A Valheim dedicated server runs comfortably on about 4 GB of RAM for a small group, but heavily explored maps and BepInEx mods push that higher.
Quick answer
Valheim is fairly light compared with many survival games, and it caps at 10 players per world. As a starting point:
- 1 to 3 players, vanilla: around 3 GB.
- Up to 10 players, vanilla: 4 GB.
- Modded with BepInEx: 6 GB or more.
- A large explored map or a big mod list: 8 GB.
When in doubt, 4 GB is a sensible starting size for a vanilla server.
Why RAM use grows over time
- Map exploration. The world .db file grows as players sail out and uncover new land, so more of it is held in memory.
- Mods. Each BepInEx plugin adds a little overhead, and a large pack adds up quickly.
- Long uptime. Memory use tends to drift upward over very long sessions, so a scheduled restart keeps things tidy.
CPU matters as much as RAM
Valheim leans heavily on single thread CPU performance, so raw clock speed affects smoothness as much as memory does. GuavaHost servers run on AMD Ryzen and Intel hardware with high clocks and NVMe SSD storage, which helps with the frequent world saves and instancing that cause hitching on slower hosts.
Choosing and changing RAM at GuavaHost
Plans are fully configurable, so you pick your RAM at checkout and can upgrade any time from the client area at guavahost.com/account, with billing prorated. A good approach is to start at 4 GB, watch the Console and your usage, and bump it up if you see strain. Set a daily restart on the Schedules tab to keep memory fresh.
Signs you need more RAM
- Rubber banding or lag when everyone is loaded into the same area.
- Long pauses during world saves.
- Crashes or out of memory errors in the Console after adding mods.
If you see any of these, an upgrade at guavahost.com/account takes effect quickly and is prorated, so it is a cheap experiment to rule RAM in or out.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.