RAM (Random Access Memory) is your VPS server's operating memory. ECC (Error-Correcting Code) is technology that automatically corrects memory errors. RAM is the server's "workspace" where active process data is stored.
Why This is Critical
Application Performance. Everything running right now is in RAM. Insufficient memory forces the server to use slow disk as replacement.
ECC Protects Against Data Loss. Regular memory can malfunction due to cosmic radiation or electrical interference. ECC automatically corrects errors without stopping operations.
24/7 Stability. Server memory with ECC provides enterprise-level reliability.
How Much RAM Do You Need
1 GB RAM — Minimum Configuration
Suitable for:
- Static HTML site
- Basic WordPress blog (no plugins)
- DNS server
- Lightweight VPN
- Test environment
Not suitable for:
- WordPress with plugins and themes
- Any CMS (Joomla, Drupal, Bitrix)
- Databases under load
- Mail server
Important: Even for basic WordPress, minimum 2 GB is recommended.
2 GB RAM — Basic Level
Suitable for:
- WordPress with WooCommerce (up to 500 products)
- Small Bitrix site
- Laravel/Django application
- Node.js application
- Mail server (up to 10 mailboxes)
- Git server
- Simple Minecraft server (up to 10 players)
Example: Corporate site with contact forms, service catalog, and news blog.
4 GB RAM — Business Standard
Suitable for:
- WooCommerce e-commerce store (1000-5000 products)
- 1C-Bitrix with high load
- PostgreSQL/MySQL database (medium)
- Multiple WordPress sites
- Docker containers (2-4 containers)
- Elasticsearch (basic)
- Control panel + web server + database
Example: E-commerce store with 3000 products, 5000 visitors per day, 1C integration, user dashboard.
8 GB RAM — Serious Projects
Suitable for:
- High-load e-commerce stores
- SaaS platforms
- Large databases (50+ GB)
- Jenkins CI/CD server
- Kubernetes cluster (master node)
- Redis/Memcached cache server
- Multiple Docker containers (10+)
Example: News portal with 30,000 unique visitors per day, 100,000 articles in database, full-text search.
16+ GB RAM — Enterprise and Specialized Tasks
Suitable for:
- Large databases (100+ GB)
- Machine learning
- Analytics systems (ClickHouse, Apache Spark)
- Game servers (ARK, Rust, large Minecraft)
- Video streaming
- Virtualization inside VPS
What is ECC and Do I Need It
ECC (Error-Correcting Code) is technology for detecting and correcting memory errors.
Regular memory: Error → application crash → possible data loss
ECC memory: Error → automatic correction → operation continues
Why You Need It
Reliability. Reduces risk of server crash due to corrupted memory data.
Data Integrity. Critical for databases where one corrupted byte can damage a table.
Uptime. ECC increases fault-free operation time by 20-30%.
Enterprise Standard. All server platforms use ECC as mandatory requirement.
Who Especially Needs ECC
- Databases — data loss is unacceptable
- Financial systems — calculation errors are critical
- E-commerce — checkout failure = lost customer
- Backup systems — corrupted backup is useless
- 24/7 services — can't afford downtime
Signs of RAM Shortage
Your server is experiencing memory shortage if:
- Site periodically "crashes" without apparent reason
- Pages load 3-5+ seconds
- MySQL gives "Out of memory" errors
free -hcommand shows 0 MB free memory- Swap (page file) is actively used
Check RAM usage:
free -hIf available is less than 200 MB—urgently need more memory.
Swap is Not a RAM Replacement
Swap (page file) is disk area used when RAM runs out. But disk is 100 times slower than memory!
- RAM: 0.05 ms latency
- Swap on SSD: 5 ms latency
- Swap on HDD: 15 ms latency
If your server constantly uses swap—it's a sign of critical RAM shortage.
Real-World Example
E-commerce store on WordPress + WooCommerce:
On 1 GB RAM:
- Homepage load: 4-5 seconds
- Concurrent users: 20-30 visitors
- Catalog search: freezes
- Admin panel: opens in 10+ seconds
On 4 GB RAM:
- Homepage load: 0.8 seconds
- Concurrent users: 500+ visitors
- Catalog search: 0.5 seconds
- Admin panel: 1-2 seconds
Migration from 1 GB to 4 GB increased conversion by 48%.
How RAM Relates to CPU
More RAM won't speed up a slow processor. But RAM shortage makes even a fast processor useless.
Ideal balance:
- 1 vCore → 2 GB RAM
- 2 vCore → 4 GB RAM
- 4 vCore → 8 GB RAM
- 8 vCore → 16 GB RAM
Can I Increase RAM Later?
Yes, on THE.Hosting scaling takes 5-10 minutes. But better to get margin immediately—RAM shortage kills performance instantly.
Unsure About RAM Amount?
Tell us about your project—we'll select optimal configuration. Free consultation 24/7.
FAQ
What happens if I choose too little RAM?
Server will start using swap (page file on disk), which is 100 times slower. Site will "lag," errors and freezes are possible.
How much RAM does WordPress consume?
Basic WordPress: ~512 MB. With 10+ plugins, theme and cache: 1.5-2 GB. With WooCommerce: 2-4 GB depending on catalog size.
Is ECC memory more expensive than regular?
Yes, but with VPS you pay for resources, not specific hardware. All our servers use ECC memory at no extra charge.
Can I "free up" memory?
You can restart PHP-FPM, web server, MySQL—this will free some memory. But if memory runs out regularly—you need an upgrade.