Minecraft is one of the most popular video games on the market despite being over 11 years old. This means that running Minecraft on a laptop is quite easy since it doesn’t need very good specs to run. However there are tons of graphical overhauls and mods for Minecraft which makes choosing the best laptop for Minecraft problematic.
If you want to know what laptops are best suited for Minecraft in 2020, then this article will help you. We’ll explore the various features and specs of these laptops as well as discussing the different criteria for choosing a Minecraft laptop. And we hope that after you’re done reading this article, you’ll be able to choose the ideal laptop for Minecraft and for your other needs.
Recommendations for November 2023
- Asus Strix Scar III – Our best laptop for Minecraft choice boasting in power, speed, and portability
- HP 14 – The cheapest laptop on this list that sports a powerful GPU for its price
- Acer Aspire 5 – A reliable mid end laptop capable of playing some AAA titles
- Lenovo Ideapad L340 – An amazing laptop for both business and gaming
- Acer Nitro 5 – An affordable entry level gaming machine for playing Minecraft and other AAA titles
- Asus TUF Gaming Laptop – Uses AMD and Nvidia parts boosting its overall performance
- MSI GS66 Stealth – The most powerful laptop on the list with a 10th Gen i9 processors and a RTX 2070 GPU
- MSI GP75 Leopard – This laptop offers over 3 TB of storage space for your gaming, working, and personal needs
- Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – A powerful and easy to use convertible that allows you to play Minecraft while lying down in bed the entire day
- LG Gram – This laptop lasts up to 21 hours allowing you to play Minecraft over long distance flights
The Best Laptop for Minecraft in 2023
Asus Strix Scar III – Amazing Balance Between Power and Portability
The Asus Strix Scar III is one of the best laptops for Minecraft on this list and it’s built for your all around convenience. Starting with its convenient features, this laptop only weighs about 4.3 lbs which is surprising for a laptop with this specs.
As expected from a gaming laptop, its specs are top tier with a 9th Intel core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, a 1 TB storage for all of the worlds you’ve created, and a brilliant 240 Hz refresh rate giving you smooth and crisps visual of your character chopping pixelated wood.
Lastly, it sports a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 which provides quality gaming experience but it’s a little overkill to run Minecraft at its most basic settings with a GPU like this. However, this GPU is useful for Minecraft mods that overhaul graphics and it definitely would work well with Minecraft’s Realistic Shaders mod.
It’s not the most powerful laptop on this list but its specs is just the right amount of power to run Minecraft effectively and because of this it comes at a reasonable price. The price is still not cheap but it does help you save money.
Recommended Configuration for Asus Strix Scar III
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H| Graphics:NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060| RAM: 16GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6-Inch 1920 x 1080 HD display| Storage: 1TB SSD| Operating System: Windows 10 Pro| Battery Life: up to 5 hours| Weight: 4.3 lbs
HP 14 – Cheap and Affordable
The HP 14 is the best laptop when it comes to price since its cheap and it meets the bare minimum requirements to run Minecraft. Minecraft isn’t very demanding specs wise but it does need a decently powerful graphics card to run properly and to provide a good gaming experience to its players.
Despite being very cheap, the HP 14 has a powerful AMD Athlon Silver 3050U which is equivalent in power to a 9th gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of DDR4 RAM for multitasking, and a powerful AMD Radeon Graphics card that is comparable to the Nvidia Geforce GTX series of GPUs.
We wish it had a 256 GB SSD though since a 128 GB SSD seems small especially if you have tons of assets and files to use for your Minecraft game and for gaming in general.
This means that you’ll be able to render all of Minecraft’s assets quite easily on one of the cheapest laptops currently on the market. The price alone makes it deserving as one of the best laptops for Minecraft.
Recommended Configuration for for Acer Chromebook 15
CPU: AMD Athlon Silver 3050U| Graphics: AMD Radeon Graphics| RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 14-inch HD SVA Anti-glare W-LED Backlit display| Storage: 128GB SSD| Operating System: Windows 10| Battery Life: up to 6 hours | Weight: 3.24 lbs
Acer Aspire 5 – Reliable Mid End Laptop
If you don’t have a lot of money to spare but would still like to spend your free time playing Minecraft, then the Acer Aspire 5 is a good choice. It features powerful and reliable specs with a 10th gen Intel Core i5 processor and a powerful Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU.
Its integrated GPU might not be as strong as the Nvidia Geforce GTX series of GPUs but it’s powerful enough to meet Minecraft’s demands and provide a wonderful gaming experience. Just don’t expect it to run Minecraft mods that increases the graphical requirement of the game.
Lastly, the Acer Aspire 5 has a wonderful display with its FHD (1920 x 1080) widescreen resolution so you can admire the effort you’ve put in building your house and enjoy the wonderful pixelated world that is Minecraft.
Overall, the Acer Aspire 5 is an amazing mid end pick and it definitely qualifies for best laptops for Minecraft.
Recommended Configuration for Acer Aspire 5
CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10210U processor| Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8 GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15 6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS Display| Storage: 256 SSD| Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life:5 hours | Weight: 5.74 pounds
Lenovo Ideapad L340 – Business & Gaming Laptop
Lenovo Ideapad L340 fits the criteria for the best laptops for Minecraft with its Windows 10 Home OS. It has powerful specs capable of playing Minecraft on the highest settings and it can play Minecraft just fine even with graphical overhauls.
This is mostly thanks to its powerful 9th gen Intel Core i7 processor and trustworthy Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. What we like about the laptop is that it has an amazing 17 inch display with 1920 x 1090 pixel resolution giving a wide and high quality view of the game.
But aside from being a powerful gaming laptop, the Lenovo Ideapad L340 looks very professional and it has a sufficient SSD storage for both game files and works files.
Overall, the Lenovo Ideapad L340 is one of the best gaming laptops for both work and play, and you’ll be playing Minecraft a lot with this laptop.
Recommended Configuration for Lenovo Ideapad L340
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650| RAM: 16GB RAM | Screen: 17.3-inch 1920×1080 FHD IPS display| Storage: 512GB SSD| Operating System: Windows 10| Battery Life: up to 7 hours | Weight: 4.8 lbs
Acer Nitro 5 – Powerful Entry Level Gaming Laptop
If you can’t afford a premium gaming laptop but have enough money for a mid end laptop, then we suggest getting the Acer Nitro 5. This entry level gaming laptop has fairly powerful specs with its 9th gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, and most importantly a powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU to render all of those large Minecraft worlds giving a better overall gaming experience.
Not to mention that it has a wonderful FHD (1920 x 1080 pixel ) display which definitely helps if you want to play Minecraft using graphical overhauls. We only wish that it has a larger storage though since 256 GB seems too small for people playing AAA games.
Overall, the Acer Nitro 5 is one of the best gaming laptops being sold at an affordable price and it would be a shame if you do not take advantage of this.
Recommended Configuration for Acer Nitro 5
CPU: 9th Generation Intel Core i5-9300H Processor (Up to 4. 1GHz)| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | RAM: | Screen: 15″ Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit Display | Storage: 256 GB SSD| Operating System:Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 4 hours | Weight: 5.07 lbs
Asus TUF Gaming Laptop – AMD and Nvidia Combo
The Asus TUF Gaming Laptop is an affordable gaming laptop that offers one hell of a combo with its specs. It relies on both AMD and Nvidia to create a powerful gaming laptop despite its price.
It features a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 3750H which is comparable powerful to a 9th gen Intel Core i7 processor and a powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650. With these two leading the way, it’s understandable why the Asus TUF Gaming Laptop is considered to be one of the best laptops for Minecraft and other AAA titles.
To top it off, the Asus TUF Gaming Laptop also has an amazing 17 inch display with 1920×1080 pixels giving you a wonderful gaming experience and allowing you to immerse yourself when playing Minecraft and other AAA titles.
Recommended Configuration for Asus TUF Gaming Laptop
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3750H| Graphics:Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650| RAM: 8GB RAM DDR4| Screen: 17.3-Inch 1920×1080 IPS display| Storage: 512GB SSD| Operating System: Windows 10 Home| Battery Life: up to 5 hours| Weight: 6 lbs
MSI GS66 Stealth – Unparalleled Specs
The MSI GS66 Stealth is a top tier MSI laptop that has recently hit the market. This laptop is a big improvement from their previous gaming laptops since it’s designed to be portable while still maintaining killer specs.
It’s specs for one is comparable to a custom made PC for Minecraft and for playing other video games. It features a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card which is one of the most powerful GPUs on the market, a 10th Gen Intel Core i9 processor which is also one of the most powerful CPUs on the market as well.
Having two top tier parts shows how amazing the MSI GS66 Stealth is power wise. It also has a fair bit of RAM with 32 GB to spare, and a 1 TB SSD for all of your Minecraft worlds and personal files as well.
Lastly, the laptop also has a stunning display giving you a FHD resolution with 1920 x 1080 pixels of quality at your disposal. With specs like this, it’s no wonder, the MSI GS66 Stealth is considered as one of MSI’s best gaming laptops and it will give you an unparalleled gaming experience.
Recommended configuration for MSI GS66 Stealth
CPU: Intel Core i9-10980HK | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070| RAM: 32 GB RAM | Screen: 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare Wide View Angle 300Hz 3ms | Storage: 1 TB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Pro | Battery Life: 6 hours | Weight: 4.63 lbs
MSI GP75 Leopard – 3 TB Storage
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Storage is very important if you’re an avid player of Minecraft and you have saved over a thousand worlds on your storage. If you want to locally save your worlds you’re going to need a lot of storage space and the MSI GP75 Leopard is the best option on this list.
The MSI GP75 Leopard offers over 3 TB for all of your gaming, working, and personal needs. That’s a 1 TB SSD and 2 TB of HDD space for you to use.
Asides from storage, the The MSI GP75 Leopard also has powerful specs as well that is ideal for playing games competitively, it has a 10th gen Intel Core i7 processor, a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, and over 16 GB of RAM.
This makes it a good alternative to the MSI GS66 Stealth if you’re simply looking for a laptop with similar specs but better storage space.
Recommended configuration for MSI GP75 Leopard
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070| RAM: 16 GB RAM | Screen: 17.3″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-Level 240Hz 3ms 100% sRGB | Storage: 1 TB SSD + 2 TB HDD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: 2.5 hours | Weight: 5.73 lbs
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – Long Lasting Convertible
Minecraft is a fun and enjoyable game and you’ll be finding yourself playing it for hours without even noticing the time. The thing is playing Minecraft on a computer for a long time can be tiring for your back especially if you don’t own a gaming chair.
A good way to fix this problem is to play on the couch lying down. It might be impossible to do this with a laptop but with a convertible like the Microsoft Surface Pro 7, it would be easy to do.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is a powerful convertible with a Intel Core i5-1035G4 processor, and an Intel Iris Plus Graphics for rendering large Minecraft worlds. What’s good about this laptop is that it’s really light, weighing only about 1.7 pounds and it can last up to 10.5 hours.
That means you can play Minecraft all day on a lazy Sunday which is a very relaxing and wonderful gaming experience to try out. The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is simply one of the best laptops when it comes to playing comfortably.
Recommended configuration for the Microsoft Surface Pro 7
CPU:Intel Core i5-1035G4 Processor | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics GPU | RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM | Screen:| Storage: 128GB SSD hard drive| Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: 10.5 hours | Weight: 1.7 pounds
LG Gram – Extremely Long Battery Life
Travelling from place to place has become more convenient with the use of air travel. However it will take hours to do so and you’ll have to keep yourself entertained during that duration.
A good way to pass the time is by playing video games and we all know that a few hours of Minecraft might seem like minutes which makes it a good game to play while travelling.
Sadly, not all airplanes will provide you with a power outlet which can be very disappointing. Thankfully the LG gram solves that problem since this laptop has over 21 hours of battery life. With almost a full day’s worth of power, you can simply play Minecraft for the duration of your flight.
Recommended configuration for LG Gram
CPU: 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics GPU | RAM: 8 GB DDR4 RAM| Screen: 15.6” Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS LCD Screen | Storage: 512 GB SSD hard drive | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 21 hours | Weight: 2.4 lbs
Criteria for Picking the Best Laptop for Minecraft in 2023
CPU
If you want the best gaming experience when playing Minecraft, then you need to pay attention to the CPU.
A bad and subpar CPU will have trouble running Minecraft causing drops in framerate ruining your gameplay. We suggest having at least a quad core processor for running Minecraft properly and although a Intel Core i3 CPU is capable of running Minecraft we do recommend you use at least a Intel Core i5.
The reason for this is that a lot of modern background apps consume a lot of processing power so a quad core i3 processor may not be enough for playing Minecraft without performance issues.
You also don’t have to settle with quad core processors since a lot of hexa core and octa core processors this day come at an affordable price.
If you really want the best gameplay, we suggest getting an Intel Core i7 or even an Intel Core i9 processor.
GPU
The best laptop for minecraft will always have a good GPU. Although integrated graphics cards can run the base Minecraft game quite easily, it might have problems running Minecraft mods and other graphical overhauls.
If you want to play these better looking Minecraft mods, then we recommend getting a good dedicated graphics card. Even a Nvidia GeForce Mx250 will do well with these mods but if you want the best overall performance we suggest using a GTX and RTX graphics card for an amazing gaming session.
GTX cards are good mid end gaming choices since they’re fairly powerful and they come at reasonable prices. We suggest using the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 for Minecraft mods since it’s fairly powerful and the laptops that have them are being sold at decent prices.
Of course if budget isn’t a concern for you, the Nvidia RTX series GPUs are the best on the market right now. Use this on your Minecraft game and large worlds will be rendered in an instant.
RAM
Minecraft isn’t a RAM heavy game. 2 GB is enough to run the base game and with 4 GB you can run the game without graphical issues.
However if you really want to play Minecraft smoothly while watching Youtube, answering your mail, and running other programs, then 8 GB is a must. This will ensure that you can multi-task tasks even while you’re playing the game.
Storage
As for storage, Minecraft only takes up 1 to 2 Gb of storage space. However, if you plan to save a lot of worlds and use up Mod files and graphical overhauls, then you’ll be taking up more space than that.
The recommended amount of storage space is around 8 GB for all the mods. However if you’re really a hardcore player with tons of worlds saved on your disk, then expect use much more storage space.
As for HDD or SSD, they both work well. However if you want faster loading speeds and if you plan to run a server, an SSD is the better albeit more expensive choice.
Display
Last but not the least we have the display. Minecraft might not be a pretty game but the graphical overhauls and mods make it really good to look at. If you want to admire the world and things you’ve created in the games, then I suggest you use a good display.
A 15 inch FHD display will show you how beautiful your creations are and if you really want to, you can get 17 inch display laptops to maximize this effect.