Minecraft wiki entry for Server, associated text: Since Minecraft rarely uses more than one thread, consider possible waste when buying more than 2 cores. However this does not apply to mods and plugins which utilize their own threads - buy accordingly. Assume that most of the server's load will be on a single core. The main performance factor is without a doubt CPU clock speed. CPU cache sizes and RAM latency are also factors. There does not appear to be a disadvantage to using high-end desktop processors.(verify?) It should be noted that these suggestion presume default settings in server.conf - i.e., a Draw Distance no higher than 10, and is also based on a new world; the bigger the world gets, especially if there's advanced redstone circuitry at work, the requirements - especially the RAM, or in the case of lots of redstone or mobs (in e.g. grinders), the CPU - increase significantly (to the point where a major world with several camps, redstone machinery, grinders, etcetera can easily more than double the requirements).