Drill

Drill

Simple and fast open-source OptiFine alternative for NeoForge. Designed for players, content creators, and more

by Menacin
5.4K Downloads
0 Followers
forgeneoforgeMC 1.21.1lightweightmultiplayeroptimization

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About this Modpack

Warning
This pack is experimental! For improved performance and compatibility, it is recommended to use Adrenaline or Additive (for Fabric) over this pack. They have more performance improvements and update faster too.
Also, for a plain and simple performance pack, use Hammer, the pack based on Adrenaline.

Drill is a modpack designed as an alternative to OptiFine. It includes the majority of OptiFine's features, such as built-in shader support, a vast improvement in rendering and logic performance, extra features for resource packs to utilize, a zoom feature, OptiFine and custom capes support, and much more. It also includes a small amount of extra features, such as input fixes for MacOS and Linux along with a free and easy-to-use world hosting feature. Want your own mods that aren't included in Drill? Don't worry! You can easily add your favorite mods after installation.

⭐ Features

🚀 Major performance improvement

Drill is based on and kept in sync with the Additive modpack. Adrenaline's aim is to emulate OptiFine without compromising performance. This is done with various optimization mods that are actively tested for stability and improvement. Some mods are also pre-configured. Additive wouldn't exist without projects like Sodium, so I advise you to donate to mod authors and contributors if you can.

For the list of performance mods that are included, see this wiki page.

🔍 OptiFine alternatives

Drill utilizes various mods that offers the same features that OptiFine did while also being modular so that you can remove features you don't want or features that are incompatible with other mods. This includes, but is not limited to:

💡 Other things

Drill also includes some extra features unrelated to OptiFine, although I aim to keep this list of mods minimal. Mods are suitable for the "other features" section if they are lightweight and unobtrusive. This includes things like:

⚙️ Source-available

All mods in Drill are either open-source or source-available, which means you can view the code of mods and see exactly what they are doing. Drill is also available as packwiz projects on GitHub so that you can easily view what's being changed, contribute if you would like to, or fork the modpack to create your own project. If you would like to view the mods shipped with Drill, simply look at the dependencies in the Modrinth page or look in the Git repository.

❓ Why Over OptiFine?

OptiFine used to be the go-to solution for enhancing performance in Minecraft and offered many additional features that users loved. However, recent developments have changed the situation. OptiFine functions as a type of "all-in-one" mod, making it impossible to disable certain features that are incompatible with other mods. Additionally, its closed-source nature presents a challenge for modders who are unable to fix compatibility issues. OptiFine is not natively compatible with Fabric or Quilt and requires a separate mod, OptiFabric, which is difficult to keep up to date. This has led to the creation of alternative mods that work just as well, if not better, and are easier to update. Drill usually updates much quicker than OptiFine does. While the transition may take some time to get used to, the overall experience is much improved compared to OptiFine.

For a full list of currently supported features, see this wiki page.

✅ Hardware Compatibility

Drill supports the use of graphics cards with drivers that are compatible with OpenGL 4.6. Most graphics cards released in 2010 or later are compatible. This includes the following hardware:

  • Intel HD Graphics 500 Series (Skylake) or newer
  • Nvidia GeForce 400 Series (Fermi) or newer
  • AMD Radeon HD 7000 Series (GCN 1) or newer

In some cases, older graphics cards may also work (as long as they have drivers which support OpenGL 3.3) but they are not officially supported and may not be compatible in the future.

Android devices that use OpenGL translation layers (such as GL4ES, ANGLE, etc) are not supported and will likely not work with Drill's set of mods. These translation layers do not implement required functionality and suffer from underlying driver bugs which cannot be worked around.

If you are running into problems, you should make sure that your graphics drivers are up-to-date. I also recommend taking a look at this page on the Sodium wiki.

The majority of this was taken from Sodium's hardware compatibility section. I'll update this accordingly if anything is changed.

🐛 How to Report Issues

Experiencing bugs, crashes, or other issues? Feel free to open an issue on the issue tracker. Be sure to include necessary information like your hardware/software (e.g. GPU and CPU, modpack version and OS) so that it's easier for us to find issues and resolve them.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

For a few frequently asked questions, along with tons of other information, consider visiting the wiki. It has a few other helpful resources that I suggest you read, such as troubleshooting info and more. This wiki is often updated with new information.

Updates?

Recently, updates to Drill have been sparse due to limited time on my end. I try to do the best I can, but it isn't enough here. However, Drill is not discontinued.

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Available Versions

Drill 26.1+mc1.21.1.neoforgerelease
MC 1.21.1neoforge100 downloads
May 23, 2026
Drill 1.0.0+mc1.21.1.neoforgerelease
MC 1.21.1neoforge189 downloads
February 27, 2026

How to Set Up a Drill Server

1

Order Server

Choose at least 4 GB RAM (6 GB recommended for Drill). Based on player count: per 5 players.

2

Install Modpack in Dashboard

Open the modpack browser in the dashboard, search for "Drill" and click "Install". The forge loader and Minecraft 1.21.1 are configured automatically.

3

Start Server & Play

Start the server – all mods are loaded automatically. Share the server IP with friends and play together!

Frequently Asked Questions

Drill server crashes or won't start – what to do?

Most common causes: insufficient RAM or wrong forge loader. Check latest.log for "OutOfMemoryError" → increase RAM to at least 6 GB. For "Mixin" or "ClassNotFoundException" errors: modpack version and loader don't match. With Mado Hosting, loader and Minecraft version are auto-configured on modpack install – preventing most startup issues.

How much RAM does a Drill server really need?

Minimum 4 GB, recommended 6 GB for stable performance. per 5 players. Important: Minecraft modpacks need more RAM than vanilla – plan extra per additional player. With Mado Hosting, you can scale RAM up live at any time without data loss (from €8/month).

Can I add custom mods to Drill without conflicts?

Yes, but check compatibility: only use mods for the same loader (forge) and same Minecraft version (1.21.1). Common issues: ID conflicts with recipe mods and incompatible coremod versions. The Mado dashboard mod browser only shows compatible mods and warns about known conflicts.

Drill server lagging – performance tips

1) Increase RAM to 6 GB+. 2) Reduce server view-distance to 8 (server.properties). 3) Pre-generate chunks with the "Chunky" plugin. 4) Use /spark profiler to check which mods consume the most tick time. With Mado Hosting, all servers run on NVMe SSDs with dedicated CPU cores – eliminating hardware as a bottleneck.

Rent Drill Server

Start your own server with automatic modpack installation.

Recommended RAM:
6 GB(min. 4 GB)
From 8.00 / month
Create Server Now
1-Click Modpack Install
NVMe SSD Storage
DDoS Protection included
Automatic Backups

Details

License
MIT License
Server-side
Unsupported
Client-side
Required

Supported Versions

1.21.11.20.1

Start your Drill Server now

From €8.00/month with 6 GB RAM for the best performance.

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