You WILL need TES5edit. Maybe even Wrye Bash. With those tools you can clean up Skyrim thoroughly and create a base for stable modding. I´m in the middle of installing 348th round of mods. I did some digging and came to conclusion that order of install is the most important thing. so that one mod overwrites certain things but not others that other mod had installed. Skyrim G.E.M.S. has some ok guides, and I have gathered a small startup list on installing: 1.Core mods; SkyUi, patches, perk mods, body altering mods etc. that change basic things. 2.Overhauls; as name says it. Graphics, sounds etc. Climates of tamriel, guard dialogue overhaul etc. 3.Content mods; armor, weapons, hair, things that ADD to game. Arise - Chapter 1, Tera Armor collection, Apachii SkyHair 4.Combat/action mods. Sorry, still in middle of compiling better examples on this one.. Dance of Death comes to mind. 5.Other heavy scripts; convinient horses for example. I compiled this by digging with google and as said earlier, still trying if it´s working. So far so good, with 40ish mods Skyrim runs with no problems. And the thing that everyone hates, READ INFO IN THE MOD!!! Author usually has pretty good knowledge on compabilities and other issues, like *ultimate HD fire effects -> Complete crafting overhaul (with weapons and armor fixes remade) -> SMIM -> ELFX -> SMIM Meshes* this above is mine, as in example.