How much RAM / which plan do I need for X players + Y mods (modded)?
Sizing a modded server is different from sizing a plugin server: modpacks are RAM-hungry, and the number of mods matters far more than how many players you have. Use the guide below as a starting point and adjust upward for heavy tech or magic packs.
Rough sizing guide (modded)
For modern Minecraft (1.21 and newer):
- Light pack (~50 mods): 6GB.
- Medium pack (50–100 mods): 8–10GB.
- Large pack (100–150+ mods): 10–12GB.
- Very large pack (150–300+ mods, ATM-style): 12–16GB or more.
Mod count matters more than player count: the pack sets the baseline before anyone joins. Newer versions use far more memory than old ones; packs on 1.12 and older need much less.
Because modded Minecraft leans heavily on single-thread CPU, a Supreme/Ultimate (Ryzen 7700) tier holds TPS far better than Budget for big packs — mod count and per-core speed drive the experience, not player count alone.
Choosing your tier
- Estimate your mod count and match it to a band above.
- If your pack is heavy on world-gen, tech, or chunk-loaders, bump up a tier.
- For anything large, favour a Ryzen (Supreme/Ultimate) tier for better TPS.
- Pre-generate your world to smooth out exploration lag.
Warning: These are starting points, not guarantees. A single heavy mod (world-gen, chunk-loaders) can push you higher. Start a tier up if you can.
Frequently asked questions
Does more RAM mean more players? Up to a point. Past a certain size, CPU and good settings matter more than piling on RAM.
Why does mod count matter more than player count? The mods themselves consume most of the RAM and CPU, so a big pack is demanding even with only a few players online.
More in Capacity / "What plan do I need?"
- How much RAM / which plan for X players + Y plugins (Paper/Spigot)?
- How many players can my current server (N GB) handle?
- How many mods or plugins can N GB of RAM handle?
- How many vCores do I need for N players?
- What plan do I need for a big network (proxy + lobby + survival + auth, hundreds of players)?
- Which plan for a specific big modpack (ATM9, DawnCraft, SkyFactory, etc.)?