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How Much RAM Do You Really Need for a Home Hobby Server?

RAM prices are through the roof right now, and that makes choosing memory for a home hobby server surprisingly difficult. Do you buy more RAM than you need “just in case,” or try to save money and risk running into limits later?

In this post, I’ll look at how much RAM a home server actually needs in practice. I’ll share real memory usage from my own hobby home server, explain what workloads really consume RAM, and give some practical recommendations. I’ll also touch on whether DDR4 is still a sensible choice, when DDR5 makes sense, and how to avoid overspending if your server is mainly for hobby use.

📑 Table of Contents

My Hobby Home Server Setup

To put the memory usage numbers in this post into context, it helps to briefly explain what my home server looks like. This is not a large enterprise-grade setup, but a small and affordable Linux-based home server built for hobby use.

The server runs Linux and is mainly used for self-hosted services. Most workloads are containerized using Docker, which is a common and practical approach for hobby home servers and homelabs. There are no large VM clusters or enterprise workloads involved, just services many home server users will recognize.

On a day-to-day basis, the server runs:

  • A media stack (Jellyfin, Sonarr, Radarr, and supporting services)
  • qBittorrent routed through a Gluetun VPN container
  • This Ghost blog and Umami analytics
  • Netdata for system monitoring
  • AdGuard Home for network-wide ad blocking
  • Home Assistant
  • Tailscale for secure remote access
  • A few other small supporting services

This setup runs 24/7 and is rarely completely idle. Even when nothing is actively used, containers remain running, databases stay warm in memory, and Linux continues to cache recently accessed data. That makes it a realistic baseline for observing how memory is actually used on a hobby home server.

How Much RAM Does a Home Server Actually Need?

Instead of guessing how much RAM a home server might need, I measured how my own Linux-based hobby server actually uses memory over time. Using Netdata, I monitored memory usage continuously over a 48-hour period while the server was running its normal workloads, including media streaming, background tasks, and regular day-to-day activity.

Which Services Are Expected to Use the Most RAM?

Based on the services running on this server, I expected memory usage to be driven mainly by a few heavier workloads. Media services, databases, and background services that are always running are often mentioned as memory-hungry components in home server setups.

In particular, I expected higher memory usage from:

  • Jellyfin, especially during active streaming and transcoding
  • qBittorrent, due to disk I/O and filesystem caching
  • Databases (MySQL and PostgreSQL), which keep frequently accessed data in memory
  • Home Assistant, which runs continuously and builds up history over time

These are the kinds of services that usually make people worry about needing large amounts of RAM.

48 Hours of Real-World Memory Usage

To see how this plays out in practice, I tracked the server’s memory usage over a 48-hour period using Netdata, covering both quiet periods and times of heavier activity.

system_ram (1).png

What surprised me most is how low the actual application memory usage remained. During periods of active use, including multiple Jellyfin streams and ongoing transcoding, the server never exceeded 5 GB of used memory.

What This Means in Practice

Based on these measurements, even relatively small amounts of RAM can be sufficient to run a hobby home server. However, the amount of available memory has a clear impact on caching behavior and disk I/O, which in turn affects overall system responsiveness.

  • 8 GB is workable for a small setup with light workloads. Application memory usage may stay within limits, but there is very little room left for Linux to cache data. As a result, the system relies more heavily on disk I/O, which can reduce performance during heavier activity or short spikes.
  • 16 GB allows services to run comfortably while leaving more room for filesystem and database caching. This reduces disk access and results in more consistent performance compared to tighter memory configurations.
  • 32 GB provides substantial headroom for caching and background activity. Disk I/O is reduced further, and the system is better able to absorb peaks in activity without reclaiming cache aggressively.
  • 64 GB goes beyond what most applications require, but the additional memory is still used effectively by Linux for caching. This further minimizes disk access and helps maintain consistent performance under sustained or unpredictable workloads.

The key takeaway is that on Linux, additional RAM is actively used even when application memory usage remains low. Extra memory primarily benefits caching and I/O behavior, improving overall system stability and responsiveness rather than increasing raw application memory usage.

DDR4 vs DDR5: What Actually Matters for a Home Server

When choosing RAM for a home server, it’s easy to focus on newer memory standards or higher speeds. In practice, most hobby home server workloads are limited by CPU performance or disk I/O rather than memory bandwidth or latency.

Memory Pressure and Real-World Behavior

During the 48-hour measurement period, application memory usage remained low, even under active use with multiple Jellyfin streams and transcoding. To confirm that memory was not a bottleneck, I examined Linux Memory Pressure Stall Information (PSI), which shows whether tasks are actually waiting for memory.

system_memory_some_pressure_stall_time (1).png
The highest observed memory pressure was approximately 182 ms, occurring during a deliberate stress test with multiple streams and transcoding.

This represents short, accumulated stalls rather than a single pause. At this level, you would not expect noticeable slowdowns, instability, or swap usage. Once the load decreased, memory pressure immediately returned to near zero.

DDR4 vs DDR5 in Practice

DDR5 offers higher theoretical bandwidth than DDR4, but it also comes with slightly higher latency and a higher cost per gigabyte. For typical home server workloads, memory bandwidth is rarely the limiting factor.

In this setup, DDR4 provided sufficient performance. With enough total memory available, Linux was able to cache data effectively, reduce disk I/O, and keep the system responsive. The measurements show that memory speed was not a limiting factor for this type of home server workload.

RAM Recommendations for a Hobby Home Server

Before anything else, always make sure your RAM is compatible with your CPU and motherboard. Check the supported memory type (DDR4 or DDR5), maximum capacity, and number of RAM slots.

Practical Recommendations

  • If you already have a server or the rest of the hardware available

    • 8 GB is workable if your budget is tight and you have free RAM slots, but performance may depend more on disk I/O.
    • 16 GB is a comfortable baseline for most hobby setups.
    • 32 GB or more provides extra headroom as services and data grow.

  • Consider your RAM slots

    • 2 slots: start with larger modules to avoid replacing RAM later.
    • 4 slots: you can start smaller and upgrade gradually.

  • If you’re just getting started
    Refurbished systems like a Dell OptiPlex 7050 are a cost-effective way to begin. They are affordable, power-efficient, and easy to upgrade.

Budget-Friendly Starting Points Examples

The key takeaway is that for hobby home servers, usually RAM capacity matters more than speed. Extra memory is actively used by Linux for caching and helps keep the system responsive, even when application memory usage appears low.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right amount of RAM for a home hobby server doesn’t have to be complicated. Based on real-world measurements, most common home server workloads use far less application memory than many people expect. What matters more is having enough total memory for Linux to cache data and absorb short spikes in activity.

In this setup, even under active use with media streaming and transcoding, memory usage remained modest and memory pressure stayed low. This shows that RAM speed and newer memory standards are often less important than capacity and overall system balance.

For hobby home servers, it’s usually better to focus on compatibility, upgrade flexibility, and sufficient capacity rather than chasing the latest hardware. Start with what fits your budget, leave room to expand if possible, and let real usage guide future upgrades instead of assumptions.

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