Computer compatibility questions

[Skinjack]

I am in the process of designing a new computer but I'm afraid its been quite a few years since I've done so and I'm wondering how well some of the newer technology works with the older games like Skyrim. Specifically, would Skyrim SE perform better or worse with:

 

CPU:Intel® Core™ Processor i9-9900K 3.60GHZ 16MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1151

HDD:1TB GIGABYTE AORUS (PCIe Gen4) NVMe M.2 SSD - Seq R/W: Up to 5000/4400 MB/s, Rnd R/W up to 750/700k (Single Drive)

MEMORY:64GB (16GBx4) DDR4/3200MHz Dual Channel Memory (GSKILL Ripjaws V)

MOTHERBOARD:GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS ULTRA ATX w/ Intel 802.11ac WiFi, ARGB, USB 3.1, 3 PCIe x16, 3 PCIe x1, 6 SATA3, 3 M.2 SATA/PCIe

VIDEO:EVGA GeForce RTX™ 2080 Ti FTW3 ULTRA GAMING 11GB GDDR6 (Turing) [VR Ready] (Single Card)

 

Obviously, the more RAM/CPU/GPU you have the better. In theory. I'm just concerned that the newer computer components might be overkill and "bottleneck" an older game like this. I had planned on putting my OS/Vortex on one NVMe M2 SSD and putting my mods on another. Is that too much for this game and should I just stick with older SSD's for the mods? I need solid answers before I bring this in front of my wife (i.e. beg, plead, grovel). She's already given me the go-ahead on a new computer. I just need to convince her of HOW MUCH of one.

 

 

[anjenthedog]

I'm running a less capable 3.6GHz i7-9700K, with 64G of primary memory and a 6G video card, running from a 500G SSD. works great. I don't know for sure that the latest greatest proc will work, but I think it should.

 

But... I can't advise placing different portions on different drives. Both because I have no experience doing so with Skyrim, and that it seems a likely source of Skyrim-related frustrations (based on help queries I've read over the past several months for systems where people have put the game or different portions of the "Skyrim equation" on different drives). Never looked at it myself. Might be trivial, might be problematic (ie even for the capable) but idk. I just ran with the defaults for this system. I might be more concerned with multiple drives were this a workstation application, but it's just a game, albeit a thick resource game. My 500G SSD is used for my OS and the game, along with some other software, and a 5G standard drive is used for archiving mod source "zips" and other archive files and general storage.

 

I don't know anything about your motherboard.

[Skinjack]

Thanks anjenthedog. My system is quite a few years old. I think I bought it when my daughter was twelve. She's in college now ( a junior). Right now I have an ASUS P6X58D Premium motherboard. I'm running an i7 - 970 gpu @ 3.2 GHz and a Geforce GTX 780 with 6 GB of ram. Granted I have 24 GB of memory in it, but my fetish for downloading every pretty-shiny thing I see has taken its toll on this system. I think I get 22 fps at the top of the stairs at Dragonreach and it doesn't get much better. Too much herky-jerky motion and too many crashes going on. And that's with the 1k texture packs. I think this machine would start smoking if I tried anything better.

 

I do a lot of graphics so I'm trying to pitch the "I need this to..." to my wife. Not going to come right out and say its primarily for a game. Quickest way to get shot down.

 

I think Vortex loaded to my primary OS drive by default. I don't believe I saw a way to change that (been a while) so it may have changed. And I have always put my mods on a different SSD. Pretty much preference so I could be doing things all wrong, but I like to keep my primary OS drive as clean as possible. I think the only things on it are the OS, Microsoft Office, and Vortex. Most of my other programs I put on a separate drive as well. Those with the OS were just because I didn't see a way to change their installation location at the time. I'm going with NVMe M2 SSD's because they are supposed to be at least four times faster than regular SSD,s, and these particular ones seem to be even faster.

 

But for now its just a wish list to see how much I can get away with. I'd really rather have an X299 mobo, but I need three NMVe slots and this is all I saw as options for now. Still looking around.

Edited March 24, 2020 by Skinjack

[Indio21]

I am running a much less i5-6600 @ 3.3 Ghz, 32 Gb of RAM, GTX 960 @ 4 Gb Vram (my serious crutch), ASUS Z170-AR MB (used to run Gigabyte but really like the tech behind ASUS. Other than game drive updates, which they seem to keep well on top of, I do not get more than a couple updates a year. They seem to get everything right the first couple times to me), and the 970 EVO Plus NVME M.2 500 Gb SSD which yes I love :smile:.

 

I am working through conflict resolving a LO of almost 400 plugins currently. Any an all testing shows no problems running this load of mods. I run all 2K textures such as Skyland and Nordic with an ENB. My FPS never drops below 30 as a low off the top of the head safe estimate and most the time at areas like the Dragonsreach steps I am in the 50s.

 

When I did this build years ago now I had no idea I would take up the modding hobby. It was designed to run CAD and CAM systems among other utilities. The Vram it has was plenty adequate for such systems and I can run them all and multiples of each, if absolutely needed. My killer is with the vram for modding and why I only have the few textures. From my readings 6 gbs vram is a medium and 8 gbs will let you have the high K textures, but also know my readings have revealed problems with the game engine and running lots of high K textures. Basically the engine was never designed for it. As of yet I have not found any writings about what is the "threshold" number that constitutes "a lot" of high K textures. Kind of like the same # for what starts a "large LO".

 

Like anjenthedog had mentioned I believe too there may be processes for running mods across drives from the game its self. When beginning this adventure of modding I read countless #s of time that was a bad idea to do and do remember mentioning of lags as an issue. I went with M.2 SSD for the exact reasons you mentioned :smile:. I have two other regular drives for backup and to keep my OS drive free. I keep the Steam, the game, and all mods installed there. I also have Office installed there because of MS's new ways of handling it, grrr not impressed, but even with them all it takes up very little space so I unhappily live with it lol.

 

If you are building a machine just for the purpose of gaming you might be throwing away $$$ you don't need to, just an opinion. Besides if your plan turned into something witty the money you save you can take her somewhere or buy her something nice to help balance Karma from the "foggy" pic painted :wink: Happy modding!

Edited March 26, 2020 by Indiao21

[Skinjack]

@India021. I used to be in the CAD/CAM field myself and use a very outdated version of SolidWorks I found for cheap years ago to play around with models on occasion. I probably have too many textures running on my system, which is why my GTX780 is choking. Blame it on the modders. :) They won't stop making stuff. I probably need to cut back. Its become a bad habit.

 

Out of curiosity, do you have the NVMe drive internally or do you have it hooked up through a USB housing (like those from Orico I've been looking at on Newegg)? I'm just wondering if the USB connection makes a bottleneck for it or if it performs at the speed it is supposed to.

 

I have all my mods and game and STEAM and everything else on the same drive, just not Vortex because it defaulted to the c: drive when I installed it. Everything else is on a Samsung SSD. Is there a way to install Vortex to a different drive? I don't believe there was when I started using it. I usually look for that sort of stuff.

 

As for wasting the money, it probably is. I want the video card and hard drive updated, which I could normally do, but my motherboard does not support it (from what I've read) or NVMe. I've never changed out a whole system before, so I figured it was best to get a new computer with a new warranty. It's been 10 or so years. Receipt says I ordered it 2/25/11, so close.

 

After 32 years with my wife, you want me to start spoiling her now? I finally got her trained the way I wanted her. You know. Doesn't want anything outlandish. Hands over the check when she gets paid. Cooks. Cleans. Does the laundry. Pliable. :) Only kidding. She's a saint for putting up with my BS for that long, I just don't tell her because I don't find big heads attractive. :)

[anjenthedog]

I bought a 6G card because the pricetag for an 8G card was (and still is) just too high. 6G cards cost about 1/4-1/3 of their 8G siblings

 

My system was spec'd for gaming and for graphics work (image processing), as well as programming and CAD

 

I'd recommend the "direct" SATA connection over a USB/SATA conversion on that SSD. Well, at least that's what I chose anyway. Basic physics/electronics principles... each intervening step increases the probability of error, and more often than not, reduces throughput

 

Are you specing a compact system or a tower?. I'd recommend the tower. Cases cost a little more, and the box occupies a bit more space, but at least imo, they're well worth the trouble

[Skinjack]

Yep, a full sized tower. I have a few hard drives I waned to be able to put in there and I figure the airflow is better in a bigger chassis. Plus I'm used too them since I have that now.

 

I do have a 6GB card, but I also just scrolled through my Models and Textures category on Vortex to see those mods and realized I do indeed have an addiction problem. :)

 

As for the connection, kind of what I figured. Direct SATA is always better. Or in this case directly on the motherboard and connected.

 

Thanks for the input. I feel a little better about committing that kind of money.

[anjenthedog]

Oh... Well of course you definitely NEED that 8G video card dude. (if you can get your wife to sign off on it anyway) :wink:

 

I was just really tight on budget and was forced to compromise.

[Skinjack]

Nah, I'm telling her I NEED the 11G version. :) I hate compromising. I get a new computer few and far in-between. Sucks being an adult.

[anjenthedog]

Oh sheesh. There's an 11G version now? << this is another reason I didn't get the 8G version, a year goes by and whatever SOA component you buy becomes near-obsolete.

 

best wishes