Optimizing Proxmox VE for Low-Latency Game Hosting (Geometry Dash-Style Server)

[luizamarns]

Hi everyone,


I’m currently setting up a Proxmox VE server and experimenting with hosting a lightweight rhythm/arcade style game server (similar to Geometry Dash Unlocked) for a small group of friends. The idea is to keep things smooth, low-latency, and secure without overcomplicating the setup.


Right now, my environment looks like this:

• Latest Proxmox VE installed
• A mix of VMs and LXC containers
• Dedicated VM with a public IP for the game server
• Proxmox firewall enabled (default configuration so far)

I’ve done some initial testing (including running modified/unlocked builds of the game for stress testing), and performance is decent, but I want to tighten things up especially around latency and network stability.


I’d really appreciate advice on a few things:

• Best network setup for lightweight multiplayer game hosting on Proxmox (bridge vs NAT, etc.)
• Recommended firewall rules to allow required traffic while keeping the VM secure
• Any tuning tips for reducing latency or improving packet handling
• General best practices when hosting small game servers in a virtualized environment

Not aiming for anything massive just a clean, reliable setup for casual online play.


Thanks in advance!

 

[leesteken]

Make sure never to hit anywhere near 100% on any resource otherwise you'll get increased latency and (micro) stutters.Probably best to ignore Hyperthreads and SMT (and only count real cores). Virtualization is usually trying to do the opposite of what you seem to want.

EDIT: Memory (RAM) bandwidth is shared between all your VM/CTs, this will increase latency when more than one VM is busy. Best to use a server platform with (many) more than 2 memory channels (and as many DIMMs).

 

[luizamarns]

Make sure never to hit anywhere near 100% on any resource otherwise you'll get increased latency and (micro) stutters.Probably best to ignore Hyperthreads and SMT (and only count real cores). Virtualization is usually trying to do the opposite of what you seem to want.

EDIT: Memory (RAM) bandwidth is shared between all your VM/CTs, this will increase latency when more than one VM is busy. Best to use a server platform with (many) more than 2 memory channels (and as many DIMMs).

Thanks, that actually makes a lot of sense.


I was already trying to keep resource usage low, but I didn’t fully consider how quickly latency can spike once things get close to 100%. I’ll definitely aim to leave more headroom instead of pushing the VM too hard.
Good point about hyperthreading/SMT as well I was counting logical cores, but I’ll switch focus to physical cores only and test again.
The RAM bandwidth part is interesting. Right now I’m on a fairly standard setup with limited memory channels, so that could explain some of the small stutters I noticed during testing when multiple containers were active.
I might try isolating the game server a bit more (CPU pinning / reducing background load) and see how much that improves consistency.


Appreciate the insight