Hosting Forum

VPS Selection – RAM

As we have already discussed in multiple other threads, VPS webhosting is providing you with the best price-resources ratio (compared to all other types of hosting except cloud). Herein, I`m starting a new series on the subject of VPS selection, with separate discussion on the importance of each VPS resource.

The first thread of this new series will be related to the importance of the amount of RAM to your VPS performance. The sufficient amount of RAM is very important for your future website needs, because it is directly defining a major part of the performance capabilities of your VPS. You can always try to optimize the RAM usage with methods, such as cache optimization (cashing web-pages), disabling/limiting too heavy scripts, caching of the MySQL data, etc… However, if the RAM amount is too little, then even the ultimate usage optimization won`t help, which will result in slow website loading, slow script execution, etc… Even if your VPS has a very big CPU quota, it is still impossible for the fast CPU to compensate the insufficient RAM amount, and the money saved from the purchase of a smaller RAM quota will be way less than your losses from the unused CPU potential.

I believe that the above facts are enough to convince you of the importance of the RAM amount to your overall VPS performance. Now, let’s check some further details that you should consider, before your VPS selection/purchase. When you are selecting your VPS along with the Guaranteed RAM, you will notice a second RAM resource – Burstable RAM. The burstable RAM is an extra physical memory quota, which could be used by your VPS for a specified short period of time. The usage of this second memory quota is needed in all cases, when your purchased RAM quota is not enough, such as sudden demand of traffic to your website. Please note, that the amount of available burstable RAM is not defined entirely by your purchased burstable RAM quota, and it will vary depending on the overall server RAM usage. For example, if you have purchased 1GB burstable RAM, but another user is also using its burstable RAM quota at the same time that your VPS needs additional RAM, then you won`t get the full 1GB, but only a certain fraction of the available server RAM (e.g. 512MB).

The most popular VPS plan that I have seen includes VPS with 512MB guaranteed RAM and 768-1GB Burstable RAM. That amount of RAM is enough for a ``small`` website, but if you are going to host your website through cPanel (e.g.), then you should now that the cPanel itself will consume about 256MB of your RAM quota. If the above scenario applies for you, then there will be only 256MB RAM left for your website, and because of that you should purchase a bigger quota of Guaranteed RAM for your VPS.

That is the first ``chapter`` of our new VPS selection series. You can check all other threads on this subject from the below links:

VPS Selection – CPU

VPS Selection – Managed or Unmanaged

VPS Selection – Windows or Linux

VPS Selection – IP Adresses

VPS Selection – Control Panel

VPS Selection – HDD and Bandwidth

Stay tuned for the next discussion on another key VPS resource and its importance for your website`s performance. Do not hesitate to ask, if you have any related questions.

Max I thought every Hosting needs a CPanel to effectively managed your website, by what you said, your site can be managed WITHOUT a CPanel?

Yes, cPanel is just the most popular commercial hosting software platform (control panel). However, cPanel is not the only software option, and there are other fully competitive (and even free) platforms, such as Kloxo. You can check my thread dedicated to Kloxo by following the below link:

Free Webhosting Platforms – Kloxo

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask

Ah...so the CPanel is just a like a brand name like the Kloxo, they are both a hosting software platform wherein you manage your site thru this softwares...I really thought CPanel is the "term" being used of that specific software platform

Yes, it is exactly like that, Apaullo. cPanel is just another hosting software name, which is so popular because of its friendly user interface, compatibility, numerous hosting tools, and much more. The only disadvantage is its commercial nature, which requires monthly/annual payments to the developers of cPanel Herein, you should check the free alternatives too. The best things in life are free

Lols...if indeed CPanel wll be free then CPanel will not be that good, the reason why it is an edge to others is because it has developers that continues to develop the software. But they also have to pay their bills and food that is why CPanel is needed to be developed/monthly payments

I believe, the cPanel developers already have enough money for food They are also the owners of WHM and Enkompass However, they may really like eating

Lols still I think it must not be free..after all the main motivation of making it better and better is money since they do not want their customers to look and switch to their competitors.

cPanel is the industry standard and it is what most professionals aspire to. In this market, I wouldn't get a VPS server with less than 1GB of RAM to support cPanel and other processes.

I absolutely agree with you, standingoten. The price jump between the purchase of a VPS with 512MB ram and such with 1024MB is not very big. Herein, the selection of a VPS with 1024MB dedicated RAM is always the better choice.