20 ways to get more FPS in Minecraft

Minecraft can lag even on modern hardware. A game written in Java isn't known for its optimization, and every new version adds features that put more load on the CPU and the graphics card. The good news is that most performance problems can be solved without buying a new computer. The 20 tips below, from trivial to advanced, help you squeeze the most FPS out of any setup. For more detail on specific settings, see our guide to graphics settings.

Game settings: quick wins

1. Lower the render distance. This is the setting with the biggest impact on FPS. Going from 16 chunks to 8 can double your frame rate. On a weak PC set it to 6-8, on a mid-range one to 10-12. A render distance of 32 is a luxury that only powerful hardware with an optimization mod can afford.

2. Lower the simulation distance. Since version 1.18 this is a separate setting from render distance. A Simulation Distance of 6-8 reduces CPU load because fewer chunks are actively simulated (mobs, plants, redstone). You can see far (Render Distance 12) but simulate close (Simulation Distance 6).

3. Turn off VSync. Vertical sync caps your FPS at the refresh rate of your monitor and adds input lag. Turn VSync off and set Max Framerate to twice your monitor's refresh rate (for example, 120 for a 60 Hz monitor). If you have G-Sync or FreeSync, use those instead of VSync.

4. Set Graphics to Fast. The visual difference between Fast and Fancy is mostly leaf transparency and rain quality. The difference in FPS is 5-15%. On weak hardware, Fast is the obvious choice.

5. Reduce Particles. Set it to Decreased or Minimal. Particles are especially expensive near big mob farms, during raids and in the Nether (lava and smoke particles). Minimal removes most particle effects.

6. Turn off clouds. Setting Clouds to Off gives 3-8 FPS. If you use shaders, they have their own clouds anyway, so the vanilla clouds are unnecessary.

7. Lower Entity Distance. The default 100% is reasonable, but on multiplayer servers with lots of players and mobs, lower it to about 75%. Fewer entities on screen means fewer rendering calculations.

Optimization mods: the biggest FPS jump

8. Install Sodium (or OptiFine). This is the single step that gives the most. Sodium gives 100-200% more FPS than vanilla, OptiFine 50-100%. If you don't have an optimization mod yet, start here: it gives more than all the other tips combined.

9. Add Lithium. Lithium optimizes game logic (mob AI, physics, ticks) without touching rendering. It works alongside Sodium and gives an extra 5-15% FPS, especially near villages and farms with many entities.

10. Install Starlight (or Phosphor). Mods that rewrite the lighting engine. They bring faster chunk loading, fewer lag spikes when new terrain generates, and an end to "light update" lag. The difference is especially noticeable when you explore new areas.

11. Use FerriteCore. A mod that cuts Minecraft's RAM usage by 15-25%. Less RAM use means less garbage collection and fewer lag spikes. It is especially useful on machines with 8 GB of RAM or less.

JVM arguments: get more out of Java

12. Set Aikar's flags. JVM arguments (Aikar's flags) tune Java's garbage collector, which removes the lag spikes caused by GC pauses. It is a free 10-20% gain in smoothness, especially on servers. Set them in the launcher under "JVM Arguments".

13. Allocate the right amount of RAM. More isn't always better. Give Minecraft 4 GB of RAM if you play without mods, and 6-8 GB with mods. Allocating 16 GB causes longer garbage collector pauses, which paradoxically makes the game less smooth. You can find the details in our guide to JVM arguments.

14. Use Java 21 (or newer). Newer Java versions have a better garbage collector (ZGC, Shenandoah), faster JIT compilation and general performance improvements. Minecraft has officially supported Java 21 since version 1.20.5. In the launcher you can set the path to your own Java installation.

Operating system and drivers

15. Update your GPU drivers. Old graphics drivers are a common cause of low FPS and crashes. For Nvidia, download the latest from nvidia.com/drivers. For AMD, from amd.com/support. For Intel (integrated graphics), from intel.com. Update your drivers every 2-3 months.

16. Set a performance mode in Windows. In the Nvidia Control Panel / AMD Software, set the Minecraft profile (javaw.exe) to "High Performance". In Windows settings: Power > High performance mode. On laptops, make sure Minecraft uses the dedicated graphics card, not the integrated one.

17. Close background programs. Browsers (especially Chrome with many tabs), Discord with the overlay, OBS, an antivirus in scanning mode: all of them use RAM and CPU. Close unneeded programs before you play. You can turn off the Discord overlay in Discord's settings without closing the whole app.

Resource packs and the game world

18. Use lightweight resource packs. The default Minecraft textures (16x16) are light. 32x32 packs (like Faithful) cost 5-10% FPS. Packs at 128x128 and above can cost 30-50% FPS. If you have performance problems, go back to the default textures or use a 16x16 pack.

19. Clean up entities in an old world. Large numbers of dropped items, item frames and animals in one place kill FPS. On servers, use the /kill @e[type=item] command to remove dropped items.

20. Play in fullscreen. Fullscreen (F11) can give 5-10% more FPS than windowed mode on some systems. On Windows 10/11, "borderless fullscreen" (the fullscreen option in Minecraft's settings) has the same effect and lets you switch between windows quickly (Alt+Tab).

What NOT to do

A few popular "tips" that don't work or do harm:

• Don't install "game boosters" - programs like Razer Cortex, Game Fire or WTFast don't improve FPS in Minecraft in any measurable way. They often run their own background processes, which ironically use up resources.
• Don't allocate all your RAM - giving Minecraft 16 GB without mods is a recipe for garbage collector lag spikes. 4-6 GB is enough.
• Don't combine competing optimization mods - Sodium and OptiFine don't work together. Pick one. Sodium + Lithium + Starlight: yes. Sodium + OptiFine: no.
• Don't lower your screen resolution - Minecraft isn't demanding graphically. Dropping from 1080p to 720p gives a minimal FPS gain (5-10%), and the picture gets much worse. Lower the render distance instead.

Summary: how much FPS each change gives

Start with the top rows of the table: Sodium and a lower render distance have the biggest effect for the least effort. Then add Aikar's flags and update Java. If your FPS is still not enough after those steps, move on to the remaining tips. Many players see their FPS double or triple after applying the first 5-6 tips, with no loss of visual quality. You can find more about optimization mods in our OptiFine vs Sodium comparison.