Arma Reforger Server Requirements for a Home PC Guide
Check Arma Reforger server requirements for CPU, RAM, disk and upload before you reuse a home PC or pay for managed hosting.
You will need
- A spare 64-bit Windows or Linux PC, or a plan to rent server hardware
- Access to your router and internet service details
If you are deciding whether a spare PC can run an Arma Reforger dedicated server, there is no official one-size-fits-all minimum that guarantees a particular player count. Bohemia publishes a 6 GB memory, 4-core Docker example, but labels it as an example; that is not a capacity promise. Check a 64-bit Windows or Linux machine under your own scenario, mods, AI and players, then measure its memory, CPU, disk and upstream connection. This guide gives you that checklist and helps you decide whether running a home machine is worth the upkeep.
Check the CPU with a representative server session#
Do not buy a processor from a GHz number or core count alone. Bohemia’s startup-parameter reference documents -logStats output with server FPS and frame-time statistics, and its server-hosting guide recommends limiting server FPS to save performance. Those readings give you a practical way to see whether the simulation is keeping pace; the documentation does not publish a minimum clock speed or a supported player count for each CPU.
For a useful check, start the same kind of scenario you expect to host. Include the AI and vehicles your group normally uses, load your required mods, and have players connect if you can. Observe the system during busy moments, not only while the server is empty. Record the CPU model, server build, scenario, mod list, player and AI counts, and the FPS/frame-time readings. One short run is evidence about that run, not a guarantee for every evening or future update.
Bohemia’s sample Docker command uses four CPU cores, but that is a documented container example rather than a claim that Reforger needs exactly four cores. A processor with many cores can still disappoint if the work that determines server frame time is not keeping up. Conversely, a spare machine may be adequate for a small, lightly modded group. Measure first and keep the results tied to the workload. The dedicated-server self-hosting guide covers installation once you know the machine is a candidate.
If your group would rather avoid buying or maintaining a dedicated home PC, Game Hosting’s Arma Reforger plans use an AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, four CPU threads, DDR5 memory and NVMe storage. Plans are sized by guaranteed memory and include three backup slots; those are documented service details, not a Reforger benchmark or a promised player capacity.
| Plan memory | Monthly price | Recommended group size |
|---|---|---|
| 8 GB | $19.99 | 16 players |
| 12 GB | $26.99 | 32 players |
| 16 GB | $34.99 | 64 players |
The group sizes are recommendations, not hard caps. Compare the memory allocation and the work you would rather not do at home; no row guarantees performance for a particular modded workload.
Measure memory in the operating system#
Do not treat a single server log or a host’s player-count table as a universal RAM minimum. Bohemia’s -logStats documentation includes one sample reporting 3291106 kB with two players and 104 AI, and explicitly says its Mem value is an internal approximation that may not match operating-system readings. It is an example, not a typical load figure or a RAM recommendation.
Bohemia’s server-hosting page shows a Docker example configured with 6 GB of memory and four cores. That tells you the resources used by that example; it does not establish that every 6 GB machine will work for every scenario, or that lower settings cannot run a smaller workload. The game’s own approximate memory field also does not include a reliable total for the operating system and other services sharing your PC.
Use Windows Task Manager or your Linux system monitor to watch total memory use while the server is under representative load. Leave room for the operating system and any other programs you keep open. Repeat the check after adding a mod pack or changing the scenario. If memory pressure rises, close competing applications, reduce the workload, or test a machine with more RAM. For the renter’s question—how plan memory compares with player count—use our separate guide to Arma Reforger server RAM by player count.
Leave room for the server, mods and changing files#
Plan storage for more than the first server download. A Windows SteamCMD installation measured about 10.2 GB on October 6, 2026, before mods; that is a dated observation from one installation, not a permanent minimum. Our dedicated-server installation guide records that capture. The official dedicated-server app is distributed through SteamCMD as app ID 1874900, and its installed size can change with updates and platform files.
Workshop content can add substantial storage, while profiles, logs, saves and update downloads also need space. Leave usable free space beyond the current installation and check it before large mod updates. There is no verified universal headroom number that fits every collection. On Windows, check the drive containing the server and its profile directory; on Linux, check the filesystem where the server files and profile are stored.
Before a major update, scenario change or cleanup, identify where the server keeps its profile and persistent data. Make a backup and confirm that you know how to restore it before deleting or replacing files. A backup that has never been checked is not proof that a save can be recovered. For the installation and folder setup, continue with the Arma Reforger dedicated-server self-hosting guide.
Test upload and public reachability from home#
Download speed does not tell you whether your home connection can host a server. We could not verify an authoritative upload target per player, so do not rely on provider tables that multiply a guessed Mbps figure by the planned player count. Instead, watch sustained upstream use on your router or operating system while a representative session is active, and check whether other people and devices saturate the same connection.
Also confirm your ISP’s upload service, data cap and public-address conditions. Bohemia’s current server configuration reference says IPv6 is unsupported, so an IPv6-only connection is not a supported path. A speed test by itself also cannot prove that friends can reach the server through your router or ISP. Test from outside your home network and follow the current official port/configuration instructions in the self-hosting guide; do not copy a port list from an Arma 3 tutorial.
If the home connection has unstable upload, a restrictive ISP setup or no public IPv4 route, you may spend more time troubleshooting reachability than managing the game. A rented server avoids using your home connection as the public endpoint, but this guide does not claim that renting guarantees a particular latency or performance result.
Use a supported 64-bit operating system#
Bohemia documents native dedicated-server support for 64-bit Windows and Linux. Do not plan around a 32-bit operating system or an ARM single-board computer: the current server distribution is x86-64, and the server configuration reference says IPv6 is not supported. Check the current server documentation before choosing a specific Windows release or Linux distribution; the material reviewed here does not establish a universal minimum OS version.
Keep the dedicated server’s update channel aligned with the clients who will join. Stable and Experimental are separate builds. As checked on October 15, 2026, the latest stable update reviewed was 1.8.0.13, while 1.9.0.10 was an Experimental update for Steam and Xbox Experimental applications. Treat those version numbers as a dated snapshot, and do not assume an Experimental server can be joined by Stable clients. Check Bohemia’s current Reforger news and update notes before an update.
If console players will join, configure an eligible dedicated server for crossplay and check each required mod’s platform and version compatibility. Consoles can join compatible dedicated servers, but they do not run the dedicated-server process themselves. Console Workshop storage limits can also affect which mod collections players can install; do not assume that every PC mod pack fits. Our server crossplay setup guide explains the current configuration boundary.
Decide whether to reuse, upgrade or rent#
Keep the home machine if you already own a supported PC, can leave it online, have a reachable and stable connection, and are willing to monitor updates and backups. Test before spending money: measure the workload, check available memory and disk, then invite the group for a session that resembles normal play. An old office PC is not automatically too weak, but its age alone cannot prove it is suitable.
Upgrade only after a measurement points to a bottleneck. More RAM will not fix an overloaded CPU, and a faster processor will not resolve a poor upstream connection or unavailable public address. If a run fails, change one factor at a time and repeat the same scenario so you can tell what helped.
If you do not want to keep a PC running, configure the router, maintain the installation and manage the server’s files yourself, compare that work with a managed plan. Game Hosting’s Arma Reforger options are 8 GB for $19.99, 12 GB for $26.99 and 16 GB for $34.99 per month, with recommended group sizes of 16, 32 and 64 players respectively. Those player counts are recommendations, not hard caps, and they do not promise that a particular modded workload will perform a certain way. The service includes a game panel and three backup slots; review what each plan includes before choosing.
Check your Arma Reforger server requirements before inviting everyone#
There is no defensible universal minimum that answers “will this PC run my server?” for every Arma Reforger workload. The practical answer comes from a supported 64-bit system, a representative session and measurements from the operating system, server log and home connection. Keep the build, scenario, mods, AI and player count with your notes so you can reproduce the check after an update.
If your home machine passes and you are happy to maintain it, follow the complete dedicated-server setup guide. If you are still comparing the memory side, use the RAM sizing guide. If the maintenance is the part you want to avoid, compare the current Arma Reforger hosting plans against the hardware and time you would provide yourself.
Quick answers
What are the minimum requirements for an Arma Reforger server?
Bohemia does not publish a universal minimum for every workload. Its 6 GB RAM and 4-core Docker example is one setup, not a guarantee; check your own server under the scenario, mods, AI and players you expect.
How much RAM do you need for a dedicated server?
There is no reliable player-count-to-RAM formula in the published evidence. Watch operating-system memory use during a representative session; the game’s -logStats memory field is an internal approximation.
Can an old office PC run an Arma Reforger server?
Maybe, if it is a supported 64-bit Windows or Linux system and stays stable under your real workload. Test CPU frame time, operating-system memory, upload use and public reachability before inviting the group.