What's a modpack?
A modpack bundles addons together so they all work nicely out of the box. Most of what's inside are mods, but packs often include shaders, resource packs, and sometimes custom maps too. All the configs are set up so everything plays nice together. You just install and play.
There are modpacks for everything: kitchen-sink packs with hundreds of mods, focused packs around specific themes like tech or magic, hardcore survival challenges, and enhanced vanilla experiences. Popular ones include All The Mods, Better Minecraft, RLCraft, and Cobblemon.
Installing a modpack
Click the search bar at the top of GDLauncher. Modpacks are shown by default, so just start typing or browse. When you find one you like, click Download.
GDLauncher creates a new instance with everything set up: mods, mod loader, Java, and memory. Wait for it to finish and hit Play.
System requirements
Modpacks are more demanding than vanilla Minecraft. Light packs with 50-ish mods run fine on 4-6GB of RAM. Medium packs need 6-8GB. Big packs like All The Mods can need 10GB or more.
GDLauncher usually sets reasonable defaults, but if a pack recommends specific settings, follow those. The modpack page often tells you what to expect.
Troubleshooting
If a modpack won't start, the first thing to check is RAM. Open the instance settings and bump up the memory allocation. Large packs genuinely need 8GB minimum, sometimes more.
Running slowly? Lower your render distance in video settings. Most modpacks don't need more than 10-12 chunks. Some packs include performance mods already, but if yours doesn't, check out our performance mods guide.
For crashes, check the game logs (GDLauncher makes these easy to find). The error messages usually point to what's wrong. Sometimes a mod just needs updating, or there's a known issue with a specific configuration.