If you’re a Minecraft lover looking for laptops to run Minecraft smoothly, or you’re possibly building a PC over the holidays, then you might be wondering what kind of specs you’re going to need to have to run the world’s most popular open-world sandbox.
We’re here to give you the rundown you’ll need for getting the right kind of hardware for your builds. Minecraft isn’t an intensive game, but the more you play, the more likely you are to experience it at higher graphics quality or even load up some mods for it.
So, let’s jump into a thorough review of the recommended Minecraft specs you’re going to need.
Minimum Minecraft Specs
Minecraft Official Hardware Requirements and Specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5, or any equivalent
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 128GB or more, solid-state drive
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 700 series or AMD Radeon RX 200 series, or any equivalent
- Display: 1024×768 or better
Processor
While the Minecraft website recommends having an Intel Pentium D or an AMD Athlon 64, we’ve found that you’re much better off with an Intel Core i3 or an AMD Athlon II at the very least. The game’s performance is reliant on your computer’s CPU, and if you’re building a PC specifically for Minecraft, put your money towards a more powerful CPU.
Memory
Minecraft isn’t a very large game and doesn’t require too much memory to function. While you’ll still be able to run Minecraft on an old build with 2GB, it’s probably best you stick to the website’s recommended memory, with at least 4GB of memory as it ensures minimal load time, in turn, preventing Minecraft from lagging.
Storage
In terms of your laptop’s storage capacity, just make sure you have at least 10GB allotted for Minecraft. You’re much better of with a solid state-drive, as they’re significantly quicker than a hard-disk drive, and a lot sturdier because they’re made with electronic parts.
Graphics Card
Like we’ve said in our processor segment, Minecraft relies heavily on the processor of your laptop, so you can save some cash and purchase an integrated or discrete graphics card for your PC build. It doesn’t hurt to purchase a dedicated GPU, especially if you’re planning on playing more than just Minecraft on your PC.
Recommended Modded Minecraft Specs
Whether you’re looking to mod your game a little bit or play with your friends by hosting a Minecraft server on your laptop, you’re very likely to need slightly better specs than the vanilla version of the game. A lot of users report that modded Minecraft needs higher RAM capacity, and a better GPU (if you’re using visual mods).
- CPU: Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5, or any equivalent
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 128GB or more, solid-state drive
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 series or AMD Radeon HD 7870 series, or any equivalent
- Display: 1024×768 or better
Recommended Minecraft Dungeons Specs
- CPU: Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5, or any equivalent
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 128GB or more, solid-state drive
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660, or AMD Radeon HD 7870, or any equivalent
- Display 800×600
Also Read: How to Uninstall Minecraft on Laptop/PC
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can a Core i5 run Minecraft?
Yes. In fact, we recommend having an i5 at the very least for running Minecraft. The i5 (or Ryzen 5 counterpart) should be able to reach speeds of 3.5GHz. This should give you enough power to run smoothly on your laptop or PC.
Q2. What specs do you need for modded Minecraft?
Most of the recommended specs don’t change, other than the memory and graphics capabilities of your PC. Most Minecraft mods tend to improve the graphics quality of the game, or even add new textures with new building blocks and crafting materials, and you’re going to want to have a PC that can handle that.
Q3. How much RAM do I need for Minecraft?
Despite certain PC building websites saying that you’ll need 2GB of RAM for Minecraft, we believe you’ll need at least 4GB, as per their official website’s recommended system specs. The game itself doesn’t use up too much memory while running, but it definitely doesn’t hurt to have that extra bit of wiggle room to help your PC’s performance.
Q4. Which version of Minecraft should I buy?
Now if you’re talking about the original Minecraft game, it has two versions: Minecraft Bedrock Edition and Minecraft Java Edition. The main difference between the two is that the Java edition of the game allows you to mod the game for free, while the Bedrock version of the game has more paid content. We’ve found that the Bedrock version is much better for casual players, and the Java edition is better for more experienced, hardcore players.
Q5. Does the Minecraft and Minecraft Dungeons have similar system specs?
Minecraft Dungeons only require slightly better specs than the original Minecraft game. We’ve found that Minecraft Dungeons have slightly higher recommended system specs, probably due to the fact that it’s a different type of game; rather than it being an open-world sandbox, it’s more a dungeon crawler where you go through dungeons, fight monsters, and save villages, either alone or with your friends.
Conclusion
There are the best specs for playing Minecraft. This is a fairly short and simple article, and we’ve added in a frequently asked questions segment as well, which should cover some of the basics of anything you need to know before deciding on a laptop or PC parts for your new build.
We’ve also added in the system requirements for modded Minecraft, as well as Minecraft Dungeons. A lot of players enjoy modding their games and know that they’ll need slightly better system specs for a modded game, and Dungeons allows you to enjoy a game with similar aesthetics but completely different gameplay.
Good luck, and happy building!
