Graphite
A Vulkan-based renderer for Minecraft: Java Edition 1.8.9
Overview
Graphite is a Fabric mod that replaces Minecraft’s default OpenGL renderer with a fully rewritten Vulkan 1.3 renderer.
This is not a wrapper or translation layer. It is a complete rewrite of the rendering system, built to better match modern GPU architectures and reduce CPU overhead.
Why Graphite?
- Replaces the legacy OpenGL 2.1 renderer with Vulkan 1.3
- Lower CPU overhead and better frame pacing
- Designed for modern GPUs and drivers
- Opens the door for more advanced rendering techniques
Installation
Requirements
- Ornithe modloader
Steps
- Install Ornithe
- Download the latest Graphite release from this repository
- Place the jar file into your
.minecraft/modsfolder - Launch the game
Links
- Download: https://modrinth.com/mod/graphite
- Discord: https://discord.gg/gMHVnMBEMh
Notes
- This project is experimental and still in development
- Expect bugs, crashes, and incomplete features
- Please report issues with logs attached
Licensing
This project includes code derived from Sodium.
Both Graphite and Sodium are licensed under Polyform Shield 1.0.0.
- Graphite license applies to original code in Graphite
- Sodium license applies to any reused or adapted portions from Sodium
- Graphite's modifications and additions are licensed under the same terms as Sodium, but those protections apply to us as well
An exception to this is the vulkan-api module, which is licensed under a custom license.
- Edition: Minecraft Java
- File type: .jar
- Minecraft version listed: 1.8.9
- How to install: Install the matching mod loader (Forge, Fabric or NeoForge) for your Minecraft version. → Download the .jar. → Put it in the .minecraft/mods folder and launch that loader profile.
- Where to get it: Opens on Modrinth — not every file is mirrored on our own servers.
Install steps are the general flow for this file type — How to install Minecraft Java mods & modpacks walks through it step by step.
- Ships as graphite-0.2.0+mc1.8.9.jar — drop this file into the mods folder
- Download size: 27.4 MB
- Download link checked 5 Sept 2026 — working
These come from our own check of the pack file, not from the source page.