Are you looking for some ways to make Minecraft run faster? Check out these 13 ways to improve the performance of your game to give you a more enjoyable gaming experience!

Allocating Minecraft more memory is often cited as the best way to make Minecraft faster. Whilst it may not be quite as effective as buying yourself a new computer (which we’ve avoided in this list) it is certainly a quick and easy way to make Minecraft run faster. Check out our guide on the subject here.

2. Install Optifine

Optifine is a mod that is part of the Magic Launcher that attempts to smooth out Minecraft’s graphical performance. It has a variety of techniques and tricks that will help your computer to make Minecraft run faster. Installing the Optifine is one of the most highly recommended ways to make Minecraft run faster. We have a full post on Optifine here.

3. Remove Unneeded Mods

It can really tempting to try and install of the mods under the Sun as they add so much extra fun and depth to Minecraft. They will also slow your game down though. The more mods you have installed the more work your computer is going to have to do to run Minecraft. By uninstalling the mod files that you don’t use or you can live without you make Minecraft run dramatically better.

4. Turn off the Sound

This is such an easy fix it that is frequently overlooked. If Minecraft doesn’t have to focus on running sound then it can work on making your game run more smoothly instead. It may not be perfect, but if you think you can enjoy Minecraft more playing like this then it is definitely worth trying.

Note: Remember to turn of the sound in the Minecraft menu, don’t just turn your computer’s sound down!

5. Don’t run Minecraft in a Browser

Many players still play Minecraft in their browser. This may be true for you even if they have paid for the full version. Instead of running Minecraft in your browser you will want to download the Minecraft.exe file from the official site. By doing this your computer doesn’t have to focus on running both Minecraft and your browser, making Minecraft run faster as a result.

6. Close Background Windows

This one is pretty self-explanatory. By closing anything in the background of your computer you will allow your system to focus all of its resources onto running Minecraft, rather than playing music or running a web browser in the background. Programs like Skype and Instant Messenger can take up a lot of precious memory if they are left running in the background.

7. Don’t Run in Fullscreen Mode

Playing in Windowed Mode will decrease the amount of effort your computer has to put into rendering graphics. The smaller the screen the less work your GPU has to do. Whilst it might not be as much fun this is a sure-fire way to make Minecraft run faster.

8. Update Java

Your computer should regularly tell you that there are new versions of Java available to download. These regular updates should all work towards making Java a better environment for Minecraft to run in. By ensuring that you regularly keep your Java update you iron out any bugs and glitches that may feature in older versions too.

9. Install 64-bit Java

If you are running a 64-bit OS then it is highly recommended that you run Minecraft on 64-bit Java. This version of Java will use your computers extra power to process Minecraft that much better. Read our guide on the subject for more information, and watch the below video to tell if you are running a 64-bit operating system.

10. Set Java to High Priority

Whilst it may not be the most effective way to make Minecraft run faster it is definitely one of the easiest. By setting Java to high priority you will “tell” your computer to give more of its resources to make Minecraft run faster and increase overall performance of your computer. Read our guide or watch our video on how to do this.

11. Advanced OpenGL

Some computers will benefit from having Advanced OpenGL turned on and some will not. It is very common misconception that since it has “Advanced” in its name it must be good! By having Advanced OpenGL turned on you are telling your computer to only load things which are currently in view. This has the effect of reducing the load on your GPU, but increasing the load on your CPU to work this entire thing out. This can be very useful for users running Minecraft on a laptop. For more information read our guide on Advanced OpenGL.

12. Change Video Settings

Whilst it may not be glamorous, changing your video settings is certainly an effective way of increase the performance of Minecraft and making it run faster.  The most important settings that you will want to turn down are Render Distance, Smooth Lighting and turning Graphics to “Fast”. For a full list of the settings you will want to change read our guide or watch the below video.

13. Upgrade Your RAM

This is the only method we suggest that takes any money. We have avoided suggesting upgrading your CPU or graphics card because they are much more expensive than a RAM upgrade. If your system’s RAM is below 4GB then it is below the amount recommended by Mojang. Installing more RAM is a very cost effective and easy way to upgrade your PC. Read our guide on the subject here.

If you have any other ways to make Minecraft run faster on your laptop, PC or Mac then make sure to leave them in the comments below!