How Big Is A Chunk In Minecraft?

Minecraft is a hugely popular game that allows users to create a world filled with villagers with their iconic blocks.

The blocks can be generated in units known as chunks, helping you to create your world bit by bit. Understanding chunks will allow you to build the best world possible and gives you more knowledge of how the mechanics of Minecraft works. 

In this guide, we’ll be taking you through everything you need to know about Minecraft chunks from their size to why they matter, and everything in between. By the end of this article, you’ll be a Minecraft expert and feel more than confident with making your own world. 

How Big is a Minecraft Chunk?

So, how big is a Minecraft chunk? A standard chunk in Minecraft measures 16×16 meaning that it is 16 blocks long, 16 blocks wide, and 16 blocks wide, meaning that it contains a staggering 65,536 blocks in total.

Although this is a large number, chunks only make up a small portion of a Minecraft map, meaning that you will have hours of endless fun chopping up the chunks to manage your world. 

The size of the chunks makes it easy for the game to process and load them as well as it ensures that users aren’t loading too many chunks at once, which can potentially cause the game to crash. 

In a standard Minecraft map, the worlds are made up of 30 million blocks in each direction which is a tremendously huge amount.

This means that 65,536 blocks may seem minuscule in comparison, but when you begin to build your world, you’ll find that it quickly grows exponentially, making up your world’s foundation.

Why Do Chunks Matter?

You may be wondering if chunks even matter. After all, they don’t have a huge impact on your playing session, but there are plenty of benefits that come with using chunks.

Examples include certain mobs that can only spawn if you generate chunks near their location as well as plants that can only grow when chunks are distributed, and they are within the rendering distance. 

Another benefit that comes with generating chunks are spawn chunks which are unique depending on the surrounding area where you initially spawned. They appear as a regular chunk, but they will never unload meaning that you can build farms or mob grinders.  

There is also the ability to find a diamond vein within your chunk as this can prove valuable for your gameplay, ranging from one to ten diamonds in a vein. 

How Far Do Chunks Load in Minecraft?

Chunks can load as far as a radius of 10 which is the equivalent of 21×21 or 441 chunks. These chunks are loaded around the player and are sent to the player by default.

Players can choose to alter the radius between three and fifteen. You may find that the loading times are a bit longer if you suffer from a poor connection. 

If you have loaded a larger chunk size, you may find that while it has some benefits including faster deduplication, less fragmentation, and a smaller deduplication database size, it can cause fewer storage savings, so it’s important to bear this in mind when loading larger chunk sizes. 

How big is a chunk in Minecraft (1)

Other Facts about Chunks

There are other facts that are worth knowing to help you better understand how chunks work. Whether you have been using chunks for years or are just starting out in the Minecraft world, these facts will help you to improve your world-making skills. Here are some handy facts about chunks to know:

  • The game can render chunks immediately in the area surrounding the player depending on the rendering distance that has been set. If the player travels and has a lower rendering distance set, the generation of the chunks can be seen. Minecraft does this in order to save processing and graphical rendering power.
  • There are other chunks that can remain unloaded until they are required in a bid to prevent any processor loading problems. The rendering that the game provides the player is by popping in a variety of things such as land, mobs, trees, and water. 
  • In order to handle the chunk loading, there is a mechanic called a ticket which will determine what kind of chunk is going to be generated. Most of the time, it will be a standard chunk, but you could get other chunks such as exiting a Nether Portal among others.

The ticket has various properties to determine which are ticket type, ticket level, and time to live, the latter of which is optional. 

  • A mob spawn can be determined within six chunk cylindrical radii that the player has logged in. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Blocks are in 16 Chunks?

Chunks are defined as being 16 blocks long, 16 blocks wide, and 256 blocks high, meaning that there are 65,536 blocks in total. Chunks can be created and generated when the player first enters their world and more are created as the world gets bigger. 

Are there Diamonds in Every Chunk?

There is potential to find diamonds in chunks, but they are rare, and it is down to luck. When chunks are generated, there is a chance that a diamond vein will spawn which can be anywhere between 1 and 10 diamonds long. If you decide that you want to clear a chunk out, then you will find diamonds inside.

How many Chunks are in a Minecraft Map?

When you decide to increase the coverage area in your Minecraft world, the map will double in size.

However, a regular-sized Minecraft craft will cover 128 blocks by 128 blocks which is equivalent to 8 chunks by 8 chunks. The standard map is known as “Zoom step 0” with the potential for four zoom levels. 

Read More: How Tall Is A Minion?

Conclusion

In conclusion, chunks are made from a 16×16 structure and can be built up to 256 blocks in height. In total, a chunk can contain as many as 65,536 blocks, making them an integral part of building a successful Minecraft world. 

Nick Spieth

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