Is this a good entry level PC?

[QuantumCD]

I have been thinking about purchasing a decent pre-built computer for a while now (I can't build a PC at the moment) that will be upgrade-able in the future. Here is the link to its newegg page:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=83-103-411&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=100&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29#scrollFullInfo

It has an AMD FX. Now, before you bash this processor (yes, I know Intel processors are probably better), I'm going to be doing some budget rendering on this thing, as well as computation and plenty of other things that make 8 cores advantageous. Through my research and friend's experiences, this processor is more than suited for a cheap rendering rig.

The thing I'm worried about is, will this PC be upgrade-able in the future? I am mainly talking about the GPU (AMD 7350 1 GB). The only game I really play is Minecraft, and I'll probably be able to max that out considering I can play pretty well on 1st gen Intel HD Graphics at 100 FPS. If I chose to play games like Battlefield 3, Skryim, Crysis, etc. I would definitely need to upgrade the video card.

I am aware that the 300W PSU would have to be upgraded as well, and that is doable for me (I would upgrade that first anyways, because as a rendering rig I might drop another HDD in there for another terabyte or so). Judging by what other people are saying and general opinion, I'll probably need about a 500-600W PSU to get some decent upgrades in a year or two. Also, the processor would probably be upgrade-able for a year or two as well considering AM3+ is supposed to be around for a few years more.


So for my summation of questions:

Can I upgrade parts in this computer in a year or two? (Another HDD or two, GPU, processor, RAM, etc.)

Will it play Minecraft decently (I'm pretty sure it will reach Ultra, but I have no experience with this particular GPU).

Is the AMD FX in this computer a decent processor for some budget rendering? I use Blender and VRay/Mental Ray.

Could you offer any further advice? I'm open to any thoughts you have on it, just keep in mind I would be building it if I could! 😛

Thank you for any help/advice you can offer!

 

[geofelt]

yes, for your usage, rendering, I think it is a decent buy.

Can I upgrade parts in this computer in a year or two? (Another HDD or two, GPU, processor, RAM, etc.)
HDD,GPU, RAM, yes. cpu, probably not since there is no amd cpu that would be better.
The included 300w cpu is probably strong enough to drive a card as good as a 7750. Adding anything else is trivial and does not need a psu upgrade.
Past that, you need a stronger psu.

Will it play Minecraft decently (I'm pretty sure it will reach Ultra, but I have no experience with this particular GPU).
No experience with minecraft, but any dedicated graphics card will be stronger than integrated.

Is the AMD FX in this computer a decent processor for some budget rendering? I use Blender and VRay/Mental Ray.
yes. But, only for multi core enabled apps. For gaming, the stronger intel cores will be superior.

Could you offer any further advice? I'm open to any thoughts you have on it, just keep in mind I would be building it if I could! 😛

I might look to replace the 6gb of ram with a full 16gb kit of fast ram.
If your editing app is 64 bit enabled, and can use extra ram to reduce HDD workfile I/o, then it is very useful.

Why can't you build one yourself?
You are paying for a psu, ram, and graphics card that will eventually need to be replaced.

 

[avenseth12]

Answering your questions:

For your purposes the PC is fine.
You can upgrade pieces in the future. You can put a new PSU and GPU to upgrade your game playing if you choose. Even so you will be able to play the higher level games but not on ultra settings.
You will be only limited to AMD cpus is the biggest minus of this build.
Also, I would imagine this PC will come with a ton of crap on it that you dont want or need.

 

[Pingypoker]

I would really recommend learning to build a computer. Pre built computers are incredibly overpriced.

 

[QuantumCD]

Best answer selected by QuantumCD.

 

[QuantumCD]

yes, for your usage, rendering, I think it is a decent buy.

Can I upgrade parts in this computer in a year or two? (Another HDD or two, GPU, processor, RAM, etc.)
HDD,GPU, RAM, yes. cpu, probably not since there is no amd cpu that would be better.
The included 300w cpu is probably strong enough to drive a card as good as a 7750. Adding anything else is trivial and does not need a psu upgrade.
Past that, you need a stronger psu.

Will it play Minecraft decently (I'm pretty sure it will reach Ultra, but I have no experience with this particular GPU).
No experience with minecraft, but any dedicated graphics card will be stronger than integrated.

Is the AMD FX in this computer a decent processor for some budget rendering? I use Blender and VRay/Mental Ray.
yes. But, only for multi core enabled apps. For gaming, the stronger intel cores will be superior.

Could you offer any further advice? I'm open to any thoughts you have on it, just keep in mind I would be building it if I could! 😛

I might look to replace the 6gb of ram with a full 16gb kit of fast ram.
If your editing app is 64 bit enabled, and can use extra ram to reduce HDD workfile I/o, then it is very useful.

Why can't you build one yourself?
You are paying for a psu, ram, and graphics card that will eventually need to be replaced.

Thanks for the details! I understand that building a PC is the better route to go, however I am not in a position to build one as of now. I've built them in the past though. Also, thanks for the RAM upgrade suggestion, as I'm sure I could just pick up a 16 GB kit of fast RAM for 50-75 dollars and put it in there easily. The GPU is fine for Minecraft and really just accelerating day to day tasks in my opinion. The 7750 looks like a solid card as well, so I'll definitely consider that upgrade too! In response to your last point, I agree, however this is probably going to turn into a render farm-type PC in a year or two. If I put another GPU in it, it'll probably come out and go into an actual build.