Minimum System Requirements
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Operating System: Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2025 or Windows 11 Pro
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Processor (CPU): 4 cores, 3.0 GHz or higher or equivalent.
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Memory (RAM): 8GB.
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Storage: 250MB of free disk space for installation. Additional space required for historical market data.
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Internet: 10 Mbps download / 5 Mbps upload (sufficient for basic order execution and a few charts)
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GPU: No dedicated GPU required – NT8 can run using Microsoft WARP (Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform), which enables software-based DirectX 10 rendering on the CPU. Our Alpha Series VPS, powered by Ryzen 7950X cores, efficiently handles this.
Recommended System Requirements
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Operating System: Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2025 or Windows 11 Pro
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Processor (CPU): 8 cores, 3.5 GHz or higher
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Memory (RAM): 16GB or higher for optimal performance.
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Storage: SSD with at least 1GB of free space for installation and historical market data storage.
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Internet: 50+ Mbps download / 10+ Mbps upload (ensures smooth trading with multiple charts, indicators, and live data feeds)
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GPU: A dedicated GPU is only needed for third-party indicators or tools that use GPU acceleration. NinjaTrader 8 itself does not require a GPU, but some advanced add-ons – like order flow tools or 3D visualizations – may benefit from one. If unsure, check with the developer. For GPU-accelerated workloads, consider our Gamma Series VPS with a dedicated GPU
CPU
While the minimum requirement is a 4-core processor with 3.0 GHz or higher, it’s important to recognize that both core speed and efficiency significantly impact performance.
Our Alpha Series VPS is powered by Ryzen 7950X dedicated cores running at 4.5 GHz+ and offers great single-threaded and multi-threaded performance, one of the best performance ratings available on the market, making it an excellent choice for NT8.
Thanks to its advanced architecture, high clock speeds, and superior IPC (Instructions Per Cycle), the 7950X ensures exceptional real-world performance for trading and analytical workloads.
RAM & Storage
The Alpha Series VPS are equipped with DDR5 RAM, the fastest memory available, which boosts overall system responsiveness. Additionally, there is a SSD with PCIE Gen 4.0 Interface, that offers double the data transfer compared to the previous generation leading to significantly faster read and write speeds
Network
For connectivity, the Alpha Series VPS offers a 1Gbps connection with bursts up to 10Gbps, ensuring reliable and high-speed data transfers, even during peak trading periods. Latency from our servers to NT servers is from 0 to 1ms ensuring minimal slippage.
GPU
The reason NT8 (NinjaTrader 8) can run on our Alpha Series VPS without a GPU, even though it requires DirectX 10 compatibility, is that DirectX can run in software rendering mode using the Microsoft Basic Render Driver (WARP).
If no physical GPU is available, Windows automatically falls back to WARP, which is a high-performance software rasterizer that supports DirectX 10 and 11. It runs entirely on the CPU.
Our Alpha Series VPS has at least 2 cores of a very powerful CPU (Ryzen 7950X), which can efficiently handle software-based rendering. While this is less efficient than a dedicated GPU, NT8’s graphics workload is light, so it can still perform well.
NinjaTrader 8 mainly uses DirectX for chart rendering and UI elements, which are not as GPU-intensive as modern games or 3D applications. WARP is sufficient for this.
Essentially, even though NT8 lists DirectX 10 as a requirement, it doesn’t strictly require a dedicated GPU – just DirectX 10 functionality, which WARP provides via the CPU. That’s why it runs fine on our VPS without a GPU.
VPS Recommendations
To summarize, for most NinjaTrader 8 users the option that handles multiple charts, standard indicators, and automated strategies with ease is our Alpha Mark-1 VPS, featuring 2 Ryzen 7950X cores (4.5 GHz+), 8GB DDR5 RAM, and 128GB Gen 4 SSD.
For users who have more demanding setup, we recommend our Alpha Mark-2 VPS, which comes with 4 Ryzen 7950X cores (4.5 GHz+), 16GB DDR5 RAM, and 256GB Gen 4 SSD.
Alpha Mark-1 and Mark-2 fall under Alpha Series VPS!
If you use third-party indicators or add-ons that specifically require a dedicated GPU, check with the developer to determine if GPU acceleration is necessary – in that case, consider our Gamma Series VPS
If you have really demanding setup and need high processing power (for example, if you are running backtesting and optimization with large historical datasets) you can take a look into our Delta Series – Dedicated Server offer
