How to Fix Minecraft Lag and Boost Performance on Low-End PCs

You should concentrate on improving your Minecraft FPS and getting rid of network lag if you want to have the greatest possible experience while playing the game. Both are admirable goals. Your game will have fluid movement and smooth visuals with an FPS boost: Bid farewell to sluggish and choppy gaming. Conversely, less lag means that when you play online, your mouse movements and inputs are recorded instantly. So, how can you get Minecraft to run as efficiently as possible on your computer? By adjusting your video and software settings, resolving a shaky internet connection, and replacing any outdated gear.

Optimize Your PC

Make sure your operating system and applications are up to date and optimised before making any changes to your network setup or Minecraft settings. You should have your system functioning at maximum speed in order to maintain the game’s seamless operation.

• Update your program: Software used for gaming should be kept up to date for optimal performance.
• Update your operating system: Make sure you are using the most recent version of Windows first. Check for updates by navigating to the “Windows Update” panel in “Settings.”
• Update Minecraft: Your game is automatically updated to the most recent version by the Minecraft Launcher. Additionally, it allows you to playtest “snapshots,” or upcoming updates that are currently under production. Go back to the most recent official release if you encounter bad performance when testing a snapshot; it’s possible that the snapshot you’re using isn’t optimised properly.
• Update your graphics drivers: Graphics drivers are often updated to include game-specific optimisations and performance enhancements. Update your drivers and apply the best settings using the proprietary software that comes with your GPU. As an alternative, you can manually obtain the most recent drivers from the manufacturer’s website.

Pro-tip

• Make sure the “javaw.exe” Java executable is pointing to your discrete GPU and not your CPU’s integrated graphics if you have a discrete GPU installed and your frame rate is lower than you would anticipate.

Close Resource-Draining Applications

Performance in-game may suffer as a result of other apps competing with Minecraft for system resources. Closing unnecessary apps is the best course of action.

• Close desktop apps: To view a list of all the open programs, use the Task Manager by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC. Close any that are using a lot of CPU and RAM more than is necessary. Using the Xbox Game Bar widget (WIN+G) provides a fast way to manage resources while playing. In this manner, you can avoid using ALT+TAB to exit your game and go to the desktop.
• Stop background activity: Some programs continue to operate in the background even when they are closed. Performance in the game may suffer as a result. You can prevent the problematic app from using CPU resources if you notice a background process using them (Task Manager > Processes > Background Processes).
• Tweak sharing settings: The resources needed to stream and record high-resolution gaming are far higher than those needed to play the game alone. To enhance in-game performance, try reducing your recording settings. A PC update may be necessary if your frame rate isn’t as high as you’d like.

Video Settings: Reduce Minecraft’s Load on Your PC

The next step is to adjust Minecraft’s video settings to increase your frame rate now that your program is operating at peak efficiency.

• Measure your FPS: Make a note of your current performance level before you begin adjusting Minecraft’s default settings. This will enable you to assess how well any changes you make to the video settings work. In some situations, the visual decrease might not be worthwhile.
  • In Minecraft Java Edition, use F3 to bring up the debug menu and see your frame rate. One row down in the upper left corner, you can see your FPS.
  • Use third-party FPS tracking software for a more thorough reading or if you’re playing Minecraft Bedrock Edition. You may monitor more complex data like average frame rate and frame time (the consistency of your frame rate) with the use of these tools.

What is a Good Frame Rate in Minecraft?

• Depending on how satisfied you are with the performance, that is. The low end of the spectrum would be 30–60 frames per second, while the high end would be 144 frames per second and higher.

Adjust Minecraft’s Video Settings

You are prepared to attempt increasing your Minecraft FPS once you have a firm grasp on your current FPS. Proceed to the “Options” menu and select “Video Settings.” Start by modifying the parameters that will affect the most people.

• Reduce the resolution: The number of pixels used to render the game depends on its resolution. By lowering it, your system may render the game more quickly, increasing your frame rate. Find a performance/detail ratio that you are comfortable with.
• Reduce render distance: Move the render distance slider from low to medium to increase frames per second. This can greatly relieve the strain on your system by reducing the maximum distance at which 3D objects are drawn. Refusing it won’t make it harder for you to see crucial game elements like other players or approaching crowds.
• Switch off Vsync: Turn on G-Sync or FreeSync in your GPU settings if your display has a variable refresh rate. In addition to producing a more steady frame rate, this can lessen screen tearing. Try turning VSync on and off between games to evaluate if the performance loss is worth the advantage, even if you don’t have one of these monitors.
• Switch fullscreen mode on: This will assist in eliminating invasive background processes that may cause your frame rate to decrease.

Fine-Tune Minecraft’s Graphical Effects

You should also minimise or disable any graphical enhancements you can live without while under “Video Settings.” Although these minor extras improve Minecraft’s aesthetics, they can have a major negative impact on performance.

• Reduce the “Graphics Settings”: This setting modifies a number of minor elements, such as transparency effects and vignettes, to give the game world a more complex and realistic appearance. Lower it from “Fancy” to “Fast” for better performance.
• Reduced mipmaps: They give distant objects less intricate textures, giving the scene a deeper sense of depth. You can increase your frame rate by reducing the amount of layers.
• Cut back on the blend of biomes: When switching between biomes, such as from forests to badlands, this parameter evens out sudden visual changes between conflicting textures. Consider lowering it a bit.
• Turn off the clouds: The floating masses will be flattened into basic, two-dimensional shapes if you set them to “Fast.” The “Beautiful Skies” feature in Minecraft Bedrock Edition allows you to turn off the sun, moon, stars, and clouds. The option should be left unaltered in this instance because the heavens help with celestial navigation and moon phase determination, both of which have an impact on enemy spawning.
• Reduce the number of particles: Particle effects enhance flaming furnaces and bursting creepers, but they frequently detract from the overall performance.
• Disable “Smooth Lighting”: Activating this setting causes blocks to throw more realistic shadows, but it degrades performance.
• Cut down on anti-aliasing: This feature smoothes out jaggies, the ugly sawtooth edges that make games look pixelated and disrupt immersion. It is only compatible with the Bedrock Edition and Virtual Reality versions of Minecraft. In order to potentially increase FPS, lessen the effect.

Hardware Fixes: Improve Gaming PC Hardware

A hardware update will have the biggest effect on your frame rate, even though decreasing your graphics settings can help. The performance of Minecraft is directly affected while playing on a machine with more powerful components.

• Examine your hardware setup: The current system requirements are the best place to start if you want to upgrade your hardware for better performance.
  • Make sure your system configuration satisfies or surpasses the minimal system requirements for steady performance in unmodified Minecraft.
  • Your system should satisfy Minecraft’s recommended specifications for better performance and a higher frame rate.
  • Even greater performance improvements will result from beyond the suggested specifications.

Network Solutions: Improve Your Connection to Minecraft Servers

A steady connection between your PC and the server is necessary for a lag-free and responsive online experience. As long as you have a cable, DSL, or fibre connection with sufficient up and down speeds, you should be comfortable playing games online because the speed requirements are really low. Lag problems can still occur, though. This is how to fix them.

• Play on a different server: Try playing on a server with a stronger connection if you’re experiencing a lot of lag, or the latency between your inputs and the game’s response to them. This is indicated by the green signal bars next to the server name in the server selection window. Simply said, certain server connections are more reliable than others.
• Use a wired connection: Ethernet connections offer a dependable, fast, and low-latency connection between your PC and router. Your home network will experience less lag as a result.
• Boost your signal strength: Make sure your signal is strong if you prefer to connect wirelessly. Being as close to your wireless router as you can is ideal. To obtain the best signal, move your router. Instead of placing your router on the ground, place it at the same height as your gaming PC. Avoid confining it in a small area. The signal should travel through as few walls as possible.
• Connect using Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6: Intel® KillerTM Wi-Fi 6 is a significant improvement over earlier iterations that brings wired and wireless connections closer to parity. Wi-Fi 6 provides up to 75% lower latency than Wi-Fi 5, which is crucial for gaming because it reduces Minecraft lag.
• Close open apps: To monitor the current network consumption of your machine, use the “Network” column in Task Manager (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC). It’s normal to have certain apps open when playing games, but be wary of those that use a lot of internet.
• Close background apps: Some applications will unexpectedly download large updates. Open the Task Manager and try to figure out what’s causing the abrupt increase in lag while you’re playing. It would appear under “Background Processes” on the “Processes” tab. After identifying the invasive application, do the actions outlined in this guide’s “Optimise your PC” section to remove its background permissions.
• Reduce network traffic: Network congestion leads to packet loss, which in turn creates latency. Use a quality of service (QoS) program to give gaming traffic priority over other kinds of traffic, rather than arguing with your roommates over who gets to use the internet. This feature is included into a lot of routers. Switching to a gigabit connection, which offers a lot of capacity to reduce latency on crowded networks, is an additional choice. See our guide for additional information on how to resolve packet loss.
• Update your router’s firmware: This can fix connectivity problems like sudden lag spikes in addition to shielding your network from external threats. It is necessary to manually upgrade the router using the app or settings interface. Consult the manufacturer’s guidelines.

PC Upgrade: Get More Frames and Less Lag with a PC Upgrade

You may get more performance out of your PC by using tips like reducing your settings and freeing up system resources. But they’ll only take you so far.

You can achieve more in Minecraft without sacrificing functionality by upgrading to a computer with a faster CPU. Installing more mods, seeing more details in the game environment, and maintaining a faster frame rate at high resolutions are all possible with a new PC. To benefit from the most recent developments in network protocols, such as ultra-low latency Intel® KillerTM Wi-Fi 6, a PC upgrade could also be necessary.

Consider switching to a laptop or desktop computer with more CPU power and the newest features to improve your gaming experience if your present setup is causing your Minecraft frames to lag. For a higher FPS in Minecraft, you might also consider picking a new gaming CPU and installing it yourself.