How to Allocate More RAM to the Minecraft Launcher

Minecraft is a highly flexible game that allows users to customize almost everything about it. This is typically done with mods, which are needed in the launcher. These require Forge or Fabric versions of Minecraft to fully work, but may require more memory. Many players try to load large collections of mods into the game, known as modpacks, which can cause lag or other performance issues. This is mainly due to an insufficient amount of RAM allocated to the Minecraft launcher. Whether you are using the default client or a modified one like CurseForge, allowing more memory is a universal feature that helps resolve issues.

The Importance of RAM

Running Out of Memory in Minecraft

As briefly mentioned above, having too little memory allocated to your launcher can cause some performance issues. These can range from a decrease in FPS to the client completely closing in the middle of gameplay. Avoiding issues like these is an important part of gameplay, especially when you are adding many mods to Minecraft. For example, having a large modpack with little RAM will result in terrible frames and will likely make everything unplayable. Occasionally, a crash could occur if nothing is done about it.

Adding More RAM to Minecraft

Fortunately, memory allocation for your launcher is fairly straightforward. However, due to the different platforms available, there will be some differences between them. Regardless of whether you are using the default launcher or a custom one, it will be easy to allocate more RAM. Choose your client from one of the sections below to start adding additional memory.

Default Launcher

Launch your Minecraft launcher, then head to the Installations section.

Locate your desired profile and click the three dots on the right.

On the next screen, press More options under Resolution.

Scroll down to the 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 2 GB by default.

Then, press Save in the bottom right corner to apply the changes.

CurseForge Application

Launch the CurseForge application, then click the Settings button in the bottom left corner.

On the next screen, select Minecraft under the Game Specific section.

Then, scroll down until you see the Java Settings category.

Once there, adjust the bar in the Allocated Memory area to increase the RAM.

When you are done, click the X button in the upper right corner to save the changes.

Voidswrath

Open VoidLauncher and click Options in the upper right corner.

On the next page, select the desired memory size in Minecraft Options.

After choosing one, go back to your modpack to start playing with more memory.

ATLauncher

Launch ATLauncher and wait for it to fully load, then click Settings in the bottom right corner.

Then, continue to the Java/Minecraft category at the top.

Once there, locate and change the Maximum Memory/Ram to the desired value.

When you are done, click Save at the bottom to apply the changes.

Technic Launcher

Launch Technic, then press Launcher Options in the upper right corner.

In the new window, select the Java Settings category.

From here, choose your desired value in the Memory dropdown.

When you are done, simply close the dialog box and start playing.

FTB Application

Open the FTB application and click Library in the upper left corner.

Find the instance of your desired modpack, then select it from the list.

Then, click Settings near the right side of the screen.

From here, adjust the bar in the Instance Memory section to allocate RAM.

When you are done, go back to your modpack instance to start playing.

Common Issues

Unable to Allocate More Than 2 GB

Sometimes, players will have an incorrect version of Java installed on the computer. This could result in memory allocation issues, such as the inability to go beyond 2 GB. If this happens to you, download an updated version of Java here and try again. Make sure to close the launcher and reopen it to see if that works, but sometimes you may still encounter issues. If nothing seems to work, try reinstalling the client and/or profile instance. Otherwise, there may be an underlying issue with your machine.

Minecraft Is Crashing / Lagging

In cases where your game crashes or lags, it is likely that the cause is still insufficient RAM. Try increasing it through your launcher options and then check if that works. However, it is strongly recommended that you do not set the RAM value to the maximum. This could create unwanted issues that would not help your situation. In other words, keep your memory within reasonable limits.