How to Allocate More RAM to a Minecraft launcher
Last modified on Sep 18, 2024 in General
By Nathan Young
Overview
Minecraft is a highly flexible game that allows users to customize almost everything about it. This is typically done with mods, which are required on the launcher. These need either Forge or Fabric versions of Minecraft to fully work, but may need more memory. Many players try to load large collections of mods in the game, known as modpacks, which can create lag or other performance issues. This is mainly caused by an insufficient amount of RAM allocated to the Minecraft launcher. Whether you’re using the default client or a modded one like CurseForge, allowing extra memory is a universal feature that helps resolve problems. With this in mind, we’ve created this tutorial to show you how to allocate more RAM on Minecraft through several popular launchers.
The Significance of RAM
As briefly mentioned above, having very little allocated memory to your launcher can result in some performance issues. These can range from a decrease in FPS to the client entirely crashing mid-game. Preventing problems like these is an important part of the gameplay, especially when you’re adding a lot of mods to Minecraft. For example, having a large modpack with low RAM will result in terrible frames and likely make everything unplayable. Occasionally, crashing could happen if nothing is done about the situation.
Adding More RAM to Minecraft
Luckily, memory allocation for your launcher is really straightforward. However, due to the multiple different platforms to use, there’s going to be some differences between them. Regardless if you’re using vanilla or a custom launcher, it’ll be easy to allocate more RAM. Choose your client from one of the sections below to begin adding extra memory.
Default Launcher
- Start your Minecraft launcher, then head towards the
Installations
area. - Locate your desired profile and click the three dots to the right.
- On the next screen, press
More Options
underResolution
. - Scroll down to JVM Arguments, then locate the -Xmx2G parameter.
- Proceed to change “
2G
” to “4G
” or another reasonably high value.
Note: This represents the amount of memory to allocate, which is 2gb by default. - Afterward, press
Save
at the bottom right to apply the changes.
CurseForge App
- Start the CurseForge App, then click the
Settings
button at the bottom left. - In the next screen, select
Minecraft
under theGame Specific
section. - Afterward, scroll down until you see the
Java Settings
category. - Once there, adjust the bar for the Allocated Memory area to increase RAM.
- When you’re finished, click the
X
button at the top right corner to save the changes.
Voidswrath
- Open the VoidLauncher and click
Options
in the top right corner. - On the next page, select your desired memory size in Minecraft Options.
- After picking one, return to your modpack to begin playing with higher memory.
ATLauncher
- Start ATLauncher and wait for it to fully load, then click
Settings
to the bottom right. - Afterward, continue to the
Java/Minecraft
category at the top. - Once there, locate and change Maximum Memory/Ram to your desired value.
- When you’re done, click
Save
at the very bottom to apply the changes.
Technic Launcher
- Start up Technic, then press
Launcher Options
at the top right. - In the new window, select the
Java Settings
category. - From here, choose your desired value in the Memory dropdown menu.
- When you’re done, simply close down the prompt and begin playing.
FTB App
- Open the FTB App and click
Library
from the top left corner. - Find your desired modpack instance, then select it from the list.
- Afterward, click
Settings
near the right side of the screen. - From here, adjust the bar in the Instance Memory section to allocate RAM.
- When you’re done, return to your modpack instance to start playing.
Common Issues
Sometimes, players will have the incorrect Java version installed on the computer. This could result in memory allocation issues, such as being unable to go above 2GB. If this happens to you, then download an updated Java build here and try again. Make sure to close the launcher and re-open it to see if that works, but can still sometimes encounter issues. If nothing seems to be working, then try reinstalling the client and/or profile instance. Otherwise, there could be an underlying problem with your machine.
In cases where your game is crashing or lagging, the issue is still likely not enough RAM. Try increasing it through your launcher options, then see if that works. However, it’s strongly recommended that you don’t set the RAM’s value to the maximum. This could create unintended problems that wouldn’t help your situation. In other words, keep your memory within reasonable limits.
Useful Links
Minecraft Server Hosting
How to Install Forge to Minecraft
Installing Fabric on the Minecraft Launcher
How to Install Mods to a Minecraft Server