Hytale Server Hardware Guide: Build vs Buy (2026)

Meta Description: Complete Hytale dedicated server hardware guide. CPU/RAM requirements by player count, budget builds, hosting provider comparisons, and cost analysis for server admins.

---

Quick Recommendations

10 players: Dedicated hosting (~$10/month)
20-50 players: Budget build ($400) OR VPS ($30/month)
50-100 players: Mid-tier build ($800) OR dedicated hosting ($60/month)

Key factor: Player count, mods, and world size determine requirements.

Full details: Hytale System Requirements

---

Hytale Server Requirements (Official)

Minimum Specs (10-20 players, vanilla)

• CPU: Intel i5-10400 / Ryzen 5 3600 (6 cores)
• RAM: 8GB dedicated
• Storage: 20GB SSD (NVME recommended)
• Network: 100 Mbps upload (symmetric)
• OS: Windows Server 2019+ / Ubuntu 20.04+

Expected performance: 20 TPS, occasional lag spikes

---

Recommended Specs (20-50 players, light mods)

• CPU: Intel i7-12700 / Ryzen 7 5800X (8+ cores)
• RAM: 16GB dedicated
• Storage: 50GB NVME SSD
• Network: 250 Mbps upload
• OS: Ubuntu Server 22.04 (optimized)

Expected performance: Stable 20 TPS, smooth gameplay

---

High-Performance (50-100 players, heavy mods)

• CPU: Intel i9-12900K / Ryzen 9 5900X (12+ cores)
• RAM: 32GB dedicated
• Storage: 100GB NVME SSD (RAID setup)
• Network: 500 Mbps+ upload (1 Gbps ideal)
• OS: Linux (lower overhead)

Expected performance: No lag, instant chunk loading

---

Build vs Buy Analysis

Budget Hosting ($10-30/month)

Providers:

• Apex Hosting
• ScalaCube
• Shockbyte

Pros:

• No upfront cost
• Automatic updates
• DDoS protection included
• Support team

Cons:

• Monthly fees add up ($120-360/year)
• Less control
• Shared resources (occasional lag)

Best for: Small friend groups, testing servers

---

VPS / Cloud ($ 30-100/month)

Providers:

• Digital Ocean
• Linode
• Vultr

Pros:

• Full control (root access)
• Scalable resources
• Better performance than shared

Cons:

• Requires Linux knowledge
• Manual setup
• Long-term expensive

Best for: Medium servers, tech-savvy admins

---

Self-Host / Build PC ($400-1500 one-time)

Pros:

• No monthly fees (after electricity)
• Full control
• Use for other tasks when not hosting

Cons:

• Upfront cost
• Maintain hardware yourself
• Home internet upload limits

Best for: Dedicated servers, long-term hosting (2+ years)

---

Budget Server Builds

Build #1: Entry-Level ($400)

For: 10-20 players, vanilla

Component	Model	Price
CPU	Ryzen 5 5600 (6-core)	$130
Motherboard	ASRock B550M	$80
RAM	16GB DDR4-3200	$40
Storage	500GB NVMe SSD	$40
PSU	EVGA 500W	$50
Case	CoolerMaster Q300L	$60

Total: ~$400

Performance: 20+ TPS with 15 players

---

Build #2: Mid-Range ($800)

For: 30-50 players, light-medium mods

Component	Model	Price
CPU	Ryzen 7 5800X (8-core)	$250
Motherboard	MSI B550-A PRO	$140
RAM	32GB DDR4-3600	$80
Storage	1TB NVMe SSD	$80
PSU	Corsair RM750	$100
Case	Fractal Meshify C	$90
Cooling	Noctua NH-U12S	$60

Total: ~$800

Performance: Stable 20 TPS with 40+ players + mods

---

Build #3: High-End ($1500)

For: 75-100 players, heavy mods

Component	Model	Price
CPU	Ryzen 9 5900X (12-core)	$400
Motherboard	ASUS ROG Strix X570	$200
RAM	64GB DDR4-3600	$180
Storage	2TB NVMe SSD (RAID 0)	$200
PSU	Corsair HX1000	$200
Case	Phanteks Enthoo Pro	$100
Cooling	Noctua NH-D15	$100
Network	10GbE NIC (optional)	$120

Total: ~$1500

Performance: 100 players no lag, instant chunk loading

---

Cost Comparison (2-Year Analysis)

Option	Upfront	Monthly	2-Year Total
Budget Hosting	$0	$15	$360
VPS	$0	$40	$960
Entry Build	$400	$5 (electric)	$520
Mid Build	$800	$8 (electric)	$992
High Build	$1500	$12 (electric)	$1788

Breakeven: Self-host becomes cheaper after ~12-18 months

---

RAM Requirements by Player Count

Players	RAM (Vanilla)	RAM (+Mods)
5-10	4-6GB	8-10GB
10-20	6-8GB	10-14GB
20-40	10-14GB	16-24GB
40-75	16-24GB	32-48GB
75-100	24-32GB	48-64GB

Rule of thumb: 150-200MB per player + 4GB base + mod overhead

---

Storage Considerations

SSD vs HDD

For Hytale: SSD is mandatory

Why:

• Dynamic world loading
• Chunk generation
• Player data access

HDD issues:

• Constant stuttering
• 5-10 second lag spikes
• Poor player experience

Recommendation: NVME SSD (3000+ MB/s read)

---

World Size Growth

Expected growth rates:

Players	Week 1	Month 1	Month 6
10	5GB	15GB	40GB
50	15GB	50GB	150GB
100	30GB	100GB	300GB+

Plan for: 3x your launch storage

Backup strategy: Weekly backups to external/cloud

---

Network Requirements

Upload Speed is Critical

Calculation: (players × 1.5 Mbps) + 10 Mbps overhead

Examples:

• 10 players: 25 Mbps upload
• 25 players: 50 Mbps upload
• 50 players: 85 Mbps upload
• 100 players: 160 Mbps upload

Home internet limits:

• Most ISPs: 10-50 Mbps upload
• Fiber: 100-1000 Mbps upload

If limited: Use VPS/hosting instead

---

DDoS Protection

Essential for public servers

Solutions:

• TCPShield (free tier)
• Cloudflare (requires setup)
• Hosting providers (included)

DIY protection:

• Firewall rules
• Rate limiting
• Whitelist-only (private)

---

Operating System Choice

Windows Server

Pros:

• Familiar GUI
• Easy setup
• Good for beginners

Cons:

• Higher RAM overhead (2-4GB)
• License cost ($70-500)
• Slower performance

Recommendation: For <20 players or non-technical admins

---

Linux (Ubuntu Server)

Pros:

• Lower overhead (saves 2-4GB RAM)
• Free
• Better performance (10-15%)
• Industry standard

Cons:

• Command-line only
• Steeper learning curve

Recommendation: For serious servers (30+ players)

---

Hosting Provider Comparison

Tier 1: Budget ($5-20/month)

Apex Hosting

• $8/month (8GB RAM, 20 slots)
• Good uptime (99.9%)
• Auto-modpack installer

ScalaCube

• $6/month (6GB RAM, 10 slots)
• Budget-friendly
• Basic features

Best for: Testing, small friends group

---

Tier 2: Performance ($20-60/month)

BisectHosting

• $30/month (16GB RAM, 50 slots)
• NVMe storage
• Excellent support

Shockbyte

• $25/month (12GB RAM, 40 slots)
• DDoS protection
• Instant setup

Best for: Public servers, communities

---

Tier 3: Enterprise ($60-200+/month)

OVH Dedicated

• $80/month (32GB RAM, 100 slots)
• Full server control
• 1 Gbps network

AWS / GCloud

• Pay-per-use (varies)
• Infinitely scalable
• Requires expertise

Best for: Large networks, streamers

---

Optimization Tips

Server JVM Arguments

-Xms16G -Xmx16G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200

What it does:

• Sets RAM allocation
• Enables G1 garbage collector
• Reduces lag spikes

---

Performance Tuning

Config tweaks:

• View distance: 8-12 chunks (not 16)
• Entity activation range: Reduce for mobs
• Tick rate: Keep at 20 TPS

Plugins:

• WorldBorder (limits world size)
• ClearLag (removes entities)
• Performance monitors

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run a server and play on the same PC?

Technically yes, but not recommended. Hosting uses significant resources. Your gameplay will lag.

Better: Dedicated server PC OR VPS

How much does electricity cost?

~$5-15/month depending on wattage and rates.

Calculation: (wattage × hours × $0.12/kWh) / 1000

Example: 200W server, 24/7 = ~$17/month

Do I need ECC RAM?

No, but nice to have. ECC prevents data corruption. Consumer RAM works fine for most servers.

Can I use an old gaming PC?

Yes! Repurpose old hardware. Just ensure:

• CPU is 6+ cores
• 16GB+ RAM
• SSD storage

What about RAID for redundancy?

RAID 1 (mirroring) recommended for important servers. RAID 0 (striping) = faster but risky.

---

The Bottom Line

For most admins:
20 players: Budget hosting ($10-15/month)
50 players: Mid-tier build ($800) if long-term
100 players: High-end build ($1500) OR enterprise hosting ($80/month)

Key decisions:

1. Player count × mod load = RAM needed
2. Long-term (2+ years)? Build PC
3. Short-term / testing? Use hosting

Start small, scale up as your community grows.

---

Related Guides:

• System Requirements
• Troubleshooting
• Server Communities

Last Updated: January 9, 2026 | Written for HytaleDiscords.com