Is Minecraft CPU Or GPU Intensive?

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If you want to build a PC for Minecraft or if you want to diagnose why your computer is struggling to run Minecraft you need to know the answer to the question, is Minecraft CPU or GPU intensive?

In this article, we will be answering that question and other similar questions like if you can run Minecraft without a GPU. Without further ado, let’s get started.

Is Minecraft CPU Or GPU Intensive?

Is Minecraft CPU Or GPU Intensive

Minecraft is more CPU intensive than GPU by a fairly significant amount. This means the processor of your computer will have the greatest impact on how the game performs. In Minecraft, the CPU is often the bottleneck or component holding your PC back from achieving a consistent FPS.

Minecraft is one of the rare games that are more CPU reliant than GPU. Most games released these days are GPU intensive and require good dedicated graphics cards to run. A powerful CPU is always important and in Minecraft, it is the most important component. If you are building a PC specifically for Minecraft make sure the CPU is where the majority of your budget goes.

If you are currently struggling to run the game the CPU is almost certainly the problem and you will need to upgrade it to see improvements in performance. Even an extremely budget CPU like Ryzen 3 3100 can run the game smoothly so you don’t need to spend a lot on an upgrade.

Is Modded Minecraft More CPU Or GPU Intensive?

Modded Minecraft just like regular Minecraft is much more CPU intensive than GPU. Obviously, it will depend on what type of mods you are running, but in general, this will be the case. For example, Complex Shader mods will increase the GPU demands more than the CPU, but this is an exception to the rule.

If you want to play a heavily modded version of Minecraft you will need a stronger CPU than what’s recommended for the base game. Each mod you add to the game will put an extra strain on the CPU and it will become harder and harder for your PC to give you consistent frame rates.

We recommend having a dedicated graphics card, even if it’s a cheap one if you want to run a modded version of Minecraft. Even if the game doesn’t require much at all from the GPU, some mods will require a little more from the GPU and you want your PC to be able to handle it.

Can You Play Minecraft Without A Dedicated Graphics Card?

Yes, Minecraft can be played without a dedicated graphics cards at 1080p 60+ FPS with a good enough CPU or APU. Minecraft is a very easy game to run and with most of the load going towards the CPU you can get away with just integrated graphics.

However, we wouldn’t suggest building a new PC for Minecraft without a graphics card. Minecraft is one of the few games that can be run without a GPU and if you want to play other games you will need one. If Minecraft really is the only game you plan to play though you can skip the GPU in your build and put that money towards a stronger CPU.

We recommend either the R3 3200G or the R5 3400G for playing Minecraft without a dedicated graphics card on a budget.

Recommend CPUs For Minecraft

Here are our CPU recommendations for Minecraft for all resolutions:

The APUs from Ryzen are more expensive because they are two components in one, both a CPU and GPU. With an APU you get integrated graphics, while not as strong as dedicated GPU, which can get the job done for a game like Minecraft.

All of the CPUs above will get you a consistent 60+ FPS on high settings on their respective resolutions. If you plan to install mods in Minecraft you will need a slightly better CPU than the ones suggested above or you will need to turn down your graphic settings.

Here are our recommended GPUs for Minecraft:

Due to the GPU requirements being so low we have not included a graphics card for the 1600×1900 resolution. You really don’t even need a graphics card for 1080p if you want to use integrated graphics.

Once again, all of the GPUs above will get you 60+ FPS on high settings in their respective resolutions. Depending on the mods you want to install you may need something a little more powerful.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you have a much better understanding of what is needed to run Minecraft with and without mods. Minecraft is a very CPU-intensive game that requires very little processing power from the GPU. If you are building a computer to play Minecraft the CPU will be the most important component of the build. With our processor and graphics card recommendations, you will be able to run Minecraft at a high consistent FPS.

If you found this article helpful or if you have any questions please leave a comment below.

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