# Hardware minimums for CPU, RAM and disk

*Tableau Server Administrator Study Guide · Preparation · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-server-administrator/preparation/hardware-minimums-for-cpu-ram-and-disk*

Separate Tableau Server's blocking installation minimums from its production recommendations for processor, CPU cores, RAM and free disk on version 2022.3, count cores the way Setup does, and size disk for extracts, refreshes, logs, backups and restores.

- Certification: Salesforce Tableau Server Administrator
- Exam section: Preparation
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-server-administrator

**Official exam objective:**

> 1.4 Minimum Hardware Requirements: 1.4.1 Understand: 1.4.1.1 RAM requirements, 1.4.1.2 CPU requirements, 1.4.1.3 Hard disk requirements.

## What the exam expects

- State the RAM installation minimum and production recommendation for Tableau Server 2022.3, by node type.
- State the CPU installation minimum and production recommendation, including which processors qualify and how cores are counted.
- State the free disk installation minimum and production recommendation, and when free space is measured.
- Plan disk beyond the minimum for extracts, refreshes, logs, backups and restores.

Key terms:
- **Installation minimum:** the hardware below which Setup will not install Tableau Server.
- **Production recommendation:** the hardware most production nodes should meet; Setup only warns when it is missing.
- **Physical core:** a real core on hardware or a VM; hyper-threaded logical processors are not counted.
- **Initial node:** the first node of an installation; its RAM minimum differs from additional nodes in a cluster.
- **Temp directory:** where an extract is written during a refresh.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Installation RAM, 2022.3+ | 64 GB initial node, 16 GB additional nodes | [Hardware Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_hardware_min.htm) |
| Installation RAM, 2022.1 and earlier | 16 GB on all nodes | [Hardware Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_hardware_min.htm) |
| Production RAM, 2022.3+ | 128 GB for a single node | [Hardware Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_hardware_min.htm) |
| Installation CPU | 4 cores (8 vCPUs), x64 with SSE4.2 and POPCNT | [Hardware Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_hardware_min.htm) |
| Production CPU | 8 cores (16 vCPUs), 2.0 GHz or higher | [Hardware Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_hardware_min.htm) |
| ARM processors | Not supported | [Hardware Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_hardware_min.htm) |
| Core counting | Physical cores only; hyper-threading ignored | [Hardware Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_hardware_min.htm) |
| Free disk | 15 GB to install, 50 GB for production, measured after Setup is unzipped | [Hardware Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_hardware_min.htm) |
| Below production values | Setup warns, installation can continue | [Hardware Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_hardware_min.htm) |
| Refresh temp space | Up to three times the extract's final size | [Disk Space Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/requ_diskspace.htm) |
| Single-node backup space | 3x repository data + 250 MB + 1.5x file store data | [Disk Space Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/requ_diskspace.htm) |

## Check yourself

- When can the Tableau Server disk space requirement be checked during installation?
- Why is a GPT partition a good choice for an additional Tableau Server drive?
- How much free space does a restore need on a file store node?
- When does Tableau suggest starting with a few hundred gigabytes of disk for day-to-day use?

## Sources

- [Minimum Hardware Requirements and Recommendations for Tableau Server](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_hardware_min.htm)
- [Disk Space Requirements](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/requ_diskspace.htm)
- [All Technical Specifications](https://www.tableau.com/products/techspecs)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 7 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Server Administrator pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams