[SOLVED] Question re GPU and OpenGL

[klward]

Hi guys, i'm a Mom to a teenager with very limited PC skills so please bare with me …

My son asked me to buy him a refurbished PC, with his money, for the sole use of running Minecraft Java edition. I asked him to ensure the specs were suitable, which he told me they were.

Yesterday we downloaded Minecraft Java 1.15 however we continuously got an error message when hitting play (to do with OpenGL). I literally spent 8 hours trying to sort this for him but I now believe it's because his GPU isn't capable of running the minimum required version of OpenGL (I think it's 4.4). His system has an Intel Q45/ Q43 Express Chip and, from online research, this can only run with OpenGL 2.0. I've ensured all his drivers are up-to-date, etc.

So basically, am I correct in thinking he cannot run Minecraft Java 1.15 on his PC and he either needs to upgrade his PC or potentially get a new/ additional graphics card. If either are options, which would be the best?

Thanks! From a Mom who's gone grey overnight.

 

[greatmaharg]

You're right about the OpenGL issue- I remember running older versions of Minecraft on similar Q45 based systems but apparently they've upped the OpenGL requirement in recent years. However, Minecraft is still a very easy game to run on essentially any graphics card, as long as it supports OpenGL 4.4- anything in the 400 series or newer from Nvidia or HD5000 or newer from AMD should work.

Is your son planning on playing any other games? The least expensive option would be something like an HD 6350 or GT 710 for around $20-40, but both of those will struggle with anything other than Minecraft- the 6350 will likely struggle with Minecraft as well, from what I'm seeing, and possibly even hit full usage on the Windows desktop.

For literally any other 3D game, you'd get a better value out of a slightly better card- for example a GTX 750Ti would give you around 5x the performance. Exactly what the best card for your money is depends on what kind of system it is- does it have a full-height GPU bracket (about 4.5") or a low-profile one (about 3"), and what is the wattage rating on the power supply?