To run an ARK Survival Ascended server for 10-20 players, you'll need at least 4 high-frequency vCPUs, 16-24 GB RAM, and a 100 GB+ NVMe disk; a multi-map cluster can double these requirements, making a dedicated server the preferred choice.
Why is ARK Survival Ascended So Demanding on Server Resources?
ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) is not merely a remaster of the popular ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE), but a complete re-release built on Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). This transition brought significant improvements in graphics, physics, and overall game world quality, but simultaneously raised server hardware requirements substantially. If you plan to set up your own ARK Survival Ascended server, be prepared for it to be one of the most resource-intensive games you've hosted.
Unreal Engine 5 and Its Characteristics
The shift to Unreal Engine 5 is a key factor driving ASA's high requirements. UE5 introduces several advanced technologies, such as Lumen (dynamic global illumination), Nanite (virtualized geometry), and Niagara (advanced particle systems). While these technologies primarily impact the client-side of the game, they also affect the server:
- More Detailed World: The server must process and synchronize data for a significantly more complex and dynamic environment. This includes not only player and dinosaur positions but also numerous interactive objects, destructible elements, and weather effects.
- Improved Physics: UE5 enables more realistic physics for objects and characters. The server must constantly calculate collisions, ballistics, animations, and other physical interactions, which demands substantial computational power.
- Network Code Optimization: Despite developer efforts, UE5 is inherently more demanding in terms of data synchronization due to the increased world detail. This leads to a higher load on the server's CPU, which must efficiently manage data streams between all connected clients.
Unlike ARK Survival Evolved, where some parameters could be scaled back, ASA requires a more serious approach to configuration selection.
Gameplay and Simulation Specifics
Beyond the engine's technological features, ARK Survival Ascended's gameplay itself contributes to the server-side resource intensity:
- Constant World Simulation: An ARK server continuously simulates a vast open world, even when no players are online. This includes dinosaur movement, plant growth, weather changes, crafting station operations, and much more. Each of these elements consumes CPU and RAM.
- Large Number of Entities: Players build massive bases, tame hundreds of dinosaurs, and set up turrets and traps. Each such entity requires server resources for its existence and interaction with the world. The more entities on the map, the higher the load.
- Map Clusters: ARK allows combining multiple maps into a cluster, enabling players to travel between them. This is convenient for players, but for the server, it means multiple game instances are running simultaneously, each requiring its own set of resources. A cluster of 3-4 maps can multiply RAM and CPU consumption by 3-4 times!
- Modifications (Mods): Many players use mods to enhance or alter gameplay. Some mods can be poorly optimized and significantly increase server load, especially those that add new mechanics, entities, or rework dinosaur AI.
All these factors make ark ascended server ram requirements very high, especially when aiming to provide a comfortable gaming experience for a large number of users.
How Much RAM Do You Need for an ARK Survival Ascended Server?
Random Access Memory (RAM) is one of the most critical resources for an ARK Survival Ascended server. The game, running on UE5, is very RAM-intensive, and insufficient RAM immediately impacts performance, leading to lag, stuttering, and even server crashes.
Calculating RAM per Player and per Map
The base RAM consumption for a single instance of an ARK Survival Ascended map (without players) is approximately 8-12 GB. This is the minimum required to load the game world, all its objects, and basic simulation. However, as soon as players start joining the server, RAM consumption sharply increases:
- Per Player: On average, you can expect an additional 250-500 MB RAM per player. This value varies greatly depending on player activity, the number of their structures, tamed dinosaurs, and mods used. Players with large bases and armies of dinosaurs will consume significantly more memory.
- Number of Entities: Every dinosaur, every structure, every item on the ground is an entity that requires memory. Servers with limits on the number of dinosaurs or structures per player may be less RAM-intensive.
- Mods: Some mods can add hundreds or thousands of new entities, textures, and scripts, which significantly increases RAM consumption. When using many mods, especially large ones, it's advisable to allocate an additional 4-8 GB RAM.
Thus, for a 10-player server with a single map, without many mods, the base requirement will be 8-12 GB (map) + 10 * 0.25-0.5 GB (players) = 10.5-17 GB RAM. Realistically, for a comfortable experience with some headroom, aim for 16-24 GB RAM.
Impact of Map Clusters on RAM Consumption
Map clusters are one of ARK's most appealing, yet most resource-intensive features. When you combine multiple maps into a cluster, each map runs as a separate process on the server (or across multiple servers if it's a distributed cluster). This means each map will consume its own amount of RAM.
- 2-Map Cluster: If one map requires 16 GB RAM, then two maps in a cluster will require 32 GB RAM.
- 3-4 Map Cluster: A 3-map cluster will require 48 GB RAM or more, and a 4-map cluster will need 64 GB RAM and above.
It's important to understand that each map instance requires its base RAM, regardless of how many players are on it. If one map has 20 players and another has 0, both maps will still consume their base memory, plus additional memory for players on the first map. This is why ark ascended server ram can easily reach 32 GB, 64 GB, and even 96 GB for large clusters with many players.
When planning a server with a map cluster, always assume you'll need significantly more RAM than for a single map. In such cases, game server requirements become critically high, and choosing a dedicated server becomes virtually indispensable.
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View Offers →How Many Players Can an ARK Survival Ascended Server Handle?
The number of players your ARK Survival Ascended server can comfortably host depends not only on the total RAM but also on CPU performance, especially its single-thread performance. ARK, like many game servers, doesn't always efficiently utilize all available CPU cores, preferring fast single or dual cores.
The Importance of vCPU Single-Thread Performance
The main ARK Survival Ascended server process (ShooterGameServer.exe) has historically scaled poorly across multiple cores. This means the server will primarily utilize one or two CPU cores, and their clock speed and single-core performance will determine the overall server performance. High-frequency vCPUs (e.g., 3.5 GHz and above) perform significantly better than multi-core, low-frequency processors.
- For Small Servers (up to 20 players): 4 high-frequency vCPUs (3.5 GHz+) are usually sufficient. It's crucial that the provider guarantees dedicated allocation of these cores and their high performance.
- For Medium Servers (20-50 players): 6-8 high-frequency vCPUs will be needed. Additional cores can be used by the operating system, background processes, and, to a lesser extent, the ARK server itself for certain tasks.
- For Large Servers (50-70+ players or clusters): 8-12+ vCPUs, also with an emphasis on high clock speed. For a multi-map cluster, each server instance will use its own vCPUs, so the total core requirement will increase significantly.
When choosing a VPS or dedicated server for ark ascended how many players you plan to host, always check with the provider for CPU frequency information. Often, a VPS with more vCPUs but a lower frequency will perform worse than a VPS with fewer but faster cores.
Optimal Configurations for Different Player Counts
Based on our experience and requirement analysis, here are approximate configurations for different player counts on a single map. For clusters, these requirements are multiplied by the number of maps.
- 10 Players:
- vCPU: 4 cores (3.5 GHz+)
- RAM: 16-24 GB
- Disk: 200 GB NVMe
- Bandwidth: 1-2 TB/month
- 20 Players:
- vCPU: 6 cores (3.5 GHz+)
- RAM: 24-32 GB
- Disk: 300 GB NVMe
- Bandwidth: 2-3 TB/month
- 50 Players:
- vCPU: 8 cores (3.5-4.0 GHz+)
- RAM: 32-48 GB
- Disk: 500 GB NVMe
- Bandwidth: 5-7 TB/month
- 70+ Players / 3-4 Map Cluster for 50 Players:
- vCPU: 10-16 cores (3.5-4.0 GHz+)
- RAM: 64-96+ GB
- Disk: 1 TB+ NVMe
- Bandwidth: 10+ TB/month
Remember that these figures are approximate. Actual consumption may vary depending on mods used, server settings, and the density of structures and dinosaurs on the map.
Storage and Network Bandwidth Requirements for ARK Survival Ascended Dedicated Servers
In addition to CPU and RAM, disk subsystem speed and network bandwidth also play a crucial role in the stable operation of an ARK Survival Ascended server.
Disk Speed (NVMe) and Storage for Saves
ARK generates a huge amount of data. World saves (.ark files), player profiles, dinosaur data, and structure data are constantly being written to and read from the disk. A slow disk can cause stuttering and lag, especially during autosaves or when many events occur simultaneously.
- NVMe is Essential: Using NVMe SSDs is a critically important requirement for ASA. Traditional HDDs or even SATA SSDs will not provide the necessary read/write speeds, leading to performance degradation. NVMe drives offer significantly higher throughput and lower latency, which is vital for a game server.
- Installation Size: The ARK Survival Ascended game itself requires about 120-150 GB of disk space for server installation.
- Save File Size: World save files (
.ark) and player databases can occupy a significant and constantly growing amount of space. For a single map with 10-20 players over several months of gameplay, save files can reach 50-100 GB. For larger servers with 50+ players and multi-map clusters, this volume can easily exceed 200-500 GB. It's recommended to have at least 2-3 times more space than the current save file size. - Mod Size: Mods also take up disk space. Several large mods can add 10-50 GB to the total volume.
Considering these factors, for a small server with 10-20 players, a minimum of 200-300 GB NVMe is recommended. For large servers and clusters, 500 GB - 1 TB NVMe or more will be required.
Monthly Bandwidth: What to Expect
A game server constantly exchanges data with connected clients. The amount of traffic generated depends on the number of players, their activity, world density, and mods used.
- Per Player: On average, one active ARK player can generate between 200 MB and 1 GB of traffic per hour. This value can be higher during active exploration, building, or PvP battles.
- Total Volume:
- For a 10-player server running 24/7, you can expect 1-2 TB of traffic per month.
- For a 20-30 player server — 2-4 TB of traffic per month.
- For a 50+ player server or a cluster — 5-10 TB of traffic per month and more.
When choosing a VPS or dedicated server plan, ensure that the included bandwidth volume meets your needs. Valebyte.com offers plans with generous traffic limits so you don't have to worry about exceeding them.
VPS vs. Dedicated Server for ARK Survival Ascended: Which to Choose?
Choosing between a VPS (Virtual Private Server) and a dedicated server for ARK Survival Ascended is a key decision that depends on your performance requirements, budget, and player count.
Why a Dedicated Server is Often the Better Choice
For ARK Survival Ascended, especially when planning a server for more than 20 players or using a map cluster, a dedicated server is the most optimal choice. Here's why:
- Guaranteed Performance: On a dedicated server, you get exclusive access to all physical machine resources (CPU, RAM, disk). This means your server's performance will not be affected by the activity of "neighbors," as can happen on a VPS where resources are shared.
- High Single-Thread CPU Performance: Dedicated servers are often equipped with high-frequency processors (e.g., Intel Xeon E3/E5 with high base clock speeds or modern AMD Ryzen/Intel Core), which is critically important for ARK.
- Larger RAM Capacity: Dedicated servers offer significantly more RAM (from 32 GB to 128 GB and more), which is necessary for map clusters and a large number of players.
- NVMe SSD by Default: Most dedicated servers already offer NVMe SSDs as a standard option, providing the necessary disk subsystem speed.
- Full Control: You get full administrative access to the server, allowing you to fine-tune the operating system, install any software, and optimize performance to your needs.
If you want to run a server for a large community or a cluster of multiple maps, ark survival ascended dedicated server specs will be significantly higher than most VPS options, and a dedicated server will ensure stability and comfort for all players. For comparison, look at the server requirements for other large games, such as a Squad dedicated server, which also requires serious resources for 100 players.
When a VPS Might Be Sufficient
A VPS (Virtual Private Server) can be a suitable solution for ARK Survival Ascended in the following cases:
- Small Player Count: If you plan to play with a small group of friends (up to 10-15 players) on a single map, a high-quality VPS with 4-6 vCPUs (with high clock speed) and 16-24 GB RAM can handle the task.
- Limited Budget: VPS is usually cheaper than a dedicated server, which can be a decisive factor for personal use or small communities.
- Testing and Development: For testing mods, settings, or simply getting acquainted with the game without high-performance demands.
However, when choosing a VPS, always pay attention to the processor characteristics (frequency, not just core count), disk type (NVMe only), and guaranteed resources. A low-quality VPS with "overselling" of resources will quickly lead to performance issues, even with a small number of players.
Optimizing Your ARK Survival Ascended Server: Valebyte.com Tips
Even with powerful hardware, proper configuration and optimization of your ARK Survival Ascended server can significantly improve performance and stability. Here are some tips from Valebyte.com:
Configuration Settings and Mods
The GameUserSettings.ini file and server launch parameters allow you to fine-tune many aspects of the game that affect performance:
- Launch Parameters:
-maxplayers=X: Set a realistic number of players your server can handle.-noregen: Disables regeneration of some resources, reducing load.-UseDynamicConfig: Can help with resource distribution.-PreventHibernation: Prevents inactive areas from "hibernating." May increase RAM consumption but reduce lag when they become active.
./ShooterGameServer TheIsland?listen?SessionName=MyARKServer?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=20 -server -log -UseDynamicConfig - Settings in
GameUserSettings.ini:[ServerSettings]:MaxStructuresInRange=,MaxTamedDinos=: Limit the number of structures and dinosaurs to reduce load.bDisableStructurePlacementCollision=: Disabling placement collisions can reduce load.
[ScalabilityGroups]:- Lower values for
sg.FoliageQuality,sg.ShadowQuality,sg.PostProcessQuality. While these primarily affect the client, they can also reduce the amount of data synchronized by the server.
- Lower values for
- Mod Optimization:
- Use only verified and well-optimized mods. Avoid mods that add too many entities, scripts, or have a low-performance rating.
- Regularly check for mod updates.
- Do not install too many mods. Each mod is an additional load.
Monitoring and Scaling
Constant server resource monitoring will help you identify issues promptly and take action:
- Use Monitoring Tools: Install utilities on your server to track CPU load, RAM consumption, disk I/O speed, and network traffic (e.g.,
htop,topfor Linux, Task Manager for Windows, or specialized panels from Valebyte.com). - Monitor Server Logs: ARK logs can contain information about errors, warnings, and performance issues. Review them regularly.
- Plan for Scaling: If the number of players grows, or you plan to add new maps to a cluster, be prepared to upgrade your server. Valebyte.com offers flexible plans that allow you to easily scale VPS resources or upgrade to a more powerful dedicated server as your needs grow.
For 50 concurrent players on a single map, 8 vCPUs (3.5-4.0 GHz+), 32-48 GB RAM, and a 500 GB NVMe disk are sufficient.
| Players per Map | vCPU (Frequency) | RAM (GB) | Disk (NVMe) | Network Port | Estimated Valebyte.com Price (USD/month, May 2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (single map) | 4 cores (3.5 GHz+) | 16-24 | 200 GB | 1 Gbps | $40-65 |
| 20 (single map) | 6 cores (3.5 GHz+) | 24-32 | 300 GB | 1 Gbps | $60-90 |
| 50 (single map) | 8 cores (3.5-4.0 GHz+) | 32-48 | 500 GB | 1-10 Gbps | $90-150 |
| 70+ (single map) | 10-12 cores (3.5-4.0 GHz+) | 48-64 | 700 GB | 10 Gbps | $150-250 |
| 20 (2-map cluster) | 8-10 cores (3.5 GHz+) | 48-64 | 500 GB | 1-10 Gbps | $120-200 |
| 50 (3-4 map cluster) | 12-16 cores (3.5-4.0 GHz+) | 64-96+ | 1 TB+ | 10 Gbps | $250-400+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much RAM do I need for an ARK Survival Ascended server for 20 players?
For an ARK Survival Ascended server with 20 players on a single map, you'll need a minimum of 24-32 GB RAM. This includes the base map consumption (8-12 GB) and approximately 0.25-0.5 GB per player. If using many mods or extensive building, it's recommended to have up to 40 GB RAM as a buffer.
What are the CPU requirements for an ARK Survival Ascended server?
An ARK Survival Ascended server requires a CPU with high single-thread performance. For 10-20 players, 4-6 vCPUs with a clock speed of 3.5 GHz+ are sufficient. For 50+ players or clusters, 8-12+ vCPUs with a frequency of 3.5-4.0 GHz and higher will be needed to ensure stable operation of the main game process.
Can I run ARK Survival Ascended on a VPS?
Yes, you can run ARK Survival Ascended on a VPS for a small number of players (up to 10-15) on a single map. However, the VPS must be high-quality, with guaranteed resources, an NVMe disk, and a high-frequency processor (minimum 4 vCPUs, 16 GB RAM). For larger communities and map clusters, a dedicated server is preferable.
How much disk space do I need for an ARK Survival Ascended server?
Installing an ARK Survival Ascended server requires approximately 120-150 GB. Additionally, for save files and mods, you'll need from 50 GB to 500 GB or more, depending on the number of players, server uptime, and the number of maps in the cluster. Using an NVMe SSD is strongly recommended to ensure high read/write speeds.
Conclusion
ARK Survival Ascended on Unreal Engine 5 is one of the most demanding games in terms of server resources today, especially regarding RAM and single-core CPU performance. For a comfortable gaming experience even for a small group of 10-20 people, you'll need a minimum of 4 high-frequency vCPUs, 16-24 GB RAM, and a fast 200+ GB NVMe disk. When planning a map cluster or a server for 50+ players, these requirements increase many times over, making a dedicated server with 64-96+ GB RAM and 1 TB NVMe virtually indispensable for ensuring stable and lag-free gameplay.
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