Desktop vs Laptop for FTB ? and other tech questions

[Sigma85]

Since my laptop died, I have been shopping for a desktop, but maybe a laptop...idk...no important. I want to get the most minecraft bang for my buck and I have a million nerds and techy friends telling me what to do and whats the best and arguing about AMD vs Intel, which obviously is no argument at all because AMD is the only correct answer... Anyways, my friends tell me I need a hyper-threading zillion core processor and a super fast video card more than RAM, but here I read RAM is more important than the video card's memory. I assume it's a minecraft vs "conventional" PC games question, but I thought it best to ask MINECRAFTERS about it and not just a bunch of FPS players.

more in depth questions:

Spoiler

For now I settled on at LEAST a dual core, with 6gb of ram and a 256mb video card. Is that FTB sufficient ? If I can pull it off, I plan to get a desktop so that I can later upgrade to a 1gb or 2gb PCI card later on when I have more money, and of course more RAM. Is this wrong ? Should I try to get a 1gb video card and just have 4gb of RAM if it works out that way for now ? I KNOW I have to have 64 Bit windows/java, so less than 4gb of RAM and I may as well just get a cheap-o 32 bit Dell or something, but since this is my opportunity to get something better, I plan to take it...

IDK if this goes without saying or not, but MY comp is for minecraft. I might play some Bethesda games on it, but I care alot more about how minecraft would play than Battlefield. After all, thats what the XBox is for...I venture to say %90 of this comps life will be devoted to Minecraft actually...lol... Sort of like my life...

Also, if someone were brave enough to explain the difference to me between an i3, i5 and i7, or why they might be better than a 6 core AMD, I may switch sides and but an Intel based system, not likely, but who knows. And while I am writing the 500 page essay about tech questions, heres another: whats "barebones" mean ? Do I just need to have my friendly neighborhood computer store stick an OS on those things or will I need a bunch of other stuff like drivers and a power supply and other mysterious things I have yet to understand ???

And for anyone who says my post is insane and long, or may have noticed they are ALL like this:

Spoiler

my apologies, I have schizo-affective disorder and alot of times when I type things in my head make it down when they shouldn't and I lose track of time and drift off just athinkin...and atypin like real good...n then dadgum before I know it...BAM...HUGE WALLS OF TEXTS. I don't want to go back and read all that boring crap, do you ? I'm not deleting it though, it might be important. Those brave enough to weather through these posts I salute and appreciate it !

 

[Wagon153]

First of all, CPU and GPU are equally as important as far as Minecraft goes, unlike most FPS games. You can thank Java for that. And as far as processor goes, the number of cores does not matter with Minecraft, unless you plan to record on it. At the most there is two cores being used, one for garbage collection(Java) and one for actual Minecraft. I've heard Intel's are better for Minecraft due to the way they were made, but I can't really confirm that. 4 gigs of RAM should be perfect, but if you want to run a heavy texture pack or shaders, you'll need more. Windows computers tend not to need drivers installed manually, since Windows is nice enough to do it for you. However, Windows is heavier then Linux and Mac. P.S: If you get a Mac, no need to worry about any of this, since all Macs(at least the desktops) have pretty high specs.

 

[Sigma85]

I did notice that macs are more expensive but in general are kind of nicer. I was also told that I need 64 bit windows and 64 bit java for it if I want to use more than 1gb of RAM, BUT with a Mac, it didnt matter (???) or something. Is that true ? I wanted to get a really good quad core 8gb ram gaming machine, but someone stole my fiances smartphone and I was dumb enough to let her get a new one with my paycheck, so NOW I am looking at a much cheaper machine, its a dual core with 4gb of RAM and only a 128mb graphics card. BUT I don't know yet if it has 32 bit or 64 bit windows. Its only $85 though, so I could upgrade the RAM and graphics card with the money I would save, but would it even matter if it has 32 bit windows ? I don't know of any way to allocate more RAM in 32 bit java, so if its got 32 bit windows, should I just keep looking ???

 

[Oracle of Wuffing]

I was also told that I need 64 bit windows and 64 bit java for it if I want to use more than 1gb of RAM, BUT with a Mac, it didnt matter (???) or something. Is that true ?

The long story short is that MacOS has been only 64-bit since 2010 (That was MacOS X 10.7 "Lion") and that Apple handles rolling out Java on their end, so only 64-bit java is available for it.

However- and I say this as a mac fanboy- if you're concerned about spending money at all, you should not be looking at a Mac. You may be happy with a Mac for other reasons, but you will not be happy with the price you pay.

Getting a 64-bit Windows (and a processor that can handle it, though I would be surprised to find a desktop-oriented processor that doesn't handle 64-bit support these days) is important. 32-Bit operating systems are only capable of utilizing 4GB of RAM, if there's more than that it'll just ignore the extra stuff you put in there. Additionally, according to the troubleshooting guide, if you use 32-bit Java (which you will have to use if you get 32-Bit Windows), you will not be able to allocate more than 1GB to the launcher. Most packs suggest 3GB.

Intel vs. AMD is a nerd war with no end in sight, my experience is that intel tends to be a better performer while AMD tends to be a better price but I am fairly certain 50% of the internet will disagree.

Generally speaking, i7 is better than i5, i5 is better than i3, i3 is better than Pentium-(letter)####. The Pentiums are targeted for mama that checks emails and twitters recipes to facebooks, the i3s are targeted for everyday use, i5 is targeted for low-end games and overclockers that still want to save some cash, and i7s are targeted for high-end use. (Though, outside of Minecraft, as mentioned, the graphics card is frequently more important than the processor.) AMD makes several 6-core processors, it looks like they generally benchmark around the i5 area, but Wagon153 already mentioned that Minecraft will only use 2 cores, so that benchmark will not reflect your actual usage.

Barebones means different things depending on where you're buying them from, sometimes it just means case+hard drive+ram+motherboard+processor, no operating system or video card, sometimes it just means a low-end completely assembled computer.

 

[Sigma85]

You know, since my laptop died, I have realized that navigating the internet in search of a gaming computer is a fools errand. At least in the sense that you will NOT end up fully satisfied no matter what. I have learned alot, but I will never be able to get the absolute best deal, or even "shop" even %10 of the sites I thought about, I have no definite answer to what is better in any aspect of the specs I thought I wanted or what I think the cost should even be...I feel overloaded with options and information at this point. NOT from this site though. THIS site was actually the simplest AND somehow still the most helpful. Imagine that, FTB Minecrafters know what it really takes to run FTB. lol. I'm glad I know that the extra cores wont help me play minecraft a whole lot, because I was really wanting to get a 6 core AMD machine even if it meant doubling the price and not the RAM or video memory, because I thought that was more important for some reason.

 

[kittle]

As a general rule, you will get more gaming bang for your buck when going with a desktop PC. With laptops you sacrifice price and upgrade ability the ability to carry your PC around aka portability.

You sound tech savvy enough to build your own rig. The first time its scary, but once it works - its a great feeling.
So go for it... buy parts, have them sent to your place, and then spend the weekend putting it together.

Some recommendations:
Minimum 4 cores CPU (or more if you can afford it).
mininum 3ghz clock speed (before any turbo stuff)
MINIMUM 8gb ram. get 2 4gb sticks so you can upgrade later.
Get a "full size" or "ATX" motherboard. Dont try to cram your entire PC into something the size of a postage stamp.
Dont bother with water cooling right now.

CPU - Amd vs intel? I prefer intel because my current box works great. My previous system used AMD. Both will work.
GPU - Nvidia vs amd? ... both are good. Set a budget for your card ($200?) and see whats out there.

 

[Sigma85]

I have been told alot that building your own system is cheaper and always gives you a better machine. Before I commit to that idea though, I wanted to ask exactly what that process involves as I have never done it.

I am guessing I order all the parts and just put them where they go in the case. Assuming I am tech savvy enough to make sure the processor and motherboard I buy are compatible and other things like that, socket types and whatnot. Plug the cords all in, a few screws here and there, SATA cable, power cables, etc. All of thats the easier part though right ? I am guessing most of the components will have CDs with drivers and such on them. Then I need to have an OS. I have never done a fresh install of Windows which is what I will be going with if I build my own, its not hard is it ? I havent ever formatted a hard drive in DOS or anything like that. I saw my uncle using fdisk before and thought I didn't wanna do all that, but if it isn't all that hard and I could save alot of money, maybe I should read up on all of those sort of things.

I already know that on YouTube, and the internet as a whole, I can find overloads of information on building a PC and tutorials just like literally any other topic one can imagine. But maybe someone has a good site in mind ? And maybe better insight to building a PC, is it harder or easier than I am imagining it ?

Some guy has an ad in my town where he will do it for you for $100, you order all the parts and pay for them and ship them to your house after he makes recommendations and when they all arrive, he comes back and builds it in front of you with a 1 year service "warranty". He says it will save you alot of money and give you a higher quality machine. I think I could be doing the exact same thing as he is if I watched a few youtube videos. Or went to college...Either or... But if I CAN do this myself, I may as well put the extra money into a better Video card, or bigger monitor, or a gaming mouse, or more RAM, or Curse Premium, lol...maybe rent a server...idk...

Wow...there I go again with a huge long post thats pretty much not about anything...sorry...lol...

 

[karl2002]

I have been told alot that building your own system is cheaper and always gives you a better machine. Before I commit to that idea though, I wanted to ask exactly what that process involves as I have never done it.

I am guessing I order all the parts and just put them where they go in the case. Assuming I am tech savvy enough to make sure the processor and motherboard I buy are compatible and other things like that, socket types and whatnot. Plug the cords all in, a few screws here and there, SATA cable, power cables, etc. All of thats the easier part though right ? I am guessing most of the components will have CDs with drivers and such on them. Then I need to have an OS. I have never done a fresh install of Windows which is what I will be going with if I build my own, its not hard is it ? I havent ever formatted a hard drive in DOS or anything like that. I saw my uncle using fdisk before and thought I didn't wanna do all that, but if it isn't all that hard and I could save alot of money, maybe I should read up on all of those sort of things.

I already know that on YouTube, and the internet as a whole, I can find overloads of information on building a PC and tutorials just like literally any other topic one can imagine. But maybe someone has a good site in mind ? And maybe better insight to building a PC, is it harder or easier than I am imagining it ?

Some guy has an ad in my town where he will do it for you for $100, you order all the parts and pay for them and ship them to your house after he makes recommendations and when they all arrive, he comes back and builds it in front of you with a 1 year service "warranty". He says it will save you alot of money and give you a higher quality machine. I think I could be doing the exact same thing as he is if I watched a few youtube videos. Or went to college...Either or... But if I CAN do this myself, I may as well put the extra money into a better Video card, or bigger monitor, or a gaming mouse, or more RAM, or Curse Premium, lol...maybe rent a server...idk...

Wow...there I go again with a huge long post thats pretty much not about anything...sorry...lol...

Do not go putting money into renting a server at this current stage as you likely will not have much of a idea of how to manage one. I have ran servers on multiple games for years now. Minecraft being one of the main games I currently host a FTB server on the monster pack.

If you do decide to rent a server let me know and if you need any help just ask I may be able to provide some sort of help.

 

[YX33A]

I can't speak with much wisdom on the topic; despite being the guy my whole family tends to go to for tech support(against all logic and reason), I know less about hardware then I should.

But I can tell you this: A Laptop can, if it's not a piece of crap, run FTB Monster with everything enabled, with a average of ~30 FPS. How do I know this? My Laptop can.
It's a Republic of Gamers ASUS laptop. Was top of the line when I got it, now is outdated since laptops get outdated really quickly. It's better then a Alienware laptop(except it lacks all the fancy tron lines that makes me like Alienware. Is my ADHD showing?), costs less(only $2k for the top of the line as opposed to approaching $10k), and performs better overall, having a fine CPU and GPU, neither of which I understand why they are good.

And it's a laptop that you can get people really pissed off at you for mentioning you have while reminding them that it's better then their desktop PC.

 

[kittle]

I have been told alot that building your own system is cheaper and always gives you a better machine. Before I commit to that idea though, I wanted to ask exactly what that process involves as I have never done it.

I am guessing I order all the parts and just put them where they go in the case. Assuming I am tech savvy enough to make sure the processor and motherboard I buy are compatible and other things like that, socket types and whatnot. Plug the cords all in, a few screws here and there, SATA cable, power cables, etc. All of thats the easier part though right ? I am guessing most of the components will have CDs with drivers and such on them. Then I need to have an OS. I have never done a fresh install of Windows which is what I will be going with if I build my own, its not hard is it ? I havent ever formatted a hard drive in DOS or anything like that. I saw my uncle using fdisk before and thought I didn't wanna do all that, but if it isn't all that hard and I could save alot of money, maybe I should read up on all of those sort of things.

I already know that on YouTube, and the internet as a whole, I can find overloads of information on building a PC and tutorials just like literally any other topic one can imagine. But maybe someone has a good site in mind ? And maybe better insight to building a PC, is it harder or easier than I am imagining it ?

Some guy has an ad in my town where he will do it for you for $100, you order all the parts and pay for them and ship them to your house after he makes recommendations and when they all arrive, he comes back and builds it in front of you with a 1 year service "warranty". He says it will save you alot of money and give you a higher quality machine. I think I could be doing the exact same thing as he is if I watched a few youtube videos. Or went to college...Either or... But if I CAN do this myself, I may as well put the extra money into a better Video card, or bigger monitor, or a gaming mouse, or more RAM, or Curse Premium, lol...maybe rent a server...idk...

Wow...there I go again with a huge long post thats pretty much not about anything...sorry...lol...

well the $100 is the prices of education.... if you want to build another PC in the future, do it yourself and save the $100. If you just want it to work right now, then spend the $
-or-
you can spend the $100 and VERY carefully watch the guy as he builds your PC.. ask questions, etc, etc. you can learn that way too.


Building your own can be fun if your wiling to put in the time.
My first pc build started Friday nite and wasnt finished until Sunday afternoon. Now i can do it in a couple hours.

As to installing windows and fdisk.. good luck in finding a copy of fdisk nowadays. I suspect it stopped being shipped with windows around 1997 or so..?
The windows installer will have a built-in option to format your disk, so that will be easy.
the "difficult" part is putting all the parts together. But if you follow a few principles, you can do it yourself:
a) read the directions first
b) plan ahead
c) Dont force things


The main advantage of building your own PC is you get EXACTLY what YOU want.. and not what some marketing team "thinks" you should have. You get exactly the hardware you want in the colors you want (or lack thereof), and the brand you want. Theres no trial versions of Norton or ms-office to deal with, and no extra software you have to spend time un-installing.
The place you "may" loose money is getting a copy of windows. But that can be offset by the lack of frustrations in other places.