Garry's Mod Tickrate + Netcode Calculator
Calculate the right Garry's Mod tickrate and Source engine netcode cvars for your server. Input player count, gamemode (Sandbox / DarkRP / TTT / Prop Hunt / Deathrun / Murder), tickrate, and bandwidth budget — get the recommended sv_maxupdaterate, sv_minupdaterate, sv_maxcmdrate, sv_maxrate, sv_minrate, and fps_max with documented warnings (tickrate-too-high-for-host, fps_max-below-2x-tick, sandbox-physics-instability).
Server Profile
DarkRP: Persistent world, lots of entities — 33 is the sweet spot
GMod default 33 · Source engine cap 128 · most hosts allow 33-66
Netcode + Bandwidth
Your VPS / dedi upload cap. Default 5 MB/s = 40 Mbps
Server-side frame cap. Should be ≥ 2× tickrate. 300 covers tickrate up to 128
Computed Values
Formula sources: Source engine docs + community guides at Wasabi and Physgun.
Pick the right GMod tickrate without guessing — every cvar derived from your server profile
Garry's Mod ships with a default tickrate of 33 (lower than CS:S/TF2's 66) because Sandbox's prop physics simulation doesn't scale linearly. Cranking tickrate without understanding the trade-offs is the #1 cause of laggy GMod servers — admins set tickrate 128 thinking 'more is better', then their server's CPU pegs at 100% during a prop spam and the world starts skipping ticks. This calculator takes your real-world inputs (player count, gamemode, host bandwidth budget) and gives you the right values for `-tickrate`, `sv_maxupdaterate`, `sv_minupdaterate`, `sv_maxcmdrate`, `sv_mincmdrate`, `sv_maxrate`, `sv_minrate`, and `fps_max` — plus warnings when your inputs don't make sense.
Gamemode awareness: Sandbox (default 33, can crash >33 with heavy contraptions), DarkRP (default 33, sweet spot for persistent worlds with 100+ entities), TTT (66 recommended — hitreg matters, twitch combat), Prop Hunt (33 plenty — light sim), Deathrun (66 for trap precision), Murder (33 plenty). Each gamemode preset adjusts the default tickrate when you switch. Override manually via the slider if you have specific requirements.
Three netcode presets: Default (`sv_maxrate 30000` = 30 KB/s/client, GMod default — works for most servers), Competitive (`sv_maxrate 60000` = 60 KB/s/client — for TTT, Deathrun, Hi-tick servers where bandwidth matters more than headcount), Low-bandwidth (`sv_maxrate 20000` = 20 KB/s/client — for slow VPS / shared hosts on tight budgets).
Live warnings when your config is inconsistent: tickrate >33 with 32+ players (CPU-heavy, many shared hosts can't sustain it), Sandbox at >33 tick (prop physics instability — vanilla cap), `fps_max` below 2× tickrate (Source engine drops simulation steps below this threshold; minimum recommended), competitive netcode at <66 tick (bandwidth headroom wasted), upstream estimate exceeds your declared budget (e.g. 50 players × 60 KB/s = 3 MB/s — make sure your VPS can handle it).
Output is a commented `tickrate.cfg` block ready to paste at the top of your `server.cfg`, with a NOTE that `-tickrate` is a startup flag (passed to `srcds_run`/`srcds.exe`), NOT a console cvar — many admins don't know this and wonder why their tickrate cvar 'doesn't apply'. Live-updates as you change inputs.
Pairs with the Workshop Collection Resolver, TTT Config Builder, and ULX Permissions Builder — together cover the foundation of any production GMod server: addons, gamemode, admins, performance.
Garry's Mod Tickrate + Netcode Calculator — FAQ
Why is GMod stuck at 33 tickrate by default?
Source engine ships at 66 tick (CS:S, TF2). Garry Newman intentionally lowered GMod's default to 33 because Sandbox runs heavy physics simulations that don't scale linearly — at 66 tick, a sandbox server with 8 contraption-builders can hit 100% CPU during prop spam. 33 is the safe default for the unknown gamemode mix Sandbox attracts.
Is -tickrate a console cvar or a launch flag?
A LAUNCH FLAG. You pass it on the srcds_run / srcds.exe command line — `srcds_run -tickrate 66`. You cannot change tickrate at runtime; the engine sets it on boot. Trying to set it via console does nothing.
Should I run 66 tick for TTT?
If your CPU and host can sustain it, yes. TTT depends on hitreg accuracy — at 33 tick a player moving sideways at 200 u/s teleports ~6 units per tick, which makes precise pistol shots feel laggy. 66 tick halves that gap. But: many shared hosts cap at 33 tick or charge extra for 66+.
What does sv_maxrate actually do?
Per-client bandwidth ceiling in BYTES per second. 30000 (30 KB/s) is the GMod default. Source caps the per-tick packet size based on this — drop it too low and you'll see rubber-banding under contention. Bump to 60000 for competitive netcode (TTT/Deathrun).
fps_max — what should it be?
≥ 2× tickrate is the documented minimum. At 33 tick → fps_max 66+. At 66 tick → fps_max 132+. Most servers run 300 (covers up to 128 tick) since the cost is negligible. Below the threshold, the engine drops simulation steps and physics jitters.
Can I run 128 tick on Garry's Mod?
The engine accepts it but few hosts support it for GMod (CS:GO 128-tick infrastructure exists but doesn't transfer). 66 is the practical ceiling for community servers; 128 is reserved for tournaments and dedicated boxes. Don't pay the premium unless your gamemode genuinely needs it (most don't).
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