# ARK Server – What Hardware Do I Need?

What hardware does your Ark need? CPU, RAM and storage recommendations for stable performance with NexoraHost.

**Quick answer:** This guide walks you through the topic step by step with practical examples and configuration tips.

This overview helps you choose the right hardware for your ARK: Survival Evolved server – depending on player count and server type.

## Without Mods (Vanilla ARK)

Vanilla refers to a pure ARK server without additional mods – only the content provided by the game. The values are guidelines for normal gameplay with standard settings.

    
        Players
        RAM
        CPU
    

    
        1–10
        6–8 GB
        3 cores at 3.5 GHz+
    

    
        10–20
        8–12 GB
        4 cores at 3.8 GHz+
    

    
        20–40
        12–16 GB
        4–6 cores at 4.0 GHz+
    

    
        40–70
        16–24 GB
        6 cores at 4.2 GHz+
    

    
        70+
        24 GB+
        6–8 cores at 4.5 GHz+
    

**Important:** ARK primarily runs on a single thread. A CPU with high clock speed (3.5 GHz+) is more important than many cores. A modern i5 at 4.5 GHz beats an old 16-core Xeon.

## Single Map vs. Cluster

    
        Setup
        RAM
        CPU
    

    
        1 Map (e.g. The Island)
        8–12 GB
        4 cores at 3.8 GHz+
    

    
        2 Maps (Cluster)
        16–20 GB
        4–6 cores at 4.0 GHz+
    

    
        3–4 Maps (Cluster)
        24–32 GB
        6 cores at 4.2 GHz+
    

    
        5+ Maps (large cluster)
        32–48 GB
        8 cores at 4.5 GHz+
    

**Rule of thumb:** Each additional map needs about 6–8 GB RAM extra. A 3-map cluster with The Island, Ragnarok and Aberration requires at least 24 GB RAM.

## Storage per map

    
        Map
        Storage
    

    
        The Island
        15–25 GB
    

    
        Ragnarok
        20–30 GB
    

    
        The Center
        15–25 GB
    

    
        Scorched Earth
        12–20 GB
    

    
        Aberration
        15–25 GB
    

    
        Extinction
        15–25 GB
    

    
        Valguero
        18–28 GB
    

    
        Crystal Isles
        20–30 GB
    

    
        Genesis Part 1
        20–30 GB
    

    
        Genesis Part 2
        25–35 GB
    

    
        Lost Island
        22–32 GB
    

    
        Fjordur
        25–35 GB
    

**In general:** NVMe SSD is mandatory – HDD makes the server unplayable. Plan an additional 20–30 GB per map for backups.

## Network

    - Plan about 1–2 Mbps upload per player
- From 20 players, at least 25 Mbps upload recommended
- From 50 players, at least 50 Mbps upload recommended

## Summary: How to choose the right hardware

    - **Estimate player count:** How many people do you expect simultaneously?
- **Determine number of maps:** Single map or cluster?
- **CPU:** High single-core performance (3.5 GHz+) > many cores
- **RAM:** 8 GB per map as base, plus 2 GB per 10 players
- **Storage:** NVMe SSD, 25–35 GB per map plus backups
- **Network:** Plan sufficient upload bandwidth