SV_ActivateServer: setting tickrate to 66.7 at every start. To let players receive all 66 updates a second, set sv_maxupdaterate 66 and sv_maxcmdrate 66 in /cstrike/cfg/server.cfg, which are Valve’s defaults for 66 tick, and restart. Type a cvar name in the console to check its value.
What tickrate means
The tickrate is how many times a second the server simulates the game. Valve raised the Counter-Strike: Source default from 33 to 66 in its July 2010 update and changed the rate defaults to match. Your server runs at this 66 tick. The tickrate isn’t a setting in the Game Panel.Update rates and command rates
A higher update rate than the tickrate does nothing, because the server has no extra ticks to send.
How to set the rates
The defaultserver.cfg on a new server contains older, lower values, such as sv_maxupdaterate 30. That limits players to 30 updates a second on a 66-tick server.
1
Open server.cfg
In Game settings, click server.cfg: open the raw file, or open
/cstrike/cfg/server.cfg in Files.2
Change the update rate lines
Find
sv_maxupdaterate and sv_minupdaterate and set them like this. Add sv_maxcmdrate if it isn’t there:3
Check the bandwidth lines
The file also sets
sv_maxrate and sv_minrate (bandwidth in bytes a second). If you don’t want a limit from the file, put // in front of these two lines; the game then uses its own defaults.4
Save and restart
Save and restart the server.
5
Check the values
In the console, type
sv_maxupdaterate, sv_maxcmdrate, sv_maxrate and sv_minrate. Each answer shows the value and the game default.What players should set
Players’ own settings (cl_updaterate, cl_cmdrate, rate) are capped by your server’s limits. With your server at 66, players who set cl_updaterate 66 and cl_cmdrate 66 in their game get the full 66 updates.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run my CS:S server at 100 tick?
The tickrate isn’t a setting in the Game Panel, and your server runs at 66 tick. Open a ticket if you need something else.Why do players lag on my server?
Check the rate lines inserver.cfg first, then the statistics for CPU and memory use. Lag that only one player has is usually on their own connection.
Does a lower update rate save resources?
Very little. On a 66-tick server it mainly makes the game feel less smooth for players.Related guides
CS:S server guide
Every CS:S page in one place.
server.cfg explained
Every line in the file.
Console commands
Check cvars in the console.
War server
Match settings.
Tested by the FREAKHOSTING team on our Game Panel on 31 October 2026 (Counter-Strike: Source dedicated server, 66 tick). Rate defaults checked against Valve’s 6 July 2010 update notes on 31 October 2026.
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Last Updated: October 2026