Performance Tweaks for Proxmox on Low-Power Servers

Introduction

Proxmox is a powerful virtualization platform, but running it on low-power hardware—such as mini-PCs, Intel NUCs, or ARM-based servers—requires careful tuning to maximize performance. This guide covers essential tweaks to optimize Proxmox for smooth operation on resource-limited systems.

Step 1: Use Lightweight Storage Options

  1. Avoid ZFS on Low-RAM Systems

  • ZFS requires significant RAM. If your server has less than 8GB, use ext4 or XFS instead.

  • Choose LVM-Thin for flexible and efficient storage allocation.

  1. Optimize Disk I/O

  • Use SSDs whenever possible for faster read/write speeds.

  • Enable TRIM for SSD longevity:

    sudo fstrim -av

  • Use No Access Time to reduce unnecessary writes:

    sudo tune2fs -o noatime /dev/sdX

Step 2: Reduce Memory Usage

  1. Adjust Swappiness

  • Reduce swap usage to prevent unnecessary disk operations:

    echo "vm.swappiness=10" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf && sudo sysctl -p

  1. Enable Memory Ballooning

  • Helps dynamically adjust VM memory:

    • In Proxmox UI, go to VM -> Hardware -> Memory

    • Enable Ballooning Device

  1. Reduce Kernel Logs in Memory

  • Prevent excessive logging from consuming RAM:

    sudo dmesg -n 1

Step 3: Optimize CPU and Power Settings

  1. Set CPU Governor to Performance Mode

  • Increase responsiveness for virtualization:

    echo "performance" | sudo tee /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor

  1. Enable Multi-Queue Support for Network and Storage

  • Improves I/O handling on low-power CPUs:

    echo "options kvm-intel nested=1" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/kvm.conf

Step 4: Optimize Proxmox Settings

  1. Disable Unused Services

  • Stop unnecessary background processes:

    sudo systemctl disable pve-cluster pve-ha-lrm pve-ha-crm

  1. Reduce Proxmox Web Interface Refresh Rate

  • Prevent high CPU usage from constant UI updates:

    • Open /etc/default/pveproxy

    • Change WORKER_TIMEOUT to a higher value (eg. 30)

    • Restart service:

      sudo systemctl restart pveproxy

  1. Use Lightweight VMs or Containers

  • Prefer LXC over full VMs for better resource efficiency.

  • Use Alpine Linux or Debian Minimal for low-footprint VMs.

Conclusion

By applying these optimizations, you can run Proxmox efficiently on low-power hardware. From storage tweaks to CPU and memory management, these adjustments help maximize performance while keeping resource usage low.