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Engine Tuning: Startup Parameters

Arma 3 is built on a legacy engine that does not always use modern hardware efficiently by default. By applying specific startup parameters (flags) to your server’s launch command, you can force the application to allocate memory more intelligently, optimize CPU thread awareness, and bypass redundant initialization checks. Mastering these flags is the first step toward a high-performance MilSim environment.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Time

5 Minutes

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Essential Performance Flags

Apply these parameters within the Startup tab of your FREAKHOSTING Game Panel to refine the engine’s behavior.
  • -autoinit: Forces the mission to load and the simulation to start immediately upon boot. Without this, the server waits for the first player to join the lobby, which can break persistent scripts.
  • -loadMissionToMemory: Caches the mission .pbo in RAM instead of reading it from the disk during map changes. This drastically reduces load times for returning players.

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Choosing a Memory Allocator (-malloc)

The memory allocator determines how Arma 3 requests RAM from the operating system. Using an optimized allocator can prevent “stuttering” and memory-related crashes.
  • tbb4malloc_bi: The Intel Threading Building Blocks allocator. This is officially optimized for the Arma 3 engine and is recommended for 99% of servers.
  • system: Uses the native Windows allocator. This should only be used as a troubleshooting step if the server experiences frequent crashes with TBB.

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Need Extra Help?

If you encounter any issues, our support team is ready to assist:

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Last Updated: January 2026 | Arma 3: Turbocharged.