Minecraft is one of those rare titles that manages to run on nearly anything—your old laptop, your school computer, even a toaster (figuratively). But what about on Intel’s older integrated graphics—specifically the HD 520 and HD 620—in 2025? Can they still build a blocky empire without turning your gameplay into a slideshow?

Yes. In fact, with the right settings, these two iGPUs can still hold their own.

Intel HD 520 vs HD 620 – Block by block

Both the HD 520 (found on 6th gen Intel CPUs) and HD 620 (7th gen) have aged quite a bit, but they’re not out of the game yet. Minecraft, being mostly CPU-dependent and graphically light (at least in its vanilla state), doesn’t push them too hard—unless you go mod-crazy or enable shaders.

Out of the box, the HD 620 edges out the 520 with about a 10–15% performance boost, but for vanilla Minecraft, the experience will be quite similar between the two.

Performance in 2025 – Smooth or stuttery?

Tested on dual channel RAM—which you absolutely need if you want to avoid painful lag—both chips delivered playable performance on 720p and 1080p resolutions in vanilla mode.

• 720p (Fast settings, no shaders):

  • HD 520: 50–60 FPS in small worlds, 40s in bigger biomes

  • HD 620: 55–70 FPS more consistently

• 1080p (Fast settings):

  • HD 520: 30–45 FPS, occasional dips when loading chunks

  • HD 620: Stays around 40–50 FPS

Once you begin adding mods or increase render distance, the story changes. 12+ chunk render distance at 1080p will start to cause stutter, especially during autosaves or in the Nether.

Settings to use for smoother gameplay

To keep things running clean and responsive:

• Graphics: Fast

• Render Distance: 8–10 chunks (max)

• Smooth Lighting: Off or Minimum

• Clouds: Off

• Particles: Minimal

• Fullscreen: Optional (sometimes improves FPS)

• V-Sync: Off

• Resolution: 720p for best performance

• Mods/Shaders: Avoid unless you’re using OptiFine

Adding OptiFine can really help performance, especially by giving you granular control over animations, render distance, and lighting. But shaders? Skip it. Neither iGPU will handle it well.

Conclusion

Minecraft remains a solid, playable title on the Intel HD 520 and 620 even in 2025. With the right tweaks and dual channel RAM, you can still enjoy the full survival experience or build your mega castle—just don’t push it with shaders or ultra settings. Budget-friendly and fun? Still a yes.