Minecraft FPS mods, installed for you
The Dawn Minecraft launcher adds Sodium, Lithium and four more performance mods to your Fabric profiles, matched to your version.
Free · Windows, macOS, Linux
The mods in the pack
The performance pack is the same set of mods most FPS guides tell you to download. The difference is that you don't download anything yourself.
| Mod | What it does | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | Replaces Minecraft's rendering engine. This is where most of the FPS gain comes from, and it also cuts micro-stutter. | CaffeineMC |
| Lithium | Optimizes game logic such as physics, mob AI and block ticking. Helps most in singleplayer, where your PC also runs the server. | CaffeineMC |
| FerriteCore | Cuts the memory Minecraft uses, which matters most with big modpacks and high render distances. | malte0811 |
| Entity Culling | Skips rendering mobs, chests and other entities that are hidden behind blocks. | tr7zw |
| ImmediatelyFast | Speeds up immediate-mode rendering: the HUD, text, item icons and maps. | RaphiMC |
| ModernFix | Improves performance, lowers memory use and fixes a long list of vanilla bugs. | embeddedt |
Entity Culling needs Fabric API, so Dawn adds that too when your profile doesn't already have it. Dawn doesn't own these mods. They're public mods on Modrinth, made by the authors above.
How the pack works in Dawn
The pack runs on Fabric profiles. It's on by default for profiles created With Dawn (the ones that run Dawn Client), and any other Fabric profile can switch it on.
- Each mod is picked for your profile's Minecraft version. If a mod isn't out for that version yet, Dawn skips it and the card says "Not available for this version".
- If the profile already has one of these mods, Dawn uses your copy instead of adding a second one. The card shows "Using your copy".
- Dawn adds the mods when the game launches, so there's nothing to drag into a mods folder and nothing to update by hand.
The switch lives on the profile page in Dawn's Modern UI.
- Open a Fabric profileIn Dawn, go to Profiles and open the Fabric profile you want to speed up.
- Find the Performance cardThe profile page has a Performance card that lists the six mods.
- Switch it on and playTurn the pack on and press Play. Dawn adds the right version of each mod when the game starts.
Dawn Client optimizations
Dawn Client, the in-game client in profiles made With Dawn, has its own optimizations on top of the mods. Testers saw about 27% more FPS in singleplayer and 30% more on servers on 1.21.5, 1.21.8, 1.21.10, 1.21.11 and 26.1.1, with 33% less memory allocation in singleplayer and 47% less on servers.
Those are averages from testers, not a lab benchmark. One tester with a GTX 1650 and an i5-8400 went from 45 to 75 FPS in singleplayer, and another with a GTX 1060 and a Ryzen 5 1600 went from 341 to 606. Your numbers will depend on your PC, your settings and the server. The results don't cover 1.8.9 or 1.12.2.
Dawn Client also brings 100+ HUD modules like keystrokes, CPS and zoom. See the PvP client page for those.
OptiFine vs Sodium
OptiFine was the default FPS mod for years. It's closed source, it doesn't run on Fabric without a compatibility layer, and it conflicts with Sodium. Don't install both.
On Fabric, Sodium has taken its place for performance. For shaders, use Iris, which runs alongside Sodium and loads most OptiFine shader packs. You'll find Iris in the Mods tab of Dawn's browser and shader packs in the Shader Packs tab. Shaders cost a lot of FPS on any setup, so expect lower numbers with them on.
Settings that still matter
Mods help, but a few video settings decide most of your frame rate.
- Render distance. The biggest single setting. Each step adds a ring of chunks to draw, so drop it a few steps before touching anything else.
- Simulation distance. How far out mobs, crops and redstone keep running. Lowering it helps when your CPU is the bottleneck, especially in singleplayer.
- Max framerate and VSync. VSync caps you at your monitor's refresh rate. Turn it off and set Max Framerate if you want lower input delay, or leave it on if you see screen tearing.
- RAM. More isn't always better. Giving Minecraft far more than it needs can make garbage-collection pauses longer. 4 to 6 GB covers most setups with performance mods.
- Laptops. Make sure Minecraft runs on the dedicated GPU. On Windows, go to Settings, System, Display, Graphics, and set Java to High performance.
Want mods beyond performance? The mod launcher page covers Fabric, Forge and NeoForge profiles in Dawn.
FAQ
What's the best FPS mod for Minecraft?
Sodium gives the biggest jump on Fabric. Lithium, FerriteCore and Entity Culling add CPU, memory and entity savings on top of it.
Do FPS mods work with Forge or NeoForge?
Dawn's performance pack is for Fabric profiles. Sodium, Lithium, FerriteCore and several others also publish NeoForge builds on Modrinth, and you can add those to a NeoForge profile from Dawn's mod browser.
Can I use OptiFine with Sodium?
No, they conflict. If you want shaders, use Iris with Sodium instead.
Will FPS mods get me banned on servers?
These are client-side performance mods and servers widely allow them. If you're not sure, check the server's rules.
How much RAM should I give Minecraft?
4 to 6 GB is plenty for most setups with performance mods. Large modpacks list their own requirements.
Does Dawn's performance pack work on 1.8.9?
No. The pack is for Fabric profiles. 1.8.9 PvP runs Dawn Client on Forge.
Can I turn the performance pack off?
Yes. Switch it off on the profile's Performance card and Dawn stops adding the mods the next time you launch.