# Minecraft low FPS, lag or stuttering: how to fix it

> In Minecraft, render distance and simulation distance weigh the most: lower both before anything else. Then switch the graphics preset to the lightest one, turn off VSync and, on a laptop, make sure Java is using the dedicated graphics card. If the image is smooth but blocks and mobs lag behind, the problem is the server or the connection.

Canonical: https://risefps.com.br/en/guides/minecraft/how-to-increase-fps
Last updated: 2026-11-03

Minecraft looks light, but render distance and simulation distance weigh a lot, and Java also depends on memory and on the right graphics card. First of all, check whether the problem is your FPS or the server.

## First, find out what is holding you back

**Symptom, likely cause and what to do**

| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Low FPS in an open world | Too many chunks to draw and update every frame [2] | Lower render distance and simulation distance (Video section) [3] |
| Short stutters every few seconds (Java) | Java memory badly sized for the PC [2] | Adjust the memory cap in the launcher, leaving some for Windows (Memory section) [2] |
| Laptop with a dedicated card, but integrated graphics FPS | Java is running on the integrated graphics | Set javaw.exe to High performance in the Windows Graphics settings [5] |
| Smooth image, but blocks and mobs lag behind | Overloaded server or unstable connection, not your FPS | Open the FPS and TPS chart with F3 + 2 [4] |
| Old PC with low FPS even at the lowest settings | Below Java’s new requirements, which call for a graphics card with Vulkan 1.3 [1] | Use the lightest preset and short distances (Requirements section) [1] |

## How to see your FPS in Minecraft

In Java, press F3: the debug screen shows FPS at the top left. F3 + 2 opens the chart with the time of each frame, which shows stutter better than the average. In newer versions, F3 + F6 opens the debug options, with a performance profile that keeps the counter on screen at all times.

Bedrock doesn’t have this screen in the game: use an external counter, like the one in the Windows Game Bar (Windows + G). Always measure in the same world, at the same spot.

## The video settings that weigh the most

The Minecraft Wiki performance tutorial ranks the settings by impact. Start with the first ones:

1. Lower Render Distance and Simulation Distance. Simulation distance updates mobs, blocks and liquids and, at the same distance, costs more than render distance; that’s why you should keep it lower than the other one.
2. Switch the graphics preset from Fabulous! to Fancy or Fast. Mojang uses Fast as the reference for the minimum requirements and Fancy for the recommended ones.
3. Reduce Particles to Decreased or Minimal. On Minimal, water and lava drips disappear.
4. Turn off VSync. On a weaker PC, a lower FPS cap makes the game steadier than unlimited.
5. Last, the light effects: smooth lighting, clouds, detailed leaves and biome blend.

## Java memory: not too little, not too much

Minecraft Java runs inside Java, which has a memory cap set in the launcher. The Minecraft Wiki says the game runs best with 2 to 4 GB and asks you to leave memory for Windows and other programs. Too much memory for the game leaves too little for the rest of the PC.

1. In the Minecraft Launcher, open Installations, click the three dots on the installation you use and then Edit.
2. Click More Options. In the JVM Arguments field, the number after -Xmx is the memory cap: -Xmx4G means 4 GB.
3. Change only that number and leave the rest of the line as it is.
4. Leave memory to spare for Windows and whatever runs alongside the game, like your browser and Discord.

## Laptop: make Java use the dedicated graphics card

On a laptop with two graphics cards, Windows may run Minecraft Java on the integrated one, because what runs the game is javaw.exe, not the launcher.

1. Open Windows Settings › System › Display › Graphics.
2. Under Custom options for apps, add the javaw.exe the launcher uses (the path appears in the installation’s More Options, in the Java executable field) and click Options.
3. Select High performance and reopen the game.
4. For Bedrock, pick Minecraft in the same list.

## Sodium and performance mods (Java)

In Java, Sodium replaces the game’s rendering engine and, according to the project’s official page, improves FPS and reduces micro-stutter. It runs on Fabric or NeoForge. It’s a third-party mod: download it only from the official page (Modrinth or CaffeineMC’s GitHub), never from an "FPS pack" site. On a server, check the rules before using any mod.

## Java’s new requirements (July 2026)

On July 21, 2026, Mojang raised the Java requirements: the graphics card needs Vulkan 1.3, because the game is moving away from OpenGL. Below them, the game still opens, but Mojang warns it may run poorly and, in the future, stop opening.

**Minecraft Java requirements published by Mojang (checked November 3, 2026)**

| Level | Target | What your PC needs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimum | 1080p at 30 FPS on the Fast preset [1] | 64-bit, 4-core processor, 8 GB of RAM with a dedicated card or 12 GB with integrated graphics, graphics card with Vulkan 1.3 and 2 GB of video memory [1] |
| Recommended | 1080p at 60 FPS on the Fancy preset [1] | 16 GB of RAM, a stronger modern processor and a graphics card with 6 GB of video memory [1] |

## What Rise does in Minecraft

Everything here shows what changes before you apply it.

- **Minecraft Java preset.** Writes options.txt, the file the game saves when you leave the menu, one setting per line: graphics preset, VSync off, FPS cap up to your monitor’s refresh rate and render distance, which only comes down as far as the ceiling for your goal and your PC. With Sodium or Iris already installed, the Max FPS goal adjusts the options those mods document. It was checked against files in the game’s format: after applying, open the video menu and check the values. (Games › Minecraft · Rise Premium)
- **Minecraft Bedrock preset.** Writes Bedrock’s options.txt, per Xbox account: VSync off, FPS cap up to your monitor’s refresh rate and render distance within your PC’s ceiling. Field of view, controls and Vibrant Visuals stay as they are. It was also checked against files in the game’s format. (Games › Minecraft · Rise Premium)
- **Windows, graphics card and network.** What matters in any game: power plan, background programs and your PC’s Windows, graphics card and network settings. Each optimization shows what changes before you apply it. (Optimizations · Rise Basic and Premium)
- **Before-and-after Benchmark.** Runs the same 3D scene before and after your tweaks and compares average FPS, 1% low and stutters on your PC. (Benchmark · Rise Basic and Premium)

## What Rise does not do in Minecraft

- Doesn’t install mods, shaders or modpacks.
- Doesn’t change Java memory: launcher_profiles.json stays the way you left it.
- Doesn’t adjust installs outside the Minecraft Launcher’s default .minecraft folder yet, like CurseForge, Modrinth, Prism or TLauncher.
- Doesn’t speed up servers: if one is overloaded, that’s up to whoever runs it.
- Doesn’t promise an FPS number: measure before and after on your PC.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I increase FPS in Minecraft?

Measure with F3 in Java. Lower render distance and simulation distance first, then switch the graphics preset to Fancy or Fast, reduce particles and turn off VSync. On a laptop, make sure Java is running on the dedicated card. In Java, the Sodium mod also helps, downloaded only from its official page.

### How much RAM should I allocate to Minecraft?

The Minecraft Wiki says the unmodded game runs best with 2 to 4 GB. Change the number after -Xmx in the installation’s JVM Arguments and leave memory to spare for Windows and other programs. Too much memory for the game leaves too little for the rest of the PC.

### How do I see my FPS in Minecraft?

In Java, press F3; FPS shows up at the top left. F3 + 2 shows the frame time chart. In Bedrock, use an external counter, like the one in the Windows Game Bar (Windows + G).

### Is Sodium worth it?

If you play Java with Fabric or NeoForge, yes: according to its official page, Sodium replaces the rendering engine and reduces micro-stutter. Download it only from Modrinth or CaffeineMC’s GitHub and, on a server, check the rules first.

### Why does Minecraft lag when my FPS is high?

If the image is smooth, but blocks break late and mobs "jump", the server may be overloaded: the F3 + 2 chart shows FPS and TPS. If the image freezes for a moment, check Java memory and close what’s running alongside the game.

### Can Minecraft run on a low-end PC?

Since July 2026, Mojang asks for at least 4 cores, 8 GB of RAM with a dedicated card (12 GB with integrated graphics) and a graphics card with Vulkan 1.3 and 2 GB, targeting 1080p at 30 FPS on the Fast preset. Below that, Java still opens but may run poorly: use short distances and the lightest preset.

### Does Minecraft use the integrated graphics on a laptop?

It can. In Java, what runs the game is javaw.exe: add it under Settings › System › Display › Graphics and select High performance. For Bedrock, pick Minecraft in the same list.

## Sources

1. [Mojang: Minecraft Java requirements (July 21, 2026)](https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-java-edition-system-requirements) (checked on 2026-11-03)
2. [Minecraft Wiki (community): improving frame rate](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Tutorial:Improving_frame_rate) (checked on 2026-11-03)
3. [Minecraft Wiki (community): simulation distance](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Simulation_distance) (checked on 2026-11-03)
4. [Minecraft Wiki (community): debug screen](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Debug_screen) (checked on 2026-11-03)
5. [Microsoft: graphics card per app (Settings › Graphics)](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/optimizations-for-windowed-games-in-windows-11-3f006843-2c7e-4ed0-9a5e-f9389e535952) (checked on 2026-11-03)
6. [Sodium: official project page](https://modrinth.com/mod/sodium) (checked on 2026-11-03)

_Guide written by the Rise team. The steps work with or without Rise; the facts about the game come from the sources at the end of the page, with the date we checked them._

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