Boosting Your Minecraft Experience: Increasing RAM for Smoother Gameplay

23/02/2022

Minecraft, the popular sandbox game, has captured the hearts of millions of players worldwide with its limitless possibilities for creativity and exploration. However, as players delve deeper into the game and introduce more complex modifications and resource packs, they may encounter performance issues that can hinder their gameplay experience. One effective way to overcome these issues and achieve smoother gameplay is by increasing the allocated RAM for Minecraft. In this article, we will explore the benefits of increasing RAM and guide you through the process of optimizing your Minecraft experience.

Why Increase RAM?

Random Access Memory (RAM) is a vital component in running any software, including Minecraft. RAM serves as a temporary storage space for data that is actively used by the game. By increasing the allocated RAM, you provide Minecraft with more memory to work with, allowing it to load and process data more efficiently. This, in turn, can result in smoother gameplay, reduced lag, and improved overall performance.

Determining the Optimal RAM Allocation:

Before increasing the RAM for Minecraft, it's important to determine the optimal amount to allocate. The amount of RAM you should allocate depends on various factors, including your system's specifications and the complexity of the modifications and resource packs you use. As a general guideline, allocating 2-4GB of RAM should suffice for most Minecraft gameplay. However, if you heavily mod your game or use high-resolution resource packs, you may need to allocate more RAM to ensure optimal performance. Be cautious not to allocate too much RAM, as it can lead to other performance issues, such as increased load times or system instability.

Increasing RAM Allocation on the Java Edition:

For players using the Java Edition of Minecraft, increasing the allocated RAM is relatively straightforward:

Step 1: Launch the Minecraft Launcher and click on "Installations" at the top.

Step 2: Locate the installation you want to modify and click on the three dots (ellipses) on the right side.

Step 3: Select "Edit."

Step 4: In the "More Options" section, find the "JVM Arguments" field.

Step 5: Look for the line that starts with "-Xmx" and specifies the amount of allocated RAM. Increase this value to your desired amount, keeping in mind the guidelines mentioned earlier. For example, to allocate 4GB of RAM, you would change "-Xmx2G" to "-Xmx4G".

Step 6: Save the changes and launch the game. Minecraft will now have the increased RAM allocation, providing a smoother gameplay experience.

Increasing RAM Allocation on the Bedrock Edition:

For players using the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft, the process of increasing RAM allocation is different:

Step 1: Close Minecraft and ensure it's not running in the background.

Step 2: Right-click on the Minecraft icon and select "Properties."

Step 3: In the "Target" field, locate the text that follows the path and ends with ".exe".

Step 4: Add a space after the existing text and type "--forceMinecraftVersion 1.x.x.x", replacing "1.x.x.x" with the Minecraft version you are using. For example, "--forceMinecraftVersion 1.17.1".

Step 5: Add another space and type "--launcherConcurrentDownloads 4G", replacing "4G" with the desired amount of RAM allocation.

Step 6: Click "Apply" and launch Minecraft. The game will now launch with the increased RAM allocation, providing a smoother gameplay experience.