If lag spikes have hit you hard in Minecraft, ruining your experience, or in some cases, leading to your death, we've got the answers you seek right here. Our guide on how to fix lag spikes in Minecraft will solve the issue.
Even if you're playing on a great gaming laptop or running the 8K version, there's still a chance that something will go wrong and frame drops will hit you hard, or you're hit by another error, such as Error Code Drowned.
Read on below to find out how to fix lag spikes in Minecraft, as well as help you identify what's causing the problem.
How to fix Minecraft lag
Here's a list of things to try that could resolve your Minecraft lag problems and get you back to building!
Check the System Requirements
If Minecraft consistently lags on your PC, it may be because your build doesn't meet the recommended requirements to run Minecraft. Here are the minimum requirements for Minecraft, as put forward by Mojang:
- CPU: Intel Core i3-3210 3.2 GHz / AMD A8-7600 APU 3.1 GHz or equivalent
- RAM: 4GB
- GPU (Integrated): Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Ivy Bridge) or AMD Radeon R5 series (Kaveri line) with OpenGL 4.4*
- GPU (Discrete): Nvidia GeForce 400 Series or AMD Radeon HD 7000 series with OpenGL 4.4
- HDD: At least 1GB for game core, maps and other files
- OS:
- - Windows: Windows 7 and up
- - macOS: Any 64-bit OS X using 10.9 Maverick or newer
- - Linux: Any modern 64-bit distributions from 2014 onwards
- Internet connectivity is required for downloading Minecraft files, afterwards offline play is possible.
Lower your Graphics Settings
Even if your PC passes the minimum requirements for Minecraft, it may struggle to run the game at the highest settings.
Consistent lag may result from your graphics setting being too high, and so adjusting them downwards could ease some of the issues.
Now you may be perplexed at why you might need to lower your graphics settings given the blocky/pixelated nature of Minecraft's design, but given it is now 4K supported with ray-tracing graphics, it can take some serious power to run Minecraft with the highest settings.
If you select the Video Settings in the Options Menu, here are some changes you should make to lower your graphics:
- Graphics: Fast
- Render Distance: 8 Chunks or lower
- Clouds: Off
- Particles: Minimal
- Smooth Lighting: Off
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Use a wired internet connection
Even you play on PS5, Xbox, or have a powerful PC, internet issues may cause your Minecraft lag problems.
Ethernet cables use a direct connection to your router to ensure any connection issues stemming from the distance between your console and the router do not affect your internet stability.
If you don't have an ethernet cable on hand, even just moving your console or setup closer to your WiFi router should help to quash any stability issues that may cause lag spikes.
Check the Minecraft server connection
As Minecraft is a game that lets you connect to custom-built servers, these servers can quickly become overwhelmed. This is especially true if they have a higher player count.
If this is the case, it might be best to find a different server to play on. If the problems are server-side, there isn't much you can do directly to fix it, aside from altering the owner to the issues.
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