In this article
Why “using more memory” isn’t a bad thing
One of the most common misconceptions we see with game servers, especially Minecraft, is that RAM is something you should try to save.
In reality, servers will use RAM if it’s available, and that’s usually a good thing.
RAM isn’t storage (and it isn’t fuel)
RAM is working memory.
Think of it like a desk:
The bigger the desk, the more books you can keep open on it
If space is available, programs will happily use it
Using more RAM does not mean something is wrong
Minecraft (and most modern game servers) will:
Cache chunks
Keep entities loaded
Store frequently used data in memory
All of this improves performance.
If your server isn’t using RAM when it has access to it, that’s often worse, not better.
Why high RAM usage is usually fine
A common worry is:
“My server is using almost all of its RAM, is that bad?
Usually, no.
Minecraft will:
Fill memory with cached data if it’s available
Hold onto it until Java decides it needs to clean up
Prefer keeping data in RAM rather than constantly reloading it
This reduces lag, disk access, and CPU overhead.
High RAM usage only becomes a problem when:
The server hits its hard limit
Or Java starts doing constant garbage collection
A quick note on our default JVM flags
We often get asked why we use the flags we do.
In short:
They’re tuned for modern Java
Focused on stable GC behavior, not chasing benchmarks
They’re designed to:
Reduce lag spikes
Avoid aggressive garbage collection
Keep memory usage smooth over time
You do not need to touch these for most servers.
Advanced: changing garbage collectors (optional)
For advanced users, we do allow full control.
If you switch your flag preset to Custom, you can:
Change garbage collectors
Adjust heap sizes
Experiment with different JVM behavior
This is entirely optional and not required for good performance.
If you’re not sure what a flag does, the default preset is almost always the safest choice.
The takeaway
RAM is not something to hoard.
If your server has memory available:
It will use it
That usually improves performance
And that’s exactly what it’s meant to do
If you have any questions about the RAM your server is using, please let us know
