Server FPS is everything in Arma Reforger — when it drops, AI stutters, hit registration suffers and players rubber-band. The good news: most Arma Reforger performance problems come from a few settings. This guide covers how to improve Arma Reforger server FPS.
Understand server FPS
Your server FPS is how many times per second the server simulates the world. Low server FPS — not client FPS — is what causes that “laggy” multiplayer feel. It’s driven mostly by CPU single-thread speed and how much work you ask the server to do (AI, view distance, tick rate).
The biggest levers
- Cap server frame rate with
-maxFPS(60–120) — see our startup parameters guide. Running uncapped overloads the CPU. - Limit AI count — AI is the heaviest CPU cost, especially in Game Master. Fewer active AI = dramatically better server FPS.
- Reduce
serverMaxViewDistance— a high view distance multiplies the work per tick. - Tune tick rate — a lower tick rate (e.g. 30) is lighter on the CPU; higher rates are smoother but demand more.
- Trim mods — heavy or poorly-optimised mods add overhead; remove what you don’t use.
Right-size the hardware
If settings are tuned and you still drop FPS, it’s the host. Arma Reforger needs high single-thread CPU speed and enough RAM for your player count (see our server requirements guide). Shared, oversold hosts are a common hidden cause of unfixable low server FPS. Our Arma Reforger hosting runs on AMD Ryzen 9 7950X cores for exactly this reason.
Find your settings
Use our free performance calculator to balance players, AI and view distance against your hardware, and the server config generator to apply them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I improve Arma Reforger server FPS?
Set -maxFPS, cap AI count, lower serverMaxViewDistance, tune tick rate, and run on a high single-thread CPU. AI and view distance are the biggest levers.
What causes low server FPS in Arma Reforger?
Usually too much AI, too high a view distance, an uncapped frame rate, or weak/oversold hardware — not the player count itself.
Is server FPS the same as my game FPS?
No — server FPS is the simulation rate on the server. Low server FPS makes multiplayer feel laggy for everyone regardless of their own client FPS.
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