Minecraft optimizes CPU and GPU usage through efficient rendering and resource management.
Minecraft optimizes CPU and GPU usage through efficient rendering and resource management.
I've observed that while playing Minecraft (Java) under heavy load, my GPU (RX 5700 XT) is using around 60-77% while the CPU (R5 3600) is at about 20%. I've heard Minecraft can be CPU-intensive, which made me curious about why it's only at 20% even though my GPU isn't fully utilized. Can someone explain this? Is there a way to adjust the game so it uses more CPU or GPU for better performance?
Also, it seems the game isn't optimized well and relies mostly on GPU unless shaders are used. — Edited August 11, 2020 by RonnyDouglas added answers for future readers
CPUs feature several cores, but the MC typically uses just one, which explains the 20% CPU usage since the remaining cores remain idle.
it only activates a few CPU threads in singleplayer (perhaps more for servers). When you review per CPU thread consumption, you'll notice significantly higher figures. The graphics API (OpenGL) also struggles to fully load GPUs.
It seems like a software problem. Consider trying different games and see if the issue improves. If it resolves, everything is okay.
Which shader was used? Even poorly written code can be found. Remember, shaders are often created by modders and hobbyists.
Java Minecraft performs poorly with multi-threading, consuming minimal CPU power by dedicating just one core while the other handles everything else. The GPU only renders what arrives, and not enough data reaches it to exceed 70% usage. This suggests you might increase your frame rate limit (or turn off VSync) or boost shader complexity.