VRAM and RAM and ENBoost question

[fustru]

Hey guys!

I'm reinstalling my Skyrim and after some time being away from the game i was blown away by all the "Stability" fixes for the game, SSME, ENBboost, Safty Load, Safeugridstoload and ect . .

And i got kind of overwhelmed . . so i started with some research and i didn't understand one thing, i have 2g 680GTX card a 64bit OS with 12gb 1600 mhz RAM, so i want stability as much as possible, now i decided to monitor my VRAM with GPU-Z so i won't get too cocky with textures and i was amazed to find out that after Skyrim HD + Flora + Amidianborn armors and weapons pack i have almost reached my limit for VRAM, just entering whiterun and going through the forge and then entering the companions' mead hall i hit 1.8gb . .

Now this surprised me because this already was like only 1/3 of my texture setup in my previous gameplay . . and the game worked quite well . . so i guess ENBoost helped me ? or i'm not sure what . .

But i would like some guide lines about this issue, is it safe to get to a 100% limit ? will i just get stutters ? how does this work exactly ? does SSME help this issue with any way ?

Thanks !

[camaro_69_327]

its 2 differant things....

 

SSME = changing the way the game maps teh RAM, the game allocates memory in blocks when the first block fills you crash. SSME makes the blocks bigger.

 

ENBoost = Takes things that would fill the above blocks and MOVES them to the GPU. Using more of your GPU RAM in the process. and freeing up system ram, avoiding the 32 bit limit.

 

Least that's how i think its going...lol, and from my testing i find that the above statements hold true.

 

Yes you can overfill your GPU then it will swap textures back and forth to the HDD/SDD and you will see stuttering.

 

I am in the process of installing Step, and doing benchmark runs. things i can say for certain...(the benchmark run is the intro, very repeatable) lasts about 4 mins.

 

The Vanilla game runs a solid 100 FPS (98.47) average on my system. and uses 748 MB

Add SKSE= 96 FPS 853 MB (using the SKSE.ini)

Add in ENBoost = 82 FPS - 904 MB (only the Boost feature for now, no graphic stuff)

ADD the HD dlc's = 73 FPS - 1291 MB

Who needs a FPS limiter...lmao , I have yet to start adding the graphic stuff to this install...lol

 

 

[vlaka]

as long as memory used for GPU and PC doesn't hit 3.1gb you're fine.

USe the memory tweaks in enblocal.ini to set your system settings and you're right to go. Don't go overboard with HD textures and npc spawning mobs though, keep it balanced and decent. Skyrim's engine is a fickle thing...doesn't take much to break it regardless of memory stability etc ;)

[fustru]

1) I see, so i can go overboard with the GPU . . is there a certain limit ? because last time i played i got black textures when i was going through the forge and then CTD shortly after . . or is that the regular RAM's fault ? so i need to keep an eye on the regular RAM memory consumption itself? how do i check the RAM ? i use mod organizer so i'm not sure it will work with skyrim performance monitor.

2) When i run ENBoost the performance gets all jittery, i mean i have 60fps but it feels as if the mouse lags and that it kinda "skips" frames . . just overall not a smooth performance.

[camaro_69_327]

you have a 2 GB GPU i would say keeping it around 1.8 and lower is good.

 

Process Explorer is good for looking at how your system is running while playing.

 

Process Explorer in action

[Cait833]

I am using SKSE 1.70 (memory patch built in) with Memory Blocks Log, ENBoost and StableuGridstoload (uGrids=11). SSME has had some negative feedback apparently (something about how it injects the code), and should do the same thing as the newest SKSE anyway. Safety Loader is not needed anymore with the memory patch.

 

Use these guides to help: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/50244/? and http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/50214/? :)

[fustru]

But i'm already at the 1.8 limit, with only SKYRIM HD, FLORA, Amidianborn Weapons + Armor and Immersive armors . . . and nothing more . . on my last playthrough this was like 1/3 of all i had :/
I really would just like a number that the ENboost is limited to, because obviously he can't handle a scene which requires more then 2gb at the same moment (Standing in whiterun HD and going through all the armors in the forge) but he can swap and clean using the ENBoost the question is how much.

I also have the SKSE 1.70 and memory blocks log, enbboost and Stableugridstoload but i use the default uGrids.
I read the guides but non of them give guides on Technicality as how the hardware and new patches work . . it's all change these lines in the ini, isntall that and this and make you clean all kinds of mods and optimize textures while not addressing numbers and formulas . .

I mean i appreciate the hard work they do but it's all the same, i followed S.T.E.P and had no change in performance and that was a lllooonnngg read and the only good thing i got out of it was mod organizer which i was unfamiliar with . .