How to Change the Tickrate on Your Garry's Mod Server

Changing the tickrate of your server is incredibly easy. If you are not aware of what tickrate is, basically it tells the server how much processing power it can use per second. If your server is experiencing overloading due to unoptimized addons or other causes, lowering the tickrate is one of the best ways to make sure it's not constantly overloading.

What is Tickrate?

Tickrate determines how many times per second the server updates game logic. Think of it as the server's "FPS". A higher tickrate means smoother gameplay but requires more resources, while a lower tickrate uses fewer resources but may feel less responsive.

Changing the Tickrate

Setting the tickrate for a GMod server is very easy!

Step 1: Navigate to Startup Parameters

Go to Startup Parameters in your server control panel.

Step 2: Modify the Tickrate Value

You will see a box named Tickrate. By default, it should be set to 22. This may seem low; however, with how many addons servers use these days, it is a very good middle ground that ensures your server won't use all available resources.

To change the tickrate:

1. Enter a new number into the Tickrate box
2. Click out of the box and it should save automatically
3. Restart your server and your new tickrate will be applied

When Do I Need to Raise or Lower My Tickrate?

This is a pretty complicated question but a frequently asked one.

Diagnosing Server Performance

The best way to diagnose this is:

1. Type net_graph 4 into your Garry's Mod player console
2. Watch the sv value on the graph
3. If it blinks red, that means your server is using all the resources it can—your tickrate may need to be lowered in this case

Recommended Tickrate by Gamemode

Heavy Gamemodes (DarkRP and variants):

• Maximum recommended: 33 tickrate
• Standard: 22 or 16 tickrate
• These gamemodes typically have many addons and entities, requiring lower tickrates

Light Gamemodes (TTT, Deathrun, Murder, Sandbox):

• Maximum possible: 66 tickrate (with few addons)
• Standard: 66 or 33 tickrate
• These gamemodes are less resource-intensive and can handle higher tickrates

Important Notes

• Lower tickrate = slower server responsiveness but more stability
• Higher tickrate = smoother gameplay but requires more resources
• Always monitor your server performance after changing tickrate
• Adjust based on your server's addon load and player count

Troubleshooting

If your server becomes unstable after increasing tickrate:

• Lower the tickrate back to the previous value
• Remove unnecessary or unoptimized addons
• Check for server performance issues using net_graph 4
• Consider upgrading your server resources if you need higher tickrate