Ahh, Minecraft, one of the world's most beloved games that is still very relevant to this day. Sure, the game's been around for, oh, I dunno, 10 years at this point? And yet it still manages to retain its player base with an ever expanding universe of new content constantly being added in.
The beauty of the game is that it's practically limitless. The numerous amounts of mods and amazing maps, game modes and much more keeps the game fresh and with a healthy player base. I mean, who can forget the Minecraft boom over the last couple of years with countless of streamers and YouTubers playing the 3D sandbox game.
Minecraft just brings back so many memories. It's nostalgic to my younger days when I would hop in a server with my brothers, just go explore, build up our home bases, and get into hilarious situations and be in awe in the wonderous world that is Minecraft. I remember very fondly checking up on my little brother's base and unleashing a bucket full of lava, effectively destroying all he had worked for. Ahh, fun times indeed. Okay fine, it was kind of mean. I was a kid, what do you expect? Whatever the case, the possibilities in the game are indeed endless.
And that brings us to why we're here today. For all of you looking to either get into the wonderful universe that is Minecraft or if you were looking to upgrade your system to run the game smoothly, we're going to be showcasing some of the very best laptops for Minecraft to get gamers of all ages well equipped to travel across the Nether and beyond.
But before we can get to that, we're going to need to take a look at the minimum and recommended system requirements to get a better picture of what the best laptop for Minecraft will look like. Don't be fooled by the blocky, pixelated graphics because you're still going to need some firepower to take on the game at its best.
Minimum System Requirements
The above specs are going to be the bare minimums of what the best laptop for Minecraft should have based on the official requirements stated on the Minecraft Help site. There are actually two separate versions of Minecraft, one being the Java version of Minecraft, and the other version of Minecraft is the Windows 10 version.
They're essentially the same, but there are a few differences. To be safe, we're basing the specs on the original Minecraft Java version as it seems to have much more flexibility and plentiful game modes, and servers as it's been around longer. Another thing to take note of is for most of the laptops we'll be featuring, you're going to be met with the Windows 10 operating system. Windows 10 has evolved to be a very dependable, intuitive operating system so you should be well equipped to handle Minecraft.
CPU
The first spec you're going need to look for before playing Minecraft is the processor or CPU. The processor handles everything you're looking to do on a laptop, so it's a very important spec to run the game. In this case, Minecraft mentions that at a minimum, you're going to need either and Intel Core i3-3210 or AMD A8-7600 or equivalent. But of course, you shouldn't simply base your laptop purchase on one game's very low minimum requirements, but more on that later.
These are some pretty outdated specs these days, especially so for gaming. The best laptop for Minecraft are most probably going to have a much faster, more powerful performer since that's the norm these days so we'll mention that as we go along the list.
RAM/ Storage
The next two specs you're going to want in your laptop to play Minecraft is the RAM and storage capabilities. Minecraft mentions you're going to need at least 2GB of RAM to run Minecraft, and needs only 1GB of free space on your laptop for the base installation.
While this doesn't seem too much to ask for (it's really not), you might run into these specs in some cheap laptops that can run Minecraft. However, since most gaming laptops these days come with plentiful RAM and storage, there shouldn't be too much to worry about with these specs. Just keep in mind that these are very low specs, and I wouldn't want less tech-savvy parents to follow these specifications exactly. Read on to get a better understanding of what you should actually look for.
Graphics Card
The last spec you're going to need to be wary of before you play the game is going to be your GPU or graphics card. Minecraft mentions that you're going to need at least an Intel HD Graphics 4000 or AMD Radeon R5 Series integrated graphics card to run Minecraft.
Since an integrated graphics card is the bare minimums you'll need to play Minecraft, you should be more than capable with almost any laptop released in the last 2-3 years. An integrated graphics card is a great option for those looking to do some very light gaming, but if you wanted the full and proper gaming experience, you're going to want a dedicated graphics card.
While you may be able to play Minecraft on an integrated GPU, if you were keen on getting into other, more graphically intensive games and play on the best graphics settings, a dedicated graphics card is the way to go. But, we'll get more detailed about dedicated GPU setups later on in the list.
Now, these are going to be the bare minimums you're going to need out of the best laptop for Minecraft to just get started and play Minecraft. In recent years, there are a lot of great mods and updates that can greatly enhance your visual experience in game with features like ray tracing, better graphics, newer models, etc.
To ensure your best laptop for Minecraft can handle all that, let's take a look at the recommended spec sheet to understand what you're going to need.
Recommended System Requirements
These are going to be the recommended system specs to run Minecraft and as you can tell, the best laptop for Minecraft is going to need a little extra power to get things optimized. But again, since these are some pretty outdated, and pretty low-powered compared to the gaming laptop category these days, we're also going to be mentioning what you should for in a best laptop for Minecraft according to the latest and greatest features. Follow along with our recommendations and you're bound to find some great laptops that can run Minecraft without lag and freezes.
CPU
As I mentioned earlier, the processor plays an integral part of the gaming experience as well as the overall laptop experience. Minecraft recommends you find at least a Intel Core i5-4690 with 3.5GHz max frequency or an AMD A10-7800. While this is quite the step up from the previously stated minimum, it still doesn't really stack up to today's standards. As such, we're going to be recommending your gaming laptop for Minecraft come with at least an Intel Core i5 / Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen equivalent.
More often than not, processors like the AMD Ryzen or Intel Core i7 series are equipped with a quad-core setup making it ideal for gaming and intensive software/tasks. There are plenty of processors out there that'll get you playing Minecraft at its best, for example the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, AMD Ryzen 5 5600U , Intel Core i7-10750H, etc. Side note, if you do plan on getting a laptop with only an integrated GPU rather than a dedicated graphics card, you should look into the AMD Ryzen processor lineup.
These days, AMD has been killing the processor game and have released very reliable, powerful processors in their AMD Ryzen 5 and AMD Ryzen 7 lineups. They're also pretty affordable compared to the expensive dedicated graphics cards out there, so if you that sounds like something you're interested I'd heartily recommend it as your laptop for Minecraft.
RAM/ Storage
The processor may be important for any laptop to function, but the best laptops for playing Minecraft will more than likely come equipped with equivalent power for their RAM and storage. Minecraft recommends finding at least a 4GB RAM capacity and have 4GB of free space. The 4GB RAM is a pretty modest variant, so our recommendation is you find a laptop for Minecraft with at least 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD.
An 8GB RAM capacity is pretty standard for a gaming laptop these days, and a 256GB SSD storage capacity is a good size and price range for most users these days. But I'll always advise those of you looking for even better value to get as much as you can afford. While it may hurt your wallet in the short term, over time, you'll come to appreciate having a device that actually can last.
However, keep in mind that while this is suitable for a laptop for Minecraft. If you were playing more graphically intensive, modern games, you should look into finding a 16GB RAM capacity and/or a 512GB SSD or better. Trust me, your gaming laptop is going to guzzle down these resources if you were planning on some heavy gaming sessions.
GPU
The most important spec of any gaming laptop of course, is going to be the graphics card or GPU. Your GPU will handle any and everything that has to do with displaying images/video on screen. To ensure you have a favorable gaming experience without lag, crashes, and other unforeseen circumstances you should find a proper dedicated graphics card if you were planning on gaming. As such, Minecraft recommends players find a laptop for Minecraft with at least an NVIDIA GeForce 700 or AMD Radeon Rx 200 series.
Again, these are already pretty outdated these days and so we'd recommend finding something from the latest and greatest NVIDIA GeForce GTX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX dedicated GPU lineup. These are very powerful GPU variants and are capable of running some of the latest games so it shouldn't have much problems to run Minecraft. A dedicated GPU will also be helpful when you (eventually) stop playing Minecraft and move on to more graphically intense games.
Not to mention that Minecraft, over the last couple of years have updated the game to look even better with things like ray tracing. Ray tracing is actually a very impressive feature and makes the game look that much more realistic and intricate. Ray tracing was introduced in Minecraft not too long ago, so take advantage of the graphics settings since you can.
Having the right combination of specs across the processor, RAM, storage and GPU is very important for a gaming laptop. After all, gamers are often looking for the latest and greatest games and hardware so if you wanted a laptop that'll actually last and not turn obsolete in a few years, this is the best way to spec out your laptop.
Now that we've gone through your core spec sheet, let's take a look at some other great extra features you can consider for the best gaming laptop for Minecraft.
Other Considerations
Backlit Keyboard
A backlit keyboard truly does heighten the gaming experience and I've been a big fan of them ever since they started making the feature common place. It can change the way you feel when you're gaming and is especially helpful if you were the type to play a game or two late at night, in a dark room. I know I do, no judgement here, trust me. These days, gaming laptops come equipped with sensational keyboards and 4-zone RGB enabled which means the laptop can use various different colors and patterns.
You can setup the backlit keys to your preferences and I think this makes for a very attractive value on both the feature set and aesthetics of the laptop. I would definitely whole heartedly recommend this feature to everyone just because it looks so good.
High Refresh Rate
A high refresh rate screen isn't essential to run Minecraft, but will undoubtedly prove very handy when you actually use it. A high refresh rate display means everything you see on the display is well, displayed faster. What happens is since it can display more information, your eyes will be able to pick up more information in the same amount of time. The effect that you'll actually notice on screen is that every motion will look much smoother.
Even scrolling through a webpage or menus will seem much much smoother compared to a standard 60Hz panel. Gaming especially sees the value of this feature the most since everything on screen will seem smooth-looking and feel fluid.
Most laptops come with a standard 60Hz refresh rate, but you'll find gaming laptops with displays that are capable of high refresh rates like 120Hz or 144Hz refresh rate. This will definitely add great value for gamers looking to up their setups and experience.
Gaming Peripherals
The last thing we'd recommend for gamers looking to run Minecraft for the first time (or the 100th), is finding some solid gaming gear to bolster the experience. Having the right gear can actually have a really big impact on how you play. For example, if you don't get yourself an external mouse, you'd be playing Minecraft on your trackpad which is less than ideal.
Some great gaming peripherals you can look into include a gaming mouse, a proper gaming headset, a mousepad, speakers, etc. What you actually choose to get is up to you and how you play, but at the least I'd recommend finding a good gaming mouse. This will make it much easier to play video games, run Minecraft, and it's helpful for general navigation around your desktop and everyday use.
If you were going to try your hand at streaming some Minecraft gameplay, you'll definitely need some gaming gear. So if that's something you can relate with, I'd highly recommend spending the time to look through the right gaming peripherals for you.
And that's pretty much everything you need to know before purchasing the right laptop. Now, let's get straight into the list to find some of the very best laptops for Minecraft!
The Best Laptops For Minecraft
1. Acer Predator Helios 300
The first laptop we'll be featuring in our search for the best laptop for Minecraft is going to be one of the more recognized gaming behemoths, the Acer Predator Helios 300. This gaming laptop is a beast and will definitely run Minecraft like a dream thanks to the powerful internal specs. Besides the specs though, there's still a lot to love for gamers thanks to the aesthetics and gamer oriented features. The Acer Predator Helios 300 features a staggering 17.3-inch FHD display with a speedy 144Hz refresh rate.
Where the laptop truly starts to shine is with the dependable internals specs. It is probably kind of overkill for Minecraft, but like I said earlier, you're probably going to diverge off Minecraft eventually. The laptop coms with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H, 6-core processor with up to 5.0GHz max frequency.
To support the processor, the laptop also features impressive supporting specs including a 16GB DDR4 RAM and a generous 1TB SSD storage capacity. To handle all your gaming needs, the laptop comes with a dependable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU with 6GB GDDR6 VRAM. With these specs, I can't see many games that won't run beautifully on this laptop.
There's a few more great extra features you'll find on the Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop including a 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard, Wi-Fi 6 support, 4th Gen All-Metal AeroBlade 3D fan, a full array of ports, and 6 hours of battery life.
Next up, we've got another thoroughly impressive gaming beast, the Lenovo Legion 5. The best part about this laptop seems to be the affordability aspects of the laptop. Now, don't get me wrong, this is by no means a 'cheap' laptop, but considering everything you get for the price, it's a steal.
The first thing you'll notice on the Lenovo Legion 5 is going to be the display which is a 15.6-inch Full HD display with up to 165Hz refresh rate. The display also has a pretty great screen-to-body ratio with barely any bezels on the top and both sides of the frame. This makes for even more screen real estate without sacrificing much in terms of weight/price.
The fun doesn't stop there folks, and Minecraft players will be more than elated with these stunning internals. The laptop comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H which is an 8-core processor and a max clock boost of 4.4GHz. For the RAM and storage, the laptop comes with a solid setup including a 16GB DDR4 RAM and a 512GB SSD.
Last, but certainly not least, the laptop comes with an impressive NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti GPU which supports ray-tracing thanks to the NVIDIA 2nd Gen RTX architecture. In essence, a very powerful GPU to ensure the very best Minecraft experience possible. With these specs though, you'll probably be running Cyberpunk 2077 like a dream, imagine how Minecraft would look?
The laptop has a few more features that'll make your Minecraft experience that much more enjoyable including the Legion TrueStrike 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard, Nahimic 3D audio, Legion Coldfront 3.0 cooling tech, Wi-Fi 6 support, a full array of ports and 8 hours of battery life.
3. Acer Swift 3
For those of you looking for a more affordable option without the overwhelming gamer aesthetics, you're probably going to enjoy this mid-range productivity laptop for Minecraft. While it maintains that mid-range image with muted aesthetics and a simpler design, for Minecraft, the specs are more than capable of handling everything it has to throw at it.
This laptop is the Acer Swift 3 and this will be the cheapest laptop on the list by quite a large margin. If you were looking for a laptop just for Minecraft and no other games, you can't go wrong with the Acer Swift 3. The laptop features a 13.5-inch 2K display with a 2256 x 1504 resolution. Quite a weird resolution you don't see very often, but since it's better than a Full HD display, I can't really complain.
For its performance, the Acer Swift 3 comes packed with a 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G4 processor which features up to 3.7GHz max clock boost. Not too bad I'd say, but the processor is greatly supported by the 8GB RAM capacity and the 512GB SSD storage space. For the graphics, this is going to be the weakest link out of all the laptops with the integrated Intel Iris Plus graphics GPU. But as I mentioned earlier, since Minecraft is relatively less intensive and the laptop has a great core spec sheet, you shouldn't run into many problems running the game.
A few more specialties you'll find on the Acer Swift 3 includes a fingerprint reader, backlit keyboard, Wi-Fi 6 support, a full array of ports and up to 16 hours battery life.
Taking a step back into the familiar gaming laptop territory, the next laptop is another well recognized beast, the ASUS ROG Strix G. This is one of the more outdated models on the list, but still has plenty to love especially for Minecraft gamers. The ASUS ROG Strix G comes with a familiar gamer aesthetic with bright colors all around the laptop's chassis. The Aura Sync bar at the bottom is a nice touch to give you a bit more customization for your money. The laptop comes with a standard 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 60Hz display rate. Nothing too impressive, but the slim bezels results in a respectable 79.6% screen-to-body ratio.
For its performance, the ASUS ROG Strix G comes packed with a slightly outdated, still capable 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H. The laptop also features a 16GB RAM variant and a solid sized 1TB SSD storage capacity. In terms of its graphical performance, the laptop comes with a standard NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU with 4GB of GDDR5 dedicated VRAM. All in all, a great performer for Minecraft but you may run into some issues running the absolute latest games on the highest settings. Otherwise, I think the performance on this bad boy will be more than capable for whatever you need it to do.
There are a few more great extras you'll find peppered in including ROG intelligent cooling with 2x 12V fans, a 4-zone RGB backlit key board, N-key rollover for accurate inputs, Wi-Fi 5, anti-dust technology, and up to 5 hours battery life.
The next laptop we'll be featuring in our search for the best laptop for Minecraft is going to be one of the most popular gaming brands, the Razer Blade 15.
While other gaming laptops may opt for a flashier, in your face aesthetic, the Razer Blade 15 is more muted, making for a minimalistic, sleek and attractive design. There's still the patented gamer look, but it's a much more approachable style that I'm a big fan of with the matte black anodized aluminum chassis and lit up Chroma keyboard and logo. The Razer Blade 15 comes with a 15.6-inch FHD display with a 120Hz display rate. The display frame also features super slim bezels and a slight chin at the bottom.
For its performance, the laptop comes with a 6-core 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H processor with a max clock rate of 5.0GHz. The laptop also comes with a 16GB DDR4 RAM capacity and a less than ideal 256GB SSD. It's less than ideal simply because the rest of the laptops in this price category have packed in more storage, which seems to be missing here on this variant. Not surprising considering that Razer is basically the Apple version of the gaming laptop category. Still, disappointing to say the least. To handle all your graphics in Minecraft, the laptop comes with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti with 6GB GDDR6 of dedicated VRAM.
The Razer Blade 15 has a few more enticing extras to sweeten the deal including a full array of ports, RGB Razer Chrome backlit key board, measures in at just 0.7" thin, an open SSD slot for additional storage, a precision glass touchpad, and up to 10 hours of battery life.
Our very last laptop we'll be featuring is going to be a mid-range, affordable gaming device, the ASUS TUF FX505DT. Complicated name, I know, but you'll get used to it soon enough.
The TUF segment of the ASUS lineup is actually their budget friendly gamer laptops and has some pretty great hardware for the price. The laptop comes with a standard 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a speedy 120Hz display rate. In terms of the overall aesthetics however, you're getting a pretty simple setup with the metal black all around the laptop chassis. Nothing too special, but it'll be more than capable of handling Minecraft so there shouldn't be too much to worry about there.
The laptop also comes with some pretty dependable internals under the hood including the processor which is an AMD Ryzen 5 R5-3550H, a quad-core processor with a max boost clock of 3.7GHz. Not the strongest processor, but for the price, still very impressive.
To support the processor, the laptop also features an 8GB DDR4 RAM capacity and a 256GB SSD for its storage. Again, not the best, but when you compare the prices, you'll see this is quite the deal amongst the other, more expensive laptops. For your graphical performance, you'll find an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU 4GB GDDR5 VRAM.
While these specs can be construed as underpowered compared to some of the other laptops on the list, you have to consider the price and what you're actually going to be using it for. Since it's just Minecraft, you're going to have a great time roaming the vast world with this one.
The ASUS TUF FX505 has a few more great features to highlight including MIL-STD-810 tested durability, RGB backlit key board, dual fan setup with anti-dust technology, Wi-Fi 5, SenseMI optimization, and up to 5 hours of battery power.
Conclusion
And that's going to be all of the very best laptops for Minecraft you can find in the market today. We've gone through a whole host of different devices and you can either pick your favorite, or use what I've mentioned today as a guideline to find your own best laptop for Minecraft.
But of course, as always, we're going to be highlight just one as the very best of the best out of all the laptops we've seen thus far. Don't be too disappointed if our pick isn't necessarily the same as yours, and go with the right laptop for you and your usage patterns.
Without further ado, the winner in our search today is going to be the Lenovo Legion 5!
The Lenovo Legion 5 just had everything going for it without compromising on very much at all. In terms of a 'laptop' the Legion 5 comes packed with all the right features including the impressive, dependable performance under the hood, a simple, attractive aesthetic, and best of all, the super affordable price.
Seriously, you can compare yourselves with all the other devices we've showcased so far and you'll quickly realize the Lenovo Legion 5 comes with a super impressive spec sheet at quite the discount. A great price tag, superb performance, and an attractive design is a sure fire way of being the best of the best without even trying, really.
