In this tutorial, we will be sharing three different methods to allocate more RAM to Minecraft. This sandbox video game is among the most popular titles of all time. Inside the procedurally-generated 3D world, the possibilities stand endless. From crafting tools to the extraction of raw materials and everything in between, there are a plethora of things going on.

But all these also translate to the fact that the game is quite resource-extensive in nature. It needs a decent amount of allocated memory in order to run efficiently. While RAM isn’t the only factor that provides you a lag-free gaming experience, but it is definitely among the most important ones. With that said, in this guide, we will show you three best ways to allocate more RAM to Minecraft.

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Best 3 Ways to Allocate More RAM To Minecraft

The first approach that we will be taking is using a Minecraft Server. The second one deals with the Minecraft server version 2.0.X while the third one is about the server version 1.6.X. Before we begin with the instructions, there are a few requirements that your PC needs to qualify, as mentioned below:

Prerequisites

  • First and foremost, check the amount of RAM your setup is having.
  • If you are using Windows, then use the Windows+I shortcut keys to launch the Settings menu. Then go to System and scroll all the way down to the About section. Click on it and check the Installed RAM section.
  • If you are using Mac, then open the Apple menu and click About This Mac. Then check the Memory section to get hold of your RAM.
  • Always keep a balance as to the total RAM in your PC and the RAM you would be allocating to Minecraft. Don’t end up giving too much to the game as some of the other important processes on your PC might not function properly.
  • Next up, you will also have to make sure that you are running the latest version of Java. If you are not sure about that, then download the latest build from the Java website, and upon installing it will let you know whether it needs an update or not.

That’s it. These were all the requirements. You may now proceed with the steps to allocate more RAM to Minecraft. Follow along.

  • If you are using Windows, then use the Windows+I shortcut keys to launch the Settings menu. Then go to System and scroll all the way down to the About section. Click on it and check the Installed RAM section.
  • If you are using Mac, then open the Apple menu and click About This Mac. Then check the Memory section to get hold of your RAM.

Method 1: Allocate More RAM Using the Minecraft Server

In this tip, we will be creating a new Minecraft Launcher batch file for Windows, a command file for Mac and sh file for Linux users, and specifying the desired RAM requirement within that file. Here are the required steps for the same:

  • Open the Minecraft Server directory. It is the location where the Minecraft_server.exe file is present
  • Inside this folder, you will need to create a new Text file. Windows users could right-click on any empty space and select New > Text Document. On the other hand, Mac users could take the File > New > Text Document route.
  • Now based on your OS, enter the following command inside that text file
  • Windows
  • java -Xmx####M -Xms####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true
  • PAUSE
  • Mac
  • #!/bin/bash
  • cd “$( dirname “$0” )”
  • java -Xms####M -Xmx####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true
  • Linux
  • #!/bin/sh
  • BINDIR=$(dirname “$(readlink -fn “$0”)”)
  • cd “$BINDIR”
  • java -Xms####M -Xmx####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true
  • Now in the above command, change  ####  to the value in megabytes of RAM that you need to allocate. For example, in case you need to allocate 2GB of RAM, then replace #### with 2048, for 3GB replace it with 3072, 4GB translates to 4096, and so on.
  • It’s now time to save this file. Windows users should save it as a batch file, so click on File > Save As and under the ‘Save As’ type, change .txt to ‘All files’.
  • Then name this file as Minecraft_server.bat. Along the same lines, Mac users need to save this as a “.command” file and Linux users as a .sh file. With this, you have created a new Minecraft launcher file.
  • From now on, whenever you need to play the game, simply double click this file. The game will now run on the RAM that you had specified in this file.

So this was the first method to allocate more RAM to Minecraft. Let’s check out the other two.

  • Windows

  • java -Xmx####M -Xms####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true

  • PAUSE

  • Mac

  • #!/bin/bash

  • cd “$( dirname “$0” )”

  • java -Xms####M -Xmx####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true

  • Linux

  • #!/bin/sh

  • BINDIR=$(dirname “$(readlink -fn “$0”)”)

  • cd “$BINDIR”

  • java -Xms####M -Xmx####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true

  • java -Xmx####M -Xms####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true

  • PAUSE

java -Xmx####M -Xms####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true PAUSE

  • #!/bin/bash
  • cd “$( dirname “$0” )”
  • java -Xms####M -Xmx####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true

#!/bin/bash cd “$( dirname “$0” )” java -Xms####M -Xmx####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true

  • #!/bin/sh
  • BINDIR=$(dirname “$(readlink -fn “$0”)”)
  • cd “$BINDIR”
  • java -Xms####M -Xmx####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true

#!/bin/sh BINDIR=$(dirname “$(readlink -fn “$0”)”) cd “$BINDIR” java -Xms####M -Xmx####M -exe Minecraft_Server.exe -o true

Method 2: Using Launcher Version 2.0.X

The below steps are for the users who are using Minecraft launcher version 2.0 and above. To check the version, open the launcher and you should find the version number written on the bottom left.

  • So if the version is indeed along the lines of 2.0.X, then click on the Launch Options. It should be situated at the top right of the menu bar.
  • Then enable the Advanced Settings toggle form the top right.
  • Select the desired profile from the list on which you need to make changes.
  • Next up, enable the JVM arguments option as well. Within the JVM arguments field, you might see the default value as -Xmx1G. The 1G at the end signifies that has currently got 1GB of RAM to work with, change this value according to the need. For example, if you wish to allocate 3GB of RAM, then the above code will change to -Xmx3G.
  • Once that is done, click on the Save button situated at the bottom.

With this, we conclude the second method to allocate more RAM to Minecraft. Let’s now turn our focus to the third and final method.

Method 3: Using Launcher Version 1.6.X

As mentioned at the beginning of method 2, you will first have to verify the launcher version. For that, open the Minecraft launcher app and check out the version number written at the bottom left. If it belongs to the 1.6.X domain, then you may proceed ahead.

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  • Head over to your Profile, click on the three horizontal dots, and select Edit from the drop-down menu.
  • Go to the Java Settings (Advanced) section and enable the JVM Arguments option.
  • Now head over to this section and you should see the value as -Xmx1G. This means that the game has been given 1GB of RAM. Replace it with the desired GB of RAM that you need to allocate. For example, in the case of 4GB RAM, change the command to -Xmx4G
  • Finally, hit the Save button at the bottom right.

With this, we conclude the guide on how to allocate more RAM to Minecraft. We have shared three different methods for the same. Proceed with the one that suits your PC requirements. Since the game would now be running on a higher RAM, you could expect fewer frame drops as well as fewer memory issues. On that note, here are some other iPhone Tips and Tricks, PC tips and tricks, and Android Tips and Trick that you should check out as well.