PC Build for Skyrim @4K, 60FPS + heavy ENB & the best texture mods on Nexus

[fftfan]

Hello! I'm thinking about building a PC probably in the late fall or winter. I'd build sooner but I can probably get by on console between Witcher 3, Arkham Knight, Evolve + DLC, MGS V: TPP. My budget is sort of flexible, depending on what performance I can get for what price. I'm considering going for a high end build. Main question is which GPU & Processor are good options?
Targeted performance:
4K, 60FPS: Oblivion & Skyrim(fully modded + ENB), Evolve

4K, 30-60FPS: Witcher 3, Arkham Knight, Star Wars Battlefront, Assassin's Creed: Victory, Bethesda's Next Game

1440-4K, 60FPS: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Ideally, my budget for a 4K system would be around $3000-3500 if I go for the Titan X? I'm willing to spend this much total if I'm getting a fairly future proofed(at least for this/next year) system. Would hopefully be all-set until 2017/2018 then I'd possibly think about adding a 2nd card for SLI(DX 12 making it so we don't have to use identical cards). If it's far out of reach beyond even this, then I'd consider at aiming for 1440p instead. Not willing to go above $3500.
1440p = $2000
1080p = $1200(already have 1080p monitor)

I'd like to run games like the above quite well, hopefully at 4K. But really, I mostly want to run Skyrim in ultra, 4K, 60 FPS with a heavy ENB like Sharpshooter or better together with many of the phenomenal texture packs found on the Nexus. I like the texture mods here a lot, and am also thinking about Bethesda's next game so I'm probably going to aim for a ton of VRAM.

I'm thinking about getting Titan X & an i7 4790k. What do you think?

Edit: I saw a pcpartpicker list which looked good, pretty close to what I'd imagine I'd get. Edited it to put in titan x instead of sli 980 & added monitor.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/KobetheDogg/saved/ZVtscf

Edited March 24, 2015 by fftfan

[jones177]

Hi

 

Nice List.

 

I have the monitor (Samsung UD590 UHD) . It is the best upgrade I have done in years.

It runs games at 1440, 1600 or 4k.

 

Skyrim is one of the few games I can run at 4k & it is beyond awesome.

It can be done with a GTX 970 with frame rates at 60+. I upgraded to a 980 & got no significant increase in performance in skyrim.

In other games the 980 dose out perform the 970 but not by much. I would not get a Titan.

 

I think you could use less motherboard. A ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO is $100 less at about the same performance.

 

The HD you picked is a bit weak for modded open world games. I use 10000 RPM Raptors. they are well worth the money for any open world games.

I don't get stutter in any games.

 

Your CPU pick is perfect for older games like Skyrim. I will be getting one myself.

 

Good luck with your build.

 

Later

[Amyr]

A single Titan X is just not enough for 4K heavily modded Skyrim. Especially with heavy ENBs that contains high SSAO and DOF will just cut your FPS into half.

 

Vanilla game(vanilla ini files, with a modified uGrids and higher fov like 75-90 story might change) at 4K gives between 80-100FPS with Titan X, especially if you don't wanna drop below 60FPS you have very little room to mod. Let's say you're going for 30FPS. Even then finding the right setup will be hard. You won't be able to install every mod you want. It's doable of course but not the way you think, you'll have to sacrifice a lot of FPS heavy mods.

Anything you install at 4K will hit you more than 2 times harder what it does in 1080P. And imagine K ENB, Serenity ENB or Realvision with full quality on 1080P. Even in 1080p, they hit like at least 30-40 FPS, maybe more.

[Boombro]

A single Titan X is just not enough for 4K heavily modded Skyrim. Especially with heavy ENBs that contains high SSAO and DOF will just cut your FPS into half.

 

Vanilla game(vanilla ini files, with a modified uGrids and higher fov like 75-90 story might change) at 4K gives between 80-100FPS with Titan X, especially if you don't wanna drop below 60FPS you have very little room to mod. Let's say you're going for 30FPS. Even then finding the right setup will be hard. You won't be able to install every mod you want. It's doable of course but not the way you think, you'll have to sacrifice a lot of FPS heavy mods.

Anything you install at 4K will hit you more than 2 times harder what it does in 1080P. And imagine K ENB, Serenity ENB or Realvision with full quality on 1080P. Even in 1080p, they hit like at least 30-40 FPS, maybe more.

So, one have to chose between 4k or very heavy enbs like pure light?

[Amyr]

Essentially, yes.

4K means you got 4 times more pixels on the screen compared to 1080P because of its resolution. Meaning SSAO, DOF and AA will do 4 times more work. Resulting in heavier performance hits compared to 1080P.

[Reynard131]

A single Titan X is just not enough for 4K heavily modded Skyrim. Especially with heavy ENBs that contains high SSAO and DOF will just cut your FPS into half.

 

Vanilla game(vanilla ini files, with a modified uGrids and higher fov like 75-90 story might change) at 4K gives between 80-100FPS with Titan X, especially if you don't wanna drop below 60FPS you have very little room to mod. Let's say you're going for 30FPS. Even then finding the right setup will be hard. You won't be able to install every mod you want. It's doable of course but not the way you think, you'll have to sacrifice a lot of FPS heavy mods.

Anything you install at 4K will hit you more than 2 times harder what it does in 1080P. And imagine K ENB, Serenity ENB or Realvision with full quality on 1080P. Even in 1080p, they hit like at least 30-40 FPS, maybe more.

 

 

 

 

Until there are better, and more detailed reviews this is anecdotal speculation.

 

The GM 200 ES pieces are just now hitting the review sites, until there are a few more credible reviews.

If you are going to spend 2k on vid cards you had better have a grip if this is truly needed.

 

Anandtech has their full review posted.

 

I think that the OP has a lot of reading/research to do before pulling the trigger.

[Amyr]

Speculation? Did you even search for any reviews before saying that? This review has been up for a week.

 

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2015/03/17/nvidia-geforce-gtx-titan-x-review/7

 

Bit-tech is one of the most trusted review sites and still uses Skyrim as a benchmarking tool for GPUs. I've been reading their reviews on every GPU for the last 2-3 years for Skyrim and I can say that they've never been wrong.

As far as I know, Ocaholic and PCper still uses Skyrim too. Unfortunately they only used 1440P and not 4K.

 

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-TITAN-X-12GB-GM200-Review/Skyrim

Edited March 24, 2015 by Amyr

[Reynard131]

Speculation? Did you even search for any reviews before saying that? This review has been up for a week.

 

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2015/03/17/nvidia-geforce-gtx-titan-x-review/7

 

Bit-tech is one of the most trusted review sites and still uses Skyrim as a benchmarking tool for GPUs. I've been reading their reviews on every GPU for the last 2-3 years for Skyrim and I can say that they've never been wrong.

As far as I know, Ocaholic and PCper still uses Skyrim too. Unfortunately they only used 1440P and not 4K.

 

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-TITAN-X-12GB-GM200-Review/Skyrim

 

 

 

 

It is not representative of the modded game, or the resolutions.

 

Based upon what you posted, it would not support your supposition that he needed two Titan X GM 200.

 

PC Per is very reputable but it is a vanilla game, 1440p at half of the resolution of 2160p.

 

 

The other issue is the lack of good SLI profile support for some the other games listed.

 

Again the O/P needs to do this leg work himself.

[Madchieften]

Speculation? Did you even search for any reviews before saying that? This review has been up for a week.

 

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2015/03/17/nvidia-geforce-gtx-titan-x-review/7

 

Bit-tech is one of the most trusted review sites and still uses Skyrim as a benchmarking tool for GPUs. I've been reading their reviews on every GPU for the last 2-3 years for Skyrim and I can say that they've never been wrong.

As far as I know, Ocaholic and PCper still uses Skyrim too. Unfortunately they only used 1440P and not 4K.

 

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-TITAN-X-12GB-GM200-Review/Skyrim

I don't get it, why does the Titan X beat the 980 @1080p in all games but skyrim?

[Amyr]

What are you trying to achieve here? First you say my facts are speculations because there are no reviews yet, I show you the review and then you say it doesn't show modded game?

 

Every sane person with mediocre knowledge about modding Skyrim can easily understand that if you're getting around 80-90 FPS on 4K with Vanilla game, there is no way that you're gonna get constantly 60FPS with heavy ENBs. Even at 1080P you lose around 30FPS after installing a mediocre ENB.

 

It's obvious that you're just trying to dodge the fact that you didn't even know about the review because you didn't even bother to search for it in the first place. You just thought "well I didn't see any reviews yet", and you clearly didn't know any site still using Skyrim so you just thought I was lying or something. It's understandable, everyone fails sometimes. No need to be ashamed.

 

And I never said he needed two Titan X. Nor I assumed. He asked if he can get 60FPS on 4K with heavily modded setup plus ENB, and I said no but maybe 30.

 

Facts and the review stand still, I don't need to say anthing aynmore. GL at disproving it.

 

Look, I've found another review supporting the same data:

http://www.hardwareluxx.com/index.php/reviews/hardware/vgacards/34550-reviewed-nvidia-geforce-titan-x-12gb.html?start=8

Edited March 24, 2015 by Amyr