Dedicated Server Hardware Requirements
Conan Exiles hosting scales nonlinearly with player count and mod complexity, so hardware planning should include overhead for purge events and peak-time AI load.
Minimum Specs (Small Group / 10 Players)
- CPU: 4 Cores @ 3.0+ GHz
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 50 GB SSD
Recommended Specs (40-70 Players)
- CPU: 6-8 Cores (High Single Thread Performance)
- RAM: 16-32 GB
- Storage: NVMe SSD (Crucial for loading massive bases)
Network
Upload speed is critical. Expect ~50KB/s per player. For 70 players, you need a stable 100Mbps upload connection.
Capacity Planning Model
Plan resources around worst-case scenarios, not idle averages. Conan servers that run smoothly at low population can degrade sharply during raid windows when NPC AI, structures, and player activity align on one shard region.
- CPU priority: Favor high single-core performance for combat-heavy servers.
- RAM headroom: Leave margin for modded object growth and long uptime.
- Network quality: Stable low-jitter routing matters more than headline bandwidth alone.
Operational Checklist
Treat this topic as a repeatable server operation, not a one-time change. Schedule changes during lower traffic, announce maintenance windows, and keep a rollback snapshot before each update. If your server is modded, validate changes on a staging copy first so startup logs, world loading, and player joins are confirmed before production rollout.
Validation Steps
- Capture baseline metrics: Record CPU, RAM, and average player ping before changes.
- Apply one change at a time: Avoid batch edits that make root-cause analysis difficult.
- Review logs after restart: Check for version mismatch and dependency warnings immediately.
- Run a real join test: Confirm fresh clients can connect and complete core gameplay actions.
- Observe for at least 24 hours: Validate behavior under peak load, not only right after reboot.
Performance and Stability Notes
Most hosting incidents come from resource spikes combined with configuration drift. Keep restart cadence predictable, review world/save growth weekly, and cap optional systems that generate extreme entity counts. When performance drops, compare with your last known-good baseline and revert recent high-risk changes quickly to reduce downtime.
Backup and Rollback Policy
Use automated daily backups plus pre-change snapshots for risky operations. Keep at least one off-node copy and test restore procedures routinely. A practical retention strategy is 7 daily, 4 weekly, and 2 monthly restore points. If a change causes instability, roll back first, stabilize service, and then reattempt with a narrower test scope.
Game-Specific Hosting Notes
- Mod and DLC compatibility: Revalidate after each patch to avoid startup or save load failures.
- Purge and thrall load: High base density and AI activity can increase server frame time.
- RCon/admin control: Keep audited admin commands and restart messaging to reduce disruption.