Most FPS problems in modded Minecraft come from a few settings and missing performance mods. Fix those first before buying hardware.
Settings with the biggest effect
- Render distance: each step adds a ring of chunks to draw. 8–12 is plenty for most packs.
- Simulation distance: how far the world keeps ticking. Lowering it helps busy bases and servers.
- Graphics: Fast instead of Fancy, and fewer particles.
- Shaders: the most expensive option by far. Disable to test.
Performance mods by loader
Always check the compatibility table on each mod page; support differs between Minecraft versions.
- Fabric and Quilt: Sodium for rendering, Lithium for game logic, FerriteCore for memory, and ModernFix where available.
- NeoForge: Sodium on recent versions, plus FerriteCore and ModernFix.
- Forge: FerriteCore and ModernFix. Sodium does not support Forge.
For shaders on Fabric or NeoForge, add Iris with Sodium. Do not combine OptiFine with these mods.
Memory
Allocate a sensible amount of RAM with the RAM calculator. Too little causes freezes; too much can cause long pauses.
Use the right GPU
On laptops with two graphics chips, set Java (javaw.exe) to the high-performance GPU in Windows Settings → System → Display → Graphics.
Find the slow mod
If performance is still poor, a profiler mod such as Spark shows which mod, entity or block uses the most time.