Minecraft is a popular sandbox video game that allows players to create and explore virtual worlds made out of textured cubes. It has gained a massive following over the years and is now available on various platforms.
However, if you have a low-spec PC, you may find it challenging to play Minecraft smoothly. In this article, we will explore ways to play Minecraft on a low-specification PC without compromising on the experience.
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Ways to Play Minecraft on Low Spec PC
Here are some steps you may follow in order to enjoy your gaming experience on a low-end PC. Also, if you do not wish to go for manual steps, you may also make use of any best PC optimizers for gaming to assist you in optimizing your system easily.
Check the specs of the PC
Before you start playing Minecraft, you need to make sure that your PC meets the minimum system requirements. Here are the minimum requirements for Minecraft:
- CPU: Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 (K8) 2.6 GHz
- RAM: 2GB
- Discrete GPU: AMD Radeon HD 2400 with OpenGL 3.1 or Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT
- HDD: More than 200MB for Game Core and Other Files
- Integrated GPU: Intel HD Graphics or AMD (formerly ATI) Radeon HD Graphics with OpenGL 2.1
If your PC meets these requirements, you can move on to the next step.
Optimize your system settings
Ensure that the operating system and software are updated and optimized before modifying the Minecraft settings and network setup. You’ll require your system to be functioning at full capacity if you want the game to operate smoothly. Perform the following steps to optimize your system.
Upgrade your OS.
To begin, make sure the latest version of Windows OS is installed on your computer. To do this, go to “Settings” and check the “Windows Update” panel for updates.
Upgrade Minecraft.
The Minecraft Launcher instantly updates your game to the most recent version. You also have the choice to test “snapshots,” or upcoming updates that are still under development.
Go back to the most recent official version if you are experiencing sluggish performance when testing a snapshot; it’s possible that the snapshot you are using is not well-optimized.
Upgrade your graphics card drivers.
Graphics drivers are often updated along with game-specific optimizations and performance upgrades. You may update the drivers and apply the best settings using the proprietary software that came with your GPU. You can also manually download the most recent drivers from the manufacturer’s website.
Optimize in-game settings
Minecraft has a range of graphical settings that you can adjust to optimize its performance on your PC. Some of these settings can be adjusted in-game, while others require editing the game’s configuration files.
Here are the steps to follow:
- Launch Minecraft and open the Options menu.
- Click on Video Settings and adjust the following settings:
- Graphics: Lower your graphics settings to the lowest possible setting. You can do this by changing the Graphics setting to Fast.
- Smooth Lighting: Turn this off to reduce the number of light sources in the game.
- Clouds: Turn this off to improve performance.
- Render Distance: Set the render distance to the lowest possible setting. This will reduce the amount of terrain that is loaded, which will help improve performance.
- Performance: Disable performance settings such as Fast Render, Smooth Lighting, and Dynamic Lights.
- Particles: Reduce the number of particles that are displayed on your screen. To do this, switch the Particle setting to Minimal.
- Max FPS: Tweak the maximum number of frames per second to the lowest possible setting to reduce GPU usage. You can do this by going to the Video Settings menu and changing the Max FPS setting to 30.
Allocate More RAM
Minecraft requires a significant amount of RAM to run smoothly, especially if you are using mods or playing on a server. If you have a low-specification PC, you might not have enough RAM to allocate to the game, which can cause performance issues.
Here are the steps to allocate more RAM to Minecraft:
- Launch the Minecraft Launcher and click on “Installations.”
- Click on the version of Minecraft you want to allocate more RAM. Then, click on “More Options” and locate the line that says “-Xmx2G.”
- Change the value next to “-Xmx” to the amount of RAM you want to allocate, such as “-Xmx4G” for 4GB of RAM.
- Save the changes and launch the game.
Play your game in Windowed mode
Playing Minecraft in full-screen mode can cause performance issues on low-end PCs. You can improve the game’s performance by playing in windowed mode instead. Here are the steps to play Minecraft in windowed mode:
- Launch Minecraft and log in to your account. Once you’re in the main menu, click on “Options” and then click on “Video Settings”.
- In the Video Settings menu, you’ll see an option for “Fullscreen”. Set the option to “Off”.
- Next, click on the “Graphics” tab and select “Fast” or “Fancy” depending on your computer’s capabilities.
- Under “GUI Scale”, select “Auto” or choose a specific scaling size that suits your preferences. Click on “Done” to save your changes.
Now, you can resize the Minecraft window by clicking and dragging the edges of the window to your preferred size.
Conclusion
So, this was all about how you can optimize your low-specification PC and play Minecraft smoothly and without any lags. You may perform all the aforementioned methods and steps on your system easily. We hope you found this guide helpful.
