Is there a preferred Java version for Minecraft?

Solution 1:

Yes - the version bundled with Minecraft installation.

This is the version the game was tested with, and any other may have some incompatibilities or unoptimal ways of doing things, versus what Mojang found to be working and debugged against. The launcher automatically sets up the game to work with it - don't change it unless you have a valid reason and know what you're doing.

Solution 2:

You should almost certainly switch to the 64-bit Java version - it's going to be much better on 64-bit Windows 7.

Either OpenJDK 7 or the latest Oracle Java should be fine. I use the Oracle one, YMMV.

The other thing that might cause a problem is graphics drivers (since Minecraft uses OpenGL). It's worth making sure you have the latest driver updates for your graphics card. This has solved various gaming-related issues for me in the past.