Palworld Dedicated Server Requirements (RAM & CPU)

Palworld is one of the most memory-hungry survival servers you can run — far heavier than Valheim, closer to ARK territory. If you size it like a normal co-op game you'll be disappointed. This guide gives realistic RAM and CPU numbers and explains the memory behaviour that trips people up.

The short answer

• RAM: 16 GB is the baseline. Budget 24–32 GB for a busy 32-player world with lots of bases and Pals.
• CPU: 4 cores minimum; more cores and strong single-thread performance both help, especially with the multithreading flags enabled.
• Storage: 15–20 GB, on NVMe for smooth saves.

Why Palworld needs so much RAM

Palworld holds a lot in memory: the world, every base, and every Pal working at those bases — each with its own AI and state. As players expand and capture more Pals, that state grows, and the dedicated server also leaks memory over long uptimes. The practical result is that RAM climbs steadily until you restart.

That combination — high baseline plus a leak — is why 8 GB isn't enough for anything but a tiny private server, and why owners who don't restart end up crashing.

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RAM by player count

• RAM: 16 GB — a small-to-medium group (up to ~8–10 players) with moderate bases.
• RAM: 24 GB — a lively server, 16–24 players, plenty of Pals and structures.
• RAM: 32 GB — a full 32-player world at scale, or comfortable headroom on a busy community server.

Always leave a few GB of headroom on top for the OS and updates. Undersizing here is the number-one cause of Palworld server instability.

CPU: enable the performance flags

Palworld benefits from multithreading, but only if you launch it with the recommended flags:

./PalServer.sh -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS

These meaningfully improve CPU utilisation on a multi-core box. Aim for at least 4 modern cores; single-thread performance still matters for the main simulation loop, so a high-clock CPU is ideal. For the wider picture, see how much RAM and CPU a game server needs.

The restart habit

Because of the memory leak, scheduled restarts are part of the requirements, not an optional extra. Restart every 6–12 hours and you'll keep memory in a healthy range regardless of player count. Set it up once with systemd restarts and forget about it. This is the single most impactful thing you can do for Palworld server stability.

Recommended starting point

For most groups, a 16 GB / 6-core NVMe VPS with scheduled restarts is a solid start, upgradable to 32 GB if your world gets busy. If you already know you'll run a full 32-slot community server, start at 24–32 GB. The full build is in how to set up a Palworld dedicated server on a VPS.

Signs you've undersized the server

Palworld doesn't always fail loudly when it's short on RAM — it degrades. Watch for these tells:

• Rubber-banding and delayed Pal actions as the server struggles to keep the simulation ticking.
• RAM sitting near 100% in htop for long stretches, with the server dipping into swap (a sure sign you need more memory or more frequent restarts).
• Crashes several hours into a session — classic memory-leak exhaustion on a box that's too small to absorb the climb.
• Login timeouts for the last player or two when a full 32-slot world hits its memory ceiling.

If you see these, either step up a RAM tier or shorten your restart interval to every 6 hours. Storage matters too: keep the world on NVMe so those frequent saves don't hitch. And confirm you launched with the multithreading flags — a Palworld server without them wastes CPU headroom you paid for. For the broader trade-offs, see how much RAM and CPU a game server needs.

FAQ

How much RAM does a Palworld server need?

16 GB is the realistic baseline. For a full 32-player world, plan on 24–32 GB. 8 GB only suits a tiny private server, and even then the memory leak makes restarts essential.

How many players can a Palworld server hold?

Up to 32. Each additional active player and their Pals increase memory use, so higher player counts need proportionally more RAM.

Why does my Palworld server keep crashing?

Almost always memory exhaustion from the leak. Confirm you have enough RAM for your player count, then schedule restarts every 6–12 hours.

Does Palworld need scheduled restarts?

Yes. The dedicated server leaks memory over time, so a restart every 6–12 hours is standard practice to keep it stable.

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