How to Optimize a Minecraft Server with Mods (Forge, Mohist, Arclight, CatServer, Magma)

This guide will show you how to troubleshoot lag issues on your Minecraft server with mods, including several methods to identify and reduce lag.

Important: This guide is specifically designed for modded Minecraft Forge servers.

Common Solutions

One of the simplest ways to reduce lag is to lower the server’s view distance. For instructions, check out our tutorial on how to reduce view distance.

Another common source of lag comes from entities, which occurs when there are too many entities on your server.

Server Type Limitations

Minecraft server plugins are powerful tools that enhance gameplay and add various features. However, they may not optimize performance to the same level as mods, since plugins operate within the limitations of the Spigot server framework.

Mods, on the other hand, have fewer restrictions and the advantage of directly modifying the game’s code and mechanics. As a result, modded servers offer more opportunities for extensive optimizations and performance improvements.

Optimization Mods

📋 FastWorkbench (download here)FastWorkbench is a Forge mod that improves crafting performance by caching recipes and reducing unnecessary recipe checks. It also fixes a bug introduced in Minecraft 1.12, preventing momentary freezes when shift-clicking during crafting.

📋 FastFurnace (download here)Created by the same author as FastWorkbench, FastFurnace is a Forge mod that boosts TPS (Ticks Per Second) performance for furnaces, blast furnaces, and smokers. It works similarly to FastWorkbench by caching the last used recipe and avoiding unnecessary log scans, speeding up block processing times.

📋 AI Improvements (download here)AI Improvements is a Forge mod focused on optimizing AI performance and making low-level modifications to entity behavior. It addresses common issues like excessive entities, performance impact from large zombie hordes, and neglected AI tasks.

Importantly, AI Improvements does not need to be installed on the client—only on the server. By improving how AI functions, the mod enhances server performance without the need to trim extensive mods. It includes configurable features such as disabling specific AI segments and replacing EntityLookHelper with a more efficient version, significantly reducing CPU usage in older Minecraft versions.

Conclusion

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