RAM, Minecraft, and Game Servers

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