Will better server spec result in better page speeds?

[Baddd]

Hi,

For my forum (3000 users, 700000 posts, usually about 150-200 users online) I have a VPS with:

RAM 3072 MB

Discspace 30 GB

CPU-cores 2 × 2.4 Ghz @ 80%

my database filesize is 1GB

Will it improve the page load time of my website if i get better cpu, more ram or more discspace? I am using the latest ipboard with wordpress via ipsconnect.

Also, I couldn't find much about mod_pagespeed here. Is anyone here who is using it and is seeing improvements in their page speeds?

[Makoto]

It can, yes.

It's hard to say without actually looking at your site as it is today.

Has it become slow, or is it still reasonably fast and you just want to help give it a boost?

What's the average execution time for pages on your forum? (You can display this by setting the debug level to 1 in your settings)

[Baddd]

The speed is okay as it is right now, I was just wondering how I could make it load faster etc

[Dmacleo]

on a vps I would think disc speeds (I/O not rpm) would be more of a bottleneck then other stuff.

[mat206]

Yes, faster cpu / disk IO will give you quicker page loads but in your case server tuning probably will do 90% of the job given your server specs. Your database is tiny so the whole thing should fit in RAM nicely if mysql is tuned right. You need to look at different metrics and get an idea of what is causing your pages to load at the speed they currently do. If the TTFB (time to first byte) is really small for your site that means the PHP is executing quickly and you don't need to waste too much time trying to tweak that part.

Rather than give specific recommendations, install Chrome and just use googles PageSpeed tool and get recommendations for what you can do. I also like to use http://tools.pingdom.com/fpt/ .

My site is http://www.gamedev.net/ if you want to compare load times.. we run 100% IPS for the site.

[Makoto]

Proper database/web server tuning and using a caching mechanism such as APC can go far.

Basically everything mat206 said.

3GB isn't really a lot for a 1GB+ database and up to 200 users online in a 15 minute Window, but it can definitely suffice. NGiNX can also be a great lighter-weight more memory efficient alternative to Apache if you're willing to take the time to configure it properly.