Despite its seemingly simple, blocky aesthetic,Minecraftdoesn’t always run silky smooth when it comes to performance, especially for those who have weaker hardware. This is partly because of thehuge scope and versatility of this sandbox epic, and the game design complexities subtly embedded within.
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Players who favor vast expansion, building, and item accumulation can particularly find themselves hitting some rough patches when it comes to FPS and general performance. But thanks to the versatility of the game and the array of resources, one’sMinecraftexperience can be greatly improved by increasing the frames-per-second.
These are some of the simplest, most effective, and overall best ways to smooth out a choppy or stuttering FPS that may be bogging things down. Some of these methods are more subtle, but others can bring major boosts that can double or even triple the FPS.
Updated June 28, 2025, by Stephen LaGioia:Not that it needed it, but studio Mojang has breathed new life into the already robust, lavish world of Minecraft with the anticipatedCaves and Cliffsrollout a year ago. Spurred by this update and theupcoming New Year’s Celebration, as well as countless mods and custom games, more gamers are looking to get the most out of this expansive open-world game. This is especially the case as users look to take advantage of theirjuiced-up gaming rigs.And given the discovery of new software and methods that have come to light, we thought we’d refresh this guide dealing with optimization andFPS boosting in Minecraft.
It should first be mentioned that players can gauge how their instance ofMinecraftis currently performing—and notably, can look at the frame rate—with this simple trick. While this won’t actually improve performance, it will make experimentation and troubleshooting far easier, as players can see how well these optimization tricks work in real-time.
PressingShift + F3will open the debug screen with the profiler graph. PressingAlt + F3will open the debug screen with theframe time graph.
14Avoid The Nether
Unlike most of the more involved, complex methods for keeping performance and frame rate smooth, this one is simply a matter ofavoidinga certain action; specificallyplunging into the Nether.The dark, vast expanse of the hellish Nether can be pretty alluring to certainMinecraftadventurers.
Yet, this huge underground realm can be hardware intensive for some less potent computers. It makes sense, given the countless instances of flowing lava and flames, chasms full of enemies, and particles floating about. Thankfully, this treacherous world is easily avoided anyway, being an isolated biome within the game, which requires a constructed portal to reach.
13Update Java And Utilize OpenJDK Software
Given that the coreMinecraftgame runs on Jave software, it’s a good idea to ensure the latest version of Java is installed, as well as aJava Development Kit.Ensure that the .exe corresponds with the OS as well as the computer’s binary capabilities (64x or 86x).
Keep in mind, 86x is meant for a 32-bit system.
Then, follow the installation wizard to finish the download. For techies who wish to take this one step further—players can opt for the open-source rendition of Java, known asOpenJDK. It allows for optimization and performance improvements inMinecraft.This handy tutorialgoes into detail outlining the steps to install and implement the software using theMinecraftlauncher.
12Run A “Garbage Collector Program”
While limited in some ways, one major benefit ofMinecraftrunning on Java software is that it’s highly customizable. One means of customization allows players to smooth out performance through a “garbage collector”. These initiate a process of deleting “junk” code that’s no longer of use for the program or game being run.
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The result is to free up memory space, which can clear things up for at least slightly better performance in-game. Great options for this game includeShenandoahas well asZ Garbage Collector (ZGC).This Redditorgets into the details regarding Shenandoah as well as how to implement it. While this method is more advanced, those well-versed in Java may want to give it a try, as it can help reduce frame stutter.
11If Playing Multiplayer - Avoid Highly Populated Areas
This onespecifically deals with connecting with friends or random players inMinecraft.As one might expect, jumping into highly-populated servers can be a lot more taxing on a user’s CPU, at least compared to flying solo. Many may be hard-pressed to avoid these servers altogether, as much of the game’s charm can be found here.
However, it’s a good idea to avoid dense, populated areas like cities when doing so, assuming performance is an important factor. Thankfully, there is typically much terrain to explore even in these customized servers and biomes.
10Keep Things Simple In The Game
Ironically, one of the best methods for smoothing outMinecraft’s performance is simply doing less in the game. Focus on plainer, more level terrain, with less exploration, and fewer assets populating it.
A useful trick related to this is to use the “WorldBorder” command in the game, which will set limits on how far the world can expand. This is achieved by opening the chat window and typing"/worldborder set [SizeInBlocks]"
A smaller, simpler, less cluttered world in the game will prove far less demanding for Java as well as the hardware it’s running on.
9Update Graphics Card Drivers
Much of the performance of a PC game stems from the graphics card in use. Gamers often run their games without realizing their graphics card can get a bump through a simple, and fairly quick update to their graphics drivers.
The latest drivers can typically be found on the GPU manufacturer’s website. To make this process even easier and more streamlined, download an automatic driver updater likeDriver Easy.
8Cut Back The Render Distance
One might not think a blocky game likeMinecraftis too demanding when it comes to horsepower, but it can be hardware intensive when constantly having to load assets from vast distances. Luckily, the render distance can be cut down quite a bit.
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To do this, just click on “options” and go to “video settings.” A bar that controls the render distance can be found in the top right of the menu. If this number is set above 12, it might be a good idea to move it down at least a few ticks. Don’t drop this too low, though, as navigation in-game may prove a bit tricky if it’s below the eight-to-ten range.
7Close Out Hardware-Demanding Tasks
While there are various in-game tricks that make for a smoother experience, there are a number of waysMinecraft’s framerate can be bumped up by tweaking some PC settings as well. One of the most effective is simply to close out other programs running at the same time, particularly those more hardware-intensive ones.
Pull up the Task Manager to get an idea of what programs are running, and clear out any non-essential software that’s utilizing large chunks of memory.More RAM can now be allocatedtoMinecraft.
6Dial Back The Graphics Settings
In addition to the render settings, various other graphic details can be tweaked or dialed back in order to improve performance and framerate inMinecraft.
Go to “video settings” and do the following:
5Disable Fullscreen And Remove Fullscreen Optimization
Those who don’t mind losing a bit of that immersive, theatrical experience should consider disabling the fullscreen view—especially gamers with weaker graphics cards. Doing this simple task makes for less rendering and thus a smoother experience.
To do this, flip “fullscreen” to “off” and decrease the window size. While the view will be smaller, the game should run quite a bit better.
To go a step further—right-click on theMinecraftshortcut and selectproperties,and click on thecompatibilitytab. Next, clickdisable fullscreen optimizationsand clickapply.
