BeamMP servers are surprisingly resource-efficient, but they can slow down if you pile on too many mods, players, or both. Here's how to keep things running smooth.
What Uses Resources?
Players
Each connected player uses RAM and CPU. More players = more resource usage. This scales roughly linearly — 10 players uses about twice what 5 players does.
Vehicle Spawns
Every spawned vehicle is synced across all players. If you allow 3 cars per player with 10 players, that's potentially 30 vehicles being synced. That adds up fast.
Mods
Mods themselves don't use much server RAM (they're mainly sent to players), but having tons of them increases:
- Join times (players download all mods on first connect)
- Disk usage
- The chance of conflicts and crashes
Maps
Larger maps use more RAM. A basic gridmap is light. A detailed city map with custom assets can use significantly more.
Optimization Tips
Right-Size Your Player Count
Don't set MaxPlayers to 50 if you're on a 2GB plan. Here's a rough guide:
| RAM | Comfortable Player Count |
|---|---|
| 2GB | 2-5 players |
| 3GB | 5-10 players |
| 4GB | 8-15 players |
| 8GB | 15-25 players |
| 16GB | 25-40 players |
These assume moderate mod usage. Heavy mods or large maps shift these numbers down.
Limit Cars Per Player
MaxCars = 1
Setting MaxCars to 1 is the single biggest performance win. Each additional vehicle per player multiplies the sync load. If you want to allow more, keep your player count lower to compensate.
Trim Your Mod List
Ask yourself: do your players actually use all 40 vehicle mods? Probably not. Keep the popular ones and cut the rest. Your server runs better and new players connect faster.
Choose Maps Wisely
Stick to well-optimized maps. The built-in BeamNG maps (gridmap, West Coast, Italy) are well-optimized. Some community maps are massive and resource-hungry.
Monitor Usage
Keep an eye on your RAM and CPU usage in the panel. If you're consistently hitting 80%+ RAM usage, you're close to the edge. Either:
- Upgrade your plan
- Reduce player count
- Remove some mods
- Switch to a lighter map
Restart Periodically
Servers can accumulate memory usage over time (especially with lots of player joins/leaves). A daily restart keeps things fresh. You can set this up with scheduled restarts if your panel supports it.
When to Upgrade
If you're seeing:
- Consistent lag or rubber-banding
- RAM usage above 85%
- Players timing out during busy periods
- Slow vehicle sync
It might be time for a bigger plan. Check BeamMP Server Plans for your options.