How to Increase FPS in Minecraft (Java & Bedrock, 2026)

7 min read

Minecraft looks simple but can run surprisingly badly, especially Java Edition on laptops. The fixes are well known: a few video settings, a performance mod, the right amount of RAM, and making sure the game isn't running on your weakest GPU.

Video settings (Options → Video Settings)

1. 1

   Lower Render Distance

   The single biggest setting. 8–12 chunks is plenty for most play; every step up multiplies the work. On Java, lower Simulation Distance too.

2. 2

   Graphics: Fast

   Fast instead of Fancy/Fabulous. Also turn off Clouds, Entity Shadows and Smooth Lighting, and set Particles to Minimal if you need more.

3. 3

   V-Sync off, max framerate set

   Turn off V-Sync and set Max Framerate to your monitor's refresh rate.

Java Edition: install Sodium

Sodium (a Fabric mod) rewrites Minecraft's rendering engine and commonly delivers a large FPS increase on the same hardware. Install the Fabric loader, drop Sodium into your mods folder, and launch the Fabric profile. It's the most-used Java performance mod for a reason.

Allocate the right amount of RAM (Java)

In the Minecraft Launcher → Installations → Edit → More Options, the JVM argument -Xmx sets the RAM limit. For vanilla or light mods, 4 GB (-Xmx4G) is enough; heavy modpacks may want 6–8 GB. More is not better — allocating most of your system RAM causes long garbage-collection pauses, which feel like stutter.

Laptops: force the dedicated GPU

Settings → System → Display → Graphics → add javaw.exe (Java) or Minecraft (Bedrock) → Options → High performance. Many laptops otherwise run Minecraft on integrated graphics, which is often the whole reason it's slow.