RAM or Random Access Memory dictates how much of your computer is dedicated to running a program and is important when running Minecraft Java Edition. The amount of computer memory that is available to deal with both Javascript and Minecraft’s various quirks, especially when running Minecraft mods, can seriously affect how your game runs.
If Minecraft is crashing or performing poorly, with your game slowing down or lagging, you can usually fix it by allocating more RAM to the game.
Allocating more RAM to Minecraft is relatively straightforward and can be done from the launcher, no download necessary!
1. Check how much RAM your computer has
For Windows users, open the Start menu, and type System into the search bar. Click to open your computer’s System Information app and look for the number next to Installed Memory (RAM).
For Apple users, open the Apple menu and click About This Mac. Look for the number to the right of the Memory heading.
2. Check your Minecraft advanced options
Click the Instillations tab at the top of the Minecraft Java Edition launcher
3. Choose a profile and go to JVM arguments
On the Instillations screen, click the profile that you’ll be using to play the game. You can only change the amount of RAM for one profile at a time.
Once you’re inside your selected profile, click More Options then go to JVM arguments. This will allow you to make changes in the next step!
4. Edit the amount of RAM that Minecraft can access
In the JVM arguments box, look at the first section of the text which says -Xmx1G. Change the 1 to the number of gigabytes of RAM that you would like to use. For example, to use 2 gigabytes of RAM you would change this text to -Xmx2G.
5. Click save!
Minecraft will now use your selected amount of RAM for that specific profile!
Remember: you can only allocate as much RAM as your computer can provide. You should never allocate the full amount to Minecraft; your PC will struggle to run anything else! We recommend allocating a maximum of 4G.