Better Block Entities
by cseden
Better Block Entities, a Fabric and NeoForge client mod, speeds up how chests, shulker boxes and other block entities are drawn on screen.
What it does
Block entities such as chests, shulker boxes, decorated pots and copper golem statues are normally drawn one at a time every frame. The mod checks each supported block entity and switches it between Minecraft's standard rendering while it animates and a static mesh built into the terrain while it stays still. Animations are kept, and the gain grows with the number of block entities loaded. The author expects at least a threefold increase in frame rate, and the config screen can turn the optimization off for each supported block.
Better Block Entities requires Sodium, and on Fabric it also needs Fabric API. Because it runs only on the client, a server does not need it and players can join a server without installing it. Its files cover game versions 1.21 – 26.3 on Fabric and 1.21.1 on NeoForge, and the code is open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 or later.
Key features
Static block entity meshes
Idle block entities are merged into the terrain mesh, so they cost less to draw each frame.
Animation preserved
Blocks that animate, such as open lids, are rendered through the normal path so their motion is not lost.
Distance visibility
Block entities can be seen from as far away as regular blocks, rather than disappearing at a shorter range.
Smooth lighting on block entities
Ambient occlusion is applied to block entities, so their lighting matches nearby blocks.
Per-block config options
A config screen lets players switch off the optimization for each supported block entity type.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
26.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.21.x8 of 8 versions with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
Use cases
Large storage builds
Bases with many chests and shulker boxes gain the most, since the cost of drawing them is removed from idle blocks.
Resource packs with block models
Packs that replace block entity models through block model files can be used together with the frame rate gain.
Who it’s for: Players on Fabric or NeoForge who run Sodium and want higher frame rates in storage-heavy or decorated builds. Players who do not run Sodium cannot use the mod without installing it first.
How it compares
Optimized Block Entities [OBE] is open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 or later, is client-side only, and covers 1.20 – 26.3 on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt, so it supports more loaders and older versions. ebe newer is client-side only, open source under the BSD 2-Clause License, and limited to Fabric for 1.21.4 – 1.21.10, which is a narrower range than this mod's.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better Block Entities | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.21 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-09-15 |
| Optimized Block Entities [OBE] | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.20 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-10-13 |
| ebe newer | Fabric | 1.21.4 – 1.21.10 | Client-side only | 2025-11-19 |
Questions
Does Better Block Entities need Sodium?
Does a server need Better Block Entities?
Which versions does Better Block Entities support?
Will animations still play with this mod?
In the catalog
Better Block Entities is one of 3,545 Optimization mods on ModsFinder, and one of 2,575 Optimization mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
Similar mods
What the author says
BBE is a client side mod that drastically improves block entity rendering, and we aim to improve and regularly update the mod between Minecraft versions. We are planning on adding even more block entities to that list in the future!
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/better-block-entities
- Owner
- cseden
- Published
- 2025-10-29
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-09-15
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15