For a small ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) dedicated server, start with 16GB of RAM, four fast logical CPU cores, and at least 50GB of free SSD space. ASA is substantially heavier than ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE): an empty ASA map typically consumes about 7–12 GiB of memory, while most ASE maps use roughly 3–7 GiB. Those are baseline snapshots with no players, not guaranteed maximums. Player counts, world age, structures, creatures, inventories and mods raise usage, and creature respawn phases can cause temporary spikes. ASE has a native Linux server; ASA does not, so an ASA host needs Windows or a Windows-like environment. A machine running the game client and a server must meet both workloads.
What are the dedicated-server requirements for ASA and ASE?
The practical starting point depends on which ARK edition you are hosting. The following figures describe one dedicated-server instance, not the player client and not several maps running simultaneously.
| Requirement | ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) | ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory starting point | 16GB RAM is a sensible small-server starting point; empty-map baselines are about 7–12 GiB depending on map | 8GB can cover a lightly populated map, but 16GB gives more room for players, older worlds and mods |
| CPU per instance | 4 logical cores recommended, with strong single-thread performance | 2 logical cores generally sufficient; the official guidance says the workload does not scale beyond 4 cores |
| Installation size | About 11 GiB | About 18 GiB |
| Operating system | Windows or a Windows-like environment; no native Linux server | Native Windows and Linux server support |
| Storage planning | 20GB is a bare guide-level floor; 50GB free is safer for updates, saves and a full map/mod workload | Reserve space beyond the 18 GiB install for saves, updates, logs and mods |
The 16GB and 20GB figures appear in a 2026 dedicated-server hosting guide, while another guide updated 24 September 2026 suggests 16GB or more and at least 50GB free. Treat those as planning recommendations rather than guarantees. The ARK Official Community Wiki’s figures are measured on default settings with no connected players, so a busy or heavily modified server needs additional headroom.
How much RAM does an ARK dedicated server need?
ASA normally needs considerably more memory than ASE. Map choice is the first variable to check, but it is only a starting point: an old save with many structures and creatures can exceed an empty-map reading.
ASA empty-map memory baselines
| ASA map | Reported memory with default settings and no players |
|---|---|
| The Island | 8–10 GiB |
| The Center | 10.5–12 GiB |
| Scorched Earth | 7.5–9 GiB |
| Aberration | 8–10 GiB |
| Extinction | 7–8.5 GiB |
The Center has the highest reported empty-map range in this set, reaching 12 GiB before any players join. That is why a 16GB machine is a starting point rather than a universal ASA minimum: the operating system, SteamCMD, logging and transient allocation also need memory.
ASE empty-map memory baselines
| ASE map | Reported memory with default settings and no players |
|---|---|
| The Island | 3.5–4.5 GiB |
| The Center | 3–4 GiB |
| Scorched Earth | 3–4 GiB |
| Ragnarok | 4–5 GiB |
| Aberration | 3–4 GiB |
| Extinction | 3–4 GiB |
| Genesis | 5–6 GiB |
| Crystal Isles | 5.5–6.5 GiB |
| Genesis: Part 2 | 10–12.5 GiB |
| Lost Island | 5.5–7 GiB |
| Fjordur | 4–5 GiB |
Genesis: Part 2 is the outlier in the ASE list, with an empty-map baseline as high as 12.5 GiB. An 8GB host that works for a small Island world may therefore struggle when the map or mod load changes.
How do players, world age and mods change RAM usage?
There is no reliable universal formula for ASA memory per player. The official guidance says usage varies with the map, connected players, world age, structures, creatures, storage, configuration and mods, and warns that memory may rise or become unstable during creature-respawn phases.
Player load
For ASE, the ARK Official Community Wiki reports an average increase of about 50–150 MiB for each connected player. This is an average range, not a hard allocation: simultaneous activity, inventories and loaded areas can make real usage uneven. No equivalent published ASA per-player figure should be treated as authoritative.
Persistent world content
A fresh, empty map is the least demanding state. As players build bases, tame creatures, fill storage and create tribe or player data, the save carries more objects for the server to load and simulate. A long-running world can therefore need more RAM than a newly generated world on the same map.
Mods and configuration
Mods add code and assets that must be loaded and may increase the number of entities being tracked. Large mod collections also consume disk space and can make updates require more temporary working space. Plan from the heaviest map-and-mod combination you will actually run, then watch peak memory during joins, travel and respawn events rather than relying only on an idle reading.
- Use the empty-map range as a floor, not a target.
- Leave memory for the operating system and server-management tools.
- Check usage while several players are active and after a creature respawn cycle.
- Increase RAM when the process approaches the machine’s limit, the operating system starts swapping, or the server becomes unstable during load spikes.
What CPU does an ARK server need?
ASA should be budgeted at four logical cores per server instance, with single-thread performance prioritized over simply adding more cores. Much of the gameplay workload remains single-threaded, although physics can use additional execution resources.
| Edition | Per-instance guidance | What matters most |
|---|---|---|
| ASA | 4 logical cores recommended | High single-thread performance; four fast cores are preferable to many slow cores |
| ASE | 2 logical cores generally sufficient | Additional cores have diminishing returns; the official guide says the workload does not scale beyond 4 cores |
Logical cores are scheduling threads, not a promise that any processor with the same count will perform identically. A modern desktop or server CPU with strong per-core performance usually delivers a better experience than an older high-core-count chip with weak single-thread speed.
What if I run several maps?
Add the per-instance budget for every concurrently running server and reserve host overhead. Two ASA maps therefore need roughly eight logical cores as a planning baseline, plus capacity for the operating system and management tasks; two ASE maps start at roughly four logical cores. Memory and storage also scale with the number of instances, and each map creates its own saves, logs and configuration files.
How much storage does an ARK dedicated server use?
The installation is only part of the requirement. The ARK Official Community Wiki lists about 11 GiB for one ASA server and about 18 GiB for one ASE server. Keep additional free space for world saves, tribe and player profiles, logs, SteamCMD downloads, extraction during updates and mods.
| Storage item | ASA | ASE |
|---|---|---|
| Server installation | About 11 GiB | About 18 GiB |
| Bare guide-level free-space suggestion | At least 20GB | Not stated as a universal floor |
| Safer planning figure | At least 50GB free when updates, saves and a broad map/mod set are expected | Start above the 18 GiB install and expand for saves, updates and mods |
Use an SSD, preferably an NVMe drive when available, for faster map loading, save operations and update extraction. The 180GB SSD requirement listed by Steam applies to the ASA player client, not to a dedicated server; do not copy that client figure into a server specification.
Can I run an ARK Ascended dedicated server on Linux?
Not natively. ASE has native Windows and Linux dedicated-server support, but ASA requires Windows or a Windows-like environment. A Linux host can therefore run ASA only through a compatible Windows layer or virtualized Windows deployment, adding operational complexity and another compatibility point to troubleshoot.
| Deployment question | ASA | ASE |
|---|---|---|
| Native Windows server | Supported | Supported |
| Native Linux server | Not available | Supported |
| Server executable | 64-bit | 64-bit |
SteamCMD is the distribution method for both editions. The official setup information identifies app ID 2430930 for ASA and 376030 for ASE. A typical anonymous download command is:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quitReplace 2430930 with 376030 when downloading the ASE server. Keep the server files, save directory and logs on a volume with the free-space headroom described above, and validate files again after an interrupted or suspicious update.
Are dedicated-server requirements different from the ARK client requirements?
Yes. Steam lists ASA client requirements of 16GB RAM minimum, 32GB recommended, 180GB available storage and an SSD. Those numbers describe the player application, rendering assets and client cache; they are not a dedicated-server specification.
| Workload | Memory and storage figures in the published requirements | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| ASA client | 16GB RAM minimum, 32GB recommended, 180GB available storage, SSD | For playing the game locally |
| ASA dedicated server | About 11 GiB installation; 16GB RAM is a practical starting point; 20GB is a bare guide floor and 50GB is safer planning | For hosting simulation, saves and server-side content |
If one computer runs both, add the workloads rather than choosing the larger single number. A host that is adequate for a server alone may become memory-constrained once the client is launched, especially on a busy or modded world.
How should I size a server before renting or building it?
- Choose the edition and map. Record whether you need ASA or ASE and use the corresponding empty-map range as your baseline.
- Estimate persistent load. Account for expected concurrent players, an established save, structures, creatures, storage and mods. For ASE, the published 50–150 MiB average per connected player can provide a rough planning input; there is no comparable guaranteed ASA formula.
- Assign CPU per instance. Reserve four fast logical cores for each ASA instance or two for each ASE instance, then add cores for additional maps and host services.
- Reserve memory and disk headroom. For a small ASA instance, 16GB RAM and 50GB free SSD space are sensible starting targets. Increase both when running larger maps, older worlds or extensive mods.
- Confirm the operating system. Use Windows for ASA unless you have tested a Windows-like deployment; ASE can run natively on Linux or Windows.
- Load-test the real configuration. Join with several players, travel between busy areas and observe memory during respawn events and updates. Resize before the host begins swapping or the server becomes unstable.
Should I self-host or use managed hosting?
Self-hosting gives you control over hardware, files, backups and configuration, but you must maintain the operating system, SteamCMD updates, firewall, save backups and capacity. Managed hosting charges for an allocated server and handles much of that operations work, but you trade some control for provider limits and recurring cost.
| Consideration | Self-hosting | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware sizing | You choose and upgrade RAM, CPU and SSD | Choose a plan; scaling depends on the provider |
| Maintenance | You apply updates, monitor failures and protect saves | Provider usually supplies the management layer |
| Operating-system flexibility | ASE supports native Linux; ASA needs Windows or a Windows-like environment | Provider’s supported images determine your choices |
| Commercial use | ASA licensing conditions apply | Verify that the provider’s arrangement and your intended use comply |
The official wiki states that, unless a dedicated-server license is obtained from Nitrado, ASA dedicated servers may be hosted only for personal, non-commercial use, subject to narrow donation or operational-cost exceptions. Anyone charging for access, hosting for customers or otherwise operating commercially should check the current license terms before deployment rather than assuming a private-server exception applies.
What are the most common capacity problems and fixes?
Server crashes or becomes unstable during respawns
Creature respawn phases can produce memory increases or instability. Capture a memory graph during the event, reduce concurrent workload or mods, and move to a larger RAM tier if the process repeatedly approaches the host limit.
Long loading times and failed updates
A nearly full drive leaves too little space for downloads, extraction and temporary files. Free additional capacity, move the installation to an SSD and run SteamCMD validation after the update completes.
High CPU time despite many cores
Adding cores does not automatically fix an ARK simulation bottleneck. Check single-thread frequency and per-core utilization first; ASA’s four-core recommendation is useful only when those cores are fast enough, while ASE gains little beyond four total cores per instance.
Server works empty but fails with a mature save
Empty-map figures exclude the structures, creatures, inventories and player data accumulated over time. Test the actual save with representative players and increase RAM or split instances when the mature-world peak exceeds your original baseline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move an ARK server from Windows to Linux?
ASE has native server support on both operating systems, so a migration is technically supported, but the save, configuration and mod files still need to be copied and checked. ASA has no native Linux server; moving an ASA deployment requires a Windows or Windows-like environment rather than a native Linux executable.
Is 16GB RAM enough for every ASA map?
No. It is a practical starting point for a small instance, not a guarantee. The reported empty-map range already reaches 12 GiB on The Center, leaving limited room for the operating system, players, persistent world data and mods.
Why does my server need more disk space after installation?
SteamCMD may download and unpack update data before replacing existing files, while saves, logs and mods continue growing separately. Keeping only the installation-size figure can leave the update process without working room even when the original files still fit.
What should I monitor after opening the server to players?
Watch peak RAM, per-core CPU utilization, free disk space and restart or crash events while players travel, build and trigger creature respawns. Compare those peaks with the idle empty-map baseline; sizing decisions should follow the busiest real workload, not the first boot reading.