Hardware¶
Your own PC or a rented server?¶
- Your own PC. You invest once, then pay only for electricity. The best option if you plan to farm for a long time.
- Rented server. No need to buy hardware, but the monthly rent eats part of the income. Good for trying things out. The server must have a GPU and support virtualization.
For a single farming stream your main PC is enough, no virtual machine needed. For several streams you need Hyper-V and virtual machines, this is covered in Setup.
What limits the number of windows¶
The main limit is video memory, not GPU power. One CS2 window takes about 1.8 GB of VRAM. When video memory runs out, all windows start lagging at once.
| Video memory | Example cards | Comfortable windows | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 GB | GTX 1650, GTX 1050 Ti, RX 570 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 GB | RTX 2060, GTX 1660, GTX 1060 6 GB | 2 | 3 |
| 8 GB | RX 580, RX 590, GTX 1070, RTX 4060 | 3 | 4 |
| 12 GB | RTX 3060, RTX 4070 | 5 | 6 |
| 16 GB | RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB, RX 7800 XT | 6 | 8 |
| 24 GB | RTX 3090, RTX 4090 | 10 | 12 |
"Maximum" works, but with frame drops. Aim for "comfortable".
CPU and RAM¶
| Windows | CPU cores | RAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 8 GB |
| 2 | 10 | 16 GB |
| 3 | 12 | 24 GB |
| 4 | 14 | 32 GB |
| 5 | 16 | 48 GB |
| 6 | 16 | 64 GB |
| 8 | 20 | 80 GB |
| 10 | 24 | 96 GB |
Disk¶
- SSD or NVMe only. On an HDD windows take too long to load.
- One CS2 install takes about 88 GB, plus about 40 GB for each window (system, profile, headroom).
- With the "One CS2 for all VMs" feature the game is stored once: 4 windows need about 250 GB instead of 500.
Calculate for your hardware
cruxpanel.com has a calculator: enter your GPU, cores, RAM and disk, and it shows how many windows your PC can handle.
Build tips¶
- Pick a GPU with more memory, not the fastest one. An old 8 GB card is more useful than a new 4 GB one.
- The farm runs 24/7: you need a decent power supply and a well-ventilated case.
Mini PCs¶
Mini PCs are popular among farmers: they take almost no space and use noticeably less electricity, which matters when running 24/7. But for the same capabilities a mini PC costs more than a regular custom-built computer. If space and the power bill aren't critical, building a regular PC is cheaper.