Change RAM Settings
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Understand RAM Settings
It is recommended that you read this section if you are unfamiliar with RAM or how Minecraft uses it. Changing RAM settings improperly can hurt performance!
The two settings that control how much RAM Minecraft can use are Xmx and Xms.
Xmx -Xmx#G
This setting tells Minecraft the maximum amount of RAM it can use. Minecraft sets it to two gigabytes by default. This means Minecraft will immediately use the full 2GB when launched. This is normally the only setting you'll need to change.
Xms -Xms#G
This setting tells Minecraft the minimum amount of RAM it can use and it's used alongside Xmx. Minecraft will use this amount of RAM when launched and will allocate more RAM as needed until it reaches the limit set by Xmx. While it can be helpful to use this setting in certain scenarios, it is generally not a good idea since there will be a slight performance hit every time Minecraft allocates more RAM. If you know Minecraft will need more RAM than what Xms is set to then it's better to only use the Xmx setting (in most cases).
Heads Up: Some Minecraft launchers may force you to supply a maximum and minimum value. If you only want Minecraft to use a fixed amount of RAM that doesn't change as you play, simply set both values to the same amount.
Increasing the amount of RAM Minecraft uses can help with certain issues but it has diminishing returns. If Minecraft only needs two gigabytes to run smoothly and you give it sixteen, you're not really going to notice a difference, and using too much RAM can actually introduce lag. If you're unsure how much RAM to use, try increasing the setting in one or two gigabyte increments until you notice better performance.
Change RAM Settings
Expand the section below that matches the launcher you're using.
Official
Official Launcher
Step 1: Click the "Installations" tab.
Step 2: Hover over the installation you want to change and click the options button.
Step 3: Click "Edit".
Step 4: Click the "MORE OPTIONS" dropdown.
Step 5: Modify the JVM ARGUMENTS with your desired values.
The JVM ARGUMENTS text box is where you can change how much RAM Minecraft can use.
- If you wanted Minecraft to use 4GB of RAM, you can change the setting to look like this:
- If you wanted Minecraft to use a minimum of 4GB and a maximum of 8GB, you can use:
CurseForge
CurseForge Launcher
When opening a CurseForge profile, an official Minecraft launcher may appear. Do not change the RAM settings on that launcher! They will not save. You must change RAM settings via CurseForge's own options.
With CurseForge, you can choose to either change the RAM settings for a specific profile or for all profiles. A profile will use the "all profiles" setting unless you give it specific settings.
Change Settings for One Profile
Step 1: Right-click a profile.
Step 2: Click Profile Options.
Step 3: Uncheck Use System Memory Settings.
Step 4: Slide Allocated Memory slider to desired value.
CurseForge makes you set RAM in megabytes, not gigabytes. 1,024 megabytes equals one gigabyte. By multiplying 1,024 by the amount of gigabytes you want to use, you can get the correct megabyte setting for CurseForge. Below is a table for reference.
| Gigabytes | Megabytes |
|---|---|
| 1GB | 1024MB |
| 2GB | 2048MB |
| 4GB | 4096MB |
| 6GB | 6144MB |
| 8GB | 8192MB |
Change Settings for All Profiles
Step 1: Click Settings.
Step 2: Click "Minecraft".
Step 3: Scroll down to "Java Settings".
Step 4: Slide Allocated Memory slider to desired value.
CurseForge makes you set RAM in megabytes, not gigabytes. 1,024 megabytes equals one gigabyte. By multiplying 1,024 by the amount of gigabytes you want to use, you can get the correct megabyte setting for CurseForge. Below is a table for reference.
| Gigabytes | Megabytes |
|---|---|
| 1GB | 1024MB |
| 2GB | 2048MB |
| 4GB | 4096MB |
| 6GB | 6144MB |
| 8GB | 8192MB |
Prism
Prism Launcher
With Prism, you can choose to either change the RAM settings for a specific instance or for all instances. Your instances will use Prism's setting by default unless you override them.
Change Settings for One Instance
Change Settings for One Instance
Step 1: Select your instance and click "Edit". You can also right-click the instance and choose "Edit..." from the menu.
Step 2: Click "Settings".
Step 3: Check the "Memory" box and enter desired values.
The photo above shows what the settings will look like if you wanted Minecraft to use a minimum of 2GB and up to 8GB. If you want Minecraft to always use a set RAM amount (only -Xmx, no -Xms), simply set minimum and maximum to the same value.
Change Settings for All Instances
Change Settings for All Instances
Step 1: Click "Settings".
Step 2: Click "Java".
Step 3: Change the Memory settings.
The photo above shows what the settings will look like if you wanted Minecraft to use a minimum of 2GB and up to 8GB. If you want Minecraft to always use a set RAM amount, simply set minimum and maximum to the same value.
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