Team Fortress 2 server RAM: how much do you need?
Team Fortress 2 runs on an old engine that has been optimised about as far as an engine can be, and its memory needs show it.
Recommendation
You need a server with at least
4GB
- Engine / Base OS:
- 2 GB
- Player Overhead:
- +1.2 GB
- Estimated Raw Usage:
- 3.2 GB
- Suggested cores:
- 2
- Disk to allow:
- 25 GB+
Old, well-optimised engine. Custom map downloads use more disk than the game itself.
View 4GB PlansWhat uses the memory in Team Fortress 2
Only one map is resident at a time, and each round starts clean, so usage stays modest and steady. Customisation is where it grows: a community map rotation, custom sound packs and cosmetic assets are all extra things to load, and a heavily tailored server ends up using noticeably more than a vanilla one.
Team Fortress 2 server RAM by player count
The calculator above, run for 4 common sizes. Each figure is rounded up to a plan size people actually sell.
| Players | Standard Matchmaking |
|---|---|
| 8 | 3 GB |
| 16 | 3 GB |
| 24 | 4 GB |
| 32 | 4 GB |
Where people get it wrong
Planning around slots instead of maps. Thirty-two players on stock maps costs very little; it is a custom map pack with big downloads that actually pushes the requirement up.