Minecraft Server Can’t Keep Up? What It Is & How To Fix It

We all want to have our own Minecraft server to enjoy this game with our friends and colleagues! Nevertheless, sometimes an annoying error message appears: “Minecraft Server Can’t Keep Up! Is the server overloaded?”

But why does that happen? Did you just break the whole server?! Well, certainly, there are some in-game problems that require a specific solution.

Worry not - we will tell you what to do when this error appears so you can go back to play Minecraft normally.

Your favorite Minecraft engineers are here to share knowledge about:

• Understanding why the “Minecraft Can’t Keep Up!” error happens;
• Bests ways to fix the problems of your server in the game;
• How to make the best out of your system resources to stop facing lag in your server.

What Causes “Minecraft Can’t Keep Up!” Error in the Server Console?

The only way to solve the in-game problems of your server is by understanding what might be causing the error.

The server lag becomes a problem when there are too many players, and you all can’t literally enjoy the game in any gaming mode.

1: Not Enough RAM

Even though not having enough RAM might be the cause of your problems, allocating too much RAM to the server might as well cause issues on your device.

For example, this might cause a CPU bottleneck, which damages other processes, so keep it a lot less than your total memory.

The CPU usage needs to be carefully balanced with the hard drive speed, which is why it is always recommended to know the recommended size for your server type. Check the recommended requirements here.

Remember that a Minecraft server only uses a single core, but running many processes at the same time will push your RAM and PC to the very limit.

2: Server Lag, Client Lag, or Network lag

There are three types of lag that could help determine the source of the problems:

• Network lag, which is quickly identifiable by a red ping meter. Maybe the server or other programs are using too much bandwidth, but, in general, we are talking about speed connection here.
• Client lag, which is strongly related to FPS issues. If the video card drivers are outdated (check video settings), this will result in more lag. This also depends on the java version that the server uses.
• Server lag, which depends on hardware, server configuration, and gaming factors that we will mention right now.

In-Game Problems Within the Server

Now, it’s time to talk about gaming factors that might be creating the Server Overloaded error.

Some repeating blocks store their recent output, which ultimately causes lag. On the other hand, lighting updates are really laggy, so do you really need that many lamps?

Generating new terrain will cause a Spawn Chunks process when players move around the server. New chunks = prepare for lag!

Also, set some parameters to the bare minimum, such as entity distance, render distance, and entity shadows, since item entities are one of the main causes of lag.

Last but not least, having large quantities of entities with duplicate UUIDs ( Universal Unique Identifier will undoubtedly cause bugs. This point wouldn’t work if you didn’t lower “Spawn Limit” of monsters and command blocks.

For example, imagine having a farm with thousands of mobs constantly colliding - that isn’t good to solve lag!

3: Server Configuration Errors

It’s time to get a little nerd! First, make sure to install the Server JRE in order to execute the correct java arguments. You can get more information by clicking on this link.

We highly recommend a professional to set up the startup arguments, so you don’t end up messing with the server.

It’s essential to create a tag that:

• Ensures the Minecraft server files are running in the server virtual machine;
• Set the minimum RAM to the recommended range;
• Minimize any delays when working with large heap sizes setting the garbage collector as “garbage first collection.” (More information about garbage collection in java in this link).

How To Fix “Minecraft Server Can not Keep Up! Is the Server Overloaded?”

There are two main ways to solve this problem efficiently, and we are going to discuss them both.

Fix 1: Upgrade the RAM

This is one of the best ways to solve performance problems on a server**.** As we mentioned before, the ideal solution is not always allocating extra RAM to a server since this might ruin the speed of other PC components.

One fantastic tip that we highly recommend is to improve the IO performance of your device by defragmenting the hard drive (in case you have one).

Fix 2: Change Minecraft Hosting

If the problems persist after a while, your best bet would be to change the hosting provider.

There are many Minecraft server providers out there, but the key is to find a service that can always be there for you in case something bad happens.

Apex Hosting

Apex Hosting is one of the most popular Minecraft server hosting out there. Moreover, they promise 100% up-time, so issues like the one mentioned in this article should never happen to you!

Contact them on their official website to get more information about Apex Hosting services.

Melon Cube

Melon Cube is yet another alternative if you want to stop experiencing annoying issues that waste your time.

Keep in mind that paying for a Minecraft server is the best way to eliminate all the technical problems that might be bothering you.

Minecraft Server Issues FAQ

How Do You Check if The Minecraft Server is Overloaded?

There will be a lot of lag, errors codes will show up on the screen, and you will overall be unable to play Minecraft at your will.

Why is my Minecraft Server Overloaded?

The reasons vary from poor server settings to excessive in-game parameters that push your hardware to the limit. It’s important to perform deep analysis to understand what’s happening.