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Large Satisfactory factories usually become server-limited in one of four places: simulation CPU time, memory, save/load storage, or network delivery. The reliable fix is to measure the saturated subsystem while the problem is happening, then change the matching hardware or setting. A recent high-single-core CPU matters most for simulation; 8 GB RAM is the dedicated-server baseline, while 16 GB is the sensible target for larger saves or more than four players. An NVMe SSD can reduce loading and save pauses, but it is not a guaranteed way to increase simulation tick rate.
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Why a huge factory slows a dedicated server
A dedicated server advances the factory simulation, serializes saves, stores the world, and replicates state to every connected client. As the factory grows, those jobs compete for finite CPU time, memory, storage latency, and upload capacity. A high player frame rate does not prove that the server is healthy: clients can render smoothly while the authoritative simulation falls behind, producing delayed machines, rubber-banding, or actions that appear to take effect late.
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The official dedicated-server guidance emphasizes exceeding minimum requirements, particularly for CPU performance. It does not define a universal “large factory” size or promise a fixed server Hz for a particular processor. Treat the factory state, player count, operating system, and other services on the machine as part of the workload.
Measure the bottleneck before changing settings
Reproduce the slowdown in the busiest area of the factory and record the following at the same time. A short log taken during the problem is more useful than idle readings taken in an empty base.
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| Measurement | What it indicates | Likely next action |
|---|---|---|
| Server Hz or server framerate | The simulation is failing to maintain its target update rate. | Check per-core CPU usage and reduce simulation work or upgrade single-core performance. |
| CPU usage by individual core | One or two busy cores with otherwise idle cores indicate a main-thread or lightly threaded limit. | Use a newer high-single-core CPU; adding cores alone may not help. |
| Total memory and swap/pagefile activity | Near-exhausted RAM forces the operating system to reclaim or page data. | Move to 16 GB or more and reserve headroom for the OS and services. |
| Disk latency during autosave or loading | Pauses that coincide with saves or world transfers point to storage contention. | Use an SSD/NVMe drive and schedule backups so they do not compete with saves. |
| Packet loss, latency, and client symptoms | Rubber-banding or connection failures can be delivery or forwarding problems rather than simulation. | Verify ports, firewall rules, router mapping, and Network Quality. |
Change one variable at a time, repeat the same workload, and write down the result. Without a before-and-after measurement, a setting change can appear to help simply because the factory was less busy during the second test.
Hardware priorities for a large-factory server
CPU: prioritize single-core performance
The server guidance favors strong single-core performance. Choose a recent x86-64 Intel or AMD processor with good sustained boost behavior and cooling. More cores are useful when the host also runs backups, monitoring, databases, or other game servers, but core count by itself does not cure a saturated simulation thread. If one or two cores are fully loaded while the remaining cores are lightly used, replacing the CPU with a newer, faster-per-core model is more appropriate than raising tick-rate limits.
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The official server page lists 8 GB as a baseline and says 16 GB may be recommended for larger saves or hosting more than four players. These figures describe the server process, not a complete machine reservation. Leave additional capacity for the operating system, save backups, monitoring, and any co-hosted services. A 16 GB kit is therefore the clearest physical upgrade for a host that is currently near its memory limit; move beyond 16 GB when operating-system usage, multiple services, or unusually large saves leave little free memory.
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Storage: SSD or NVMe for latency-sensitive work
The server needs local storage for its binaries and save files. An SSD, especially NVMe, is most defensible when measurements show long startup times, slow save transfers, or autosave pauses. Faster storage reduces access latency and can make those operations less disruptive, but no cited documentation promises a higher simulation tick rate from NVMe alone. If the CPU is saturated, replacing a SATA drive with NVMe will not remove the simulation bottleneck.
GPU: normally irrelevant to a headless server
A dedicated server does not require a gaming-class graphics card unless the same computer also runs the game client. The cited server requirements focus on CPU, memory, storage, operating system, and connectivity. If you intend to play on the host, budget the GPU for the client separately; the Steam requirements list 8 GB minimum and 16 GB recommended client memory, with a Ryzen 5 5600X or Core i5-12400 and six physical cores in the recommended configuration (Steam store requirements, accessed 2026).
Tick-rate settings: why raising the cap usually is not a fix
The configuration documentation exposes NetServerMaxTickRate, LanServerMaxTickRate, and NetClientTicksPerSecond in Engine.ini (configuration-file documentation). These values are upper limits, not a command that forces the hardware to perform faster. The same guide says the default tick rate is good for most scenarios and warns that increasing it cannot help when the hardware cannot reach the default 30 ticks per second.
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Use this sequence before editing an INI file:
- Observe server Hz and per-core CPU load while the factory is producing at maximum activity.
- If the server cannot sustain the default 30, keep the cap unchanged and address CPU saturation or reduce simulation-heavy activity.
- If the server consistently reaches the default with substantial CPU headroom and you have a specific reason to test a higher ceiling, change only the relevant value.
- Restart the server, reproduce the same workload, and compare Hz, CPU load, and client behavior.
- Revert the change if server framerate, stability, or network behavior worsens.
On Linux, configuration files are under FactoryGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/. On Windows, use FactoryGameSavedConfigWindowsServer. Updates can overwrite .ini edits, so keep a backup or an automation step that reapplies and verifies your intended values after each patch.
Network Quality is a trade-off, not a universal performance boost
The in-game Network Quality setting offers Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. The official settings text says: “Increasing network quality may improve client load times and network performance at the cost of server framerate. Experiment with these settings to see what works for you” (settings documentation).
Raise the setting one level at a time only after recording server framerate, packet loss, and the client symptom you are trying to correct. A higher level can improve a client’s loading or network experience while consuming enough server resources to lower simulation performance. If the server is already CPU-bound, lowering Network Quality may be the more useful test. Keep the level that improves the actual symptom without pushing server Hz below an acceptable rate.
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Ports, firewall, and router checks for Patch 1.1 networking
The Patch 1.1-era dedicated-server documentation requires two forwarded ports. Open the same ports on the host firewall and forward them from the router to the server’s local IP.
| Port | Protocol | Documented purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 7777 | TCP | Server traffic and HTTPS API |
| 7777 | UDP | Game traffic and lightweight query |
| 8888 | TCP | Reliable messaging |
The port requirements are listed in the dedicated-server documentation. Confirm all of the following when clients cannot connect:
- The server is listening on 7777 TCP, 7777 UDP, and 8888 TCP.
- The operating-system firewall allows those protocols and ports.
- The router forwards each external port to the correct internal address.
- The server’s local address is reserved so a DHCP change does not invalidate the rule.
- Friends are using the correct external address and port, and the host’s internet connection is not behind an upstream carrier-grade NAT that blocks inbound forwarding.
- The host uses Ethernet where possible; Wi-Fi interference and bufferbloat can add loss and jitter even when ports are correct.
Port forwarding fixes reachability and delivery. It cannot make a CPU-bound simulation run faster, so continue to monitor server Hz after connectivity is restored.
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Factory-side actions when the CPU is the bottleneck
If measurements show one or two saturated cores, the practical choices are a faster processor or less simulation work. Reduce or reorganize the activity that is active during the slowdown, then test again under the same production load. Avoid changing tick-rate caps as a substitute for either action.
- Identify the location and production state that causes the Hz drop rather than judging performance from an idle save.
- Temporarily disable or isolate suspected simulation-heavy sections to confirm whether they are causal.
- Spread tests over several minutes so transient startup behavior is not mistaken for sustained performance.
- Keep a known-good save before making structural changes, and restore it if an experiment introduces a new problem.
There is no documented factory-size threshold, guaranteed server Hz, or universal FPS gain that applies to every world. The correct target is the measured workload of your save and player group.
Save and backup scheduling
When disk latency and stalls align with autosaves, put the server and save directory on SSD/NVMe and inspect backup jobs. A backup that reads or compresses the save at the same moment as an autosave can create contention even on fast hardware. Schedule frequent backups outside the busiest play period, retain a known-good copy before configuration changes, and verify that the backup can actually be restored rather than merely reporting success.
Self-hosting versus managed hosting
Choose the model that gives you control over the bottleneck you actually have. Managed hosting can simplify networking and maintenance, while self-hosting gives direct access to the operating system and files.
| Decision axis | Self-hosted machine | Managed host |
|---|---|---|
| Single-core CPU | You choose and can replace the processor; verify sustained thermals. | Depends on the provider’s node and whether CPU resources are shared or guaranteed. |
| RAM | Install 16 GB or more and reserve OS headroom. | Check the guaranteed allocation, not only a headline maximum. |
| Storage | Place binaries and saves on SSD/NVMe and control backup contention. | Confirm the storage type and whether snapshots share I/O with the game. |
| Save access | Full local access and straightforward export. | Require documented downloads, restore tools, and retention limits. |
| Ports and firewall | You control 7777 TCP/UDP, 8888 TCP, router forwarding, and firewall rules. | The provider handles network policy; verify that all required ports are exposed. |
| Player geography | Latency depends on your home connection and location. | Select a region close to most players and check the actual route. |
| Operating-system access | Full control over updates, monitoring, and automation. | May be limited to a control panel or restricted shell. |
| Updates | You schedule patches and protect INI changes yourself. | Ask how updates, rollbacks, and configuration persistence are handled. |
| Monthly price | Electricity, hardware, and connection costs vary; no universal figure applies. | Pricing depends on guaranteed CPU, RAM, storage, location, and backup terms. |
A repeatable troubleshooting order
- Capture a baseline. Record server Hz/framerate, per-core CPU load, memory use, disk latency, packet loss, and the exact factory activity that triggers the issue.
- Fix CPU saturation first. If one or two cores are full, use a newer high-single-core CPU or reduce simulation-heavy activity. Do not raise tick-rate caps blindly.
- Fix memory pressure. If RAM is nearly exhausted or the operating system is paging, move to 16 GB or more and leave room for services and backups.
- Fix save-related stalls. If pauses coincide with saving or loading, move the server and saves to SSD/NVMe and check backup-job contention.
- Fix delivery and connection faults. Verify 7777 TCP/UDP, 8888 TCP, firewall permissions, router forwarding, host addressing, and Network Quality trade-offs.
- Retest one change at a time. Use the same save, player count, and production state, then document whether server Hz, save duration, or packet loss changed.
This order prevents a storage purchase from masking a CPU problem or a network tweak from being blamed for a simulation stall.
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| Observed symptom | Most defensible upgrade or action | What it will not guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| One or two CPU cores saturated; server Hz falls | Newer high-single-core CPU, better cooling, or less active simulation. | More total cores alone will not guarantee higher Hz. |
| RAM nearly full; paging or severe background contention | 16 GB minimum target for larger saves or more than four players, with additional headroom as needed. | Extra RAM cannot remove a saturated simulation thread. |
| Autosave and loading pauses coincide with high disk latency | SSD/NVMe placement and backup scheduling. | NVMe alone does not promise a higher tick rate. |
| Rubber-banding with packet loss or failed connections | Ethernet, router and firewall correction, correct port forwarding, and a measured Network Quality change. | Network work cannot speed up a CPU-bound factory. |
| Headless server has no graphics workload | Use integrated or basic graphics appropriate to the operating system. | A gaming GPU is not a dedicated-server simulation upgrade. |
Bottom line for a large-factory server
Start with measurements, not an INI tweak. Put your budget first into a recent high-single-core CPU when server Hz and per-core load show simulation saturation; use 16 GB RAM as the practical target for large saves or groups above four players; move saves to SSD/NVMe when storage latency is the measured cause of pauses; and verify 7777 TCP/UDP plus 8888 TCP for Patch 1.1 connectivity. Keep the default 30-tick guidance unless testing proves your hardware has headroom, because a higher cap cannot compensate for a server that already misses the default.
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