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How much RAM do I need for my Project Zomboid server?

Project Zomboid

Project Zomboid is a huge open-world zombie game, and the launch of Build 41 has changed it one huge way. There’s multiplayer built into the game by default, no more messing with mods to play with friends. The developers also plan to patch in NPC survivors, and other cool features, over time. That means if you want to game with your pals, someone needs to host the server.

When you host a game, you have a drop-down that can be used to select the amount of memory to dedicate to the hosted server. Be sure not to set the value beyond the amount of RAM actually in the system, or it will crash once it reaches that threshold. The amount of RAM dedicated to your Project Zomboid server will vary a lot. But for most people, you should assume a certain calculation holds true.

That base calculation is (500MB * number of players) + 2GB.

It’s important to note that this doesn’t take into account the load placed on the machine as if it’s actually playing the game. But as a general rule, you should be fine with most servers having at least 2.5GB. A server with 8 players would need 6GB to run smoothly.

2GB will be enough to handle the base game processes, and the extra overhead is to handle player tracking and their actions. The number of players can also increase the load on a server if you’re playing on a huge map. Many players loading chunks on the map over and over can really tax even a powerful machine.

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The demands of a Project Zomboid server will vary a lot depending on a few factors. The first of the two primary factors is determined by how many players you have. That’s pretty obvious, but there’s often a hidden element here. The number of mods you run on your server will increase load. If you’re adding mods that spawn more zombies, survivors or increase the amount of entities tracked by the game, you’re going to use up more memory. It’s not a huge amount, but it’s something to worry about.

The number of mods has a huge impact here. The more complex the calculations a server has to do—along with their frequency—the more load it places on the server.

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