answers in seconds and a person takes over when you ask.
05Is the bandwidth on a game server metered?
No. Nothing counts the traffic on the port, and the port is not shared with any other customer at the access switch. Every machine in the table includes 1 Gbps, some other lines include 500 Mbps, and a faster port can be chosen on the order form.
06Do you protect game servers from DDoS attacks?
No. We do not sell DDoS protection on any machine, as a feature or as an extra, and we would rather tell you now than after an attack. If your community draws attackers, plan your protection before you open the server to the public.
07How soon can my players join?
A machine already in the rack is handed over about 30 minutes after the order is approved, and the payment check before that is the part that varies. A build to order takes 4 to 24 hours when we hold the parts. After that it is the game's own download and your settings.
08Windows or Linux for a game server?
Use what the game supports best. ARK: Survival Ascended runs only on Windows. Palworld, Rust, Satisfactory, Valheim and Minecraft all run on Linux, which needs no license. Bedrock Dedicated Server supports Windows and Ubuntu. Windows Server is offered at checkout with its license priced on the order form.
Start your world on a machine nobody else uses
Pick the processor, the city and the memory, then install your game as soon as it is handed over. Monthly, no contract, and a person on chat whenever you want one.