SSE launcher won't detect card

[mbwarband]

I have an odd problem. I just bought Skyrim SE. Installed it, ran the launcher, and it's unable to detect my GPU. It defaults me to the lowest settings, and the only resolution available is 800X450 windowed mode. The reason I find this odd is because I had original Skyrim installed on this same PC, prior to uninstalling it and installing SE, and the launcher for original Skyrim detected my GPU just fine. It was the only card listed in the drop-down menu in the launcher.

I've googled around for a solution and come up empty. I've updated my drivers, my BIOS is set to use my GPU, and I changed power saving option in Win7 to high performance, just in case. Nothing works. And yes, I deleted skyrim.ini and skyrimprefs.ini for each new attempt, to force the launcher to search for a GPU. I've also read this help page by Bethesda, the part about forcing your system to recognize primary GPU -

http://help.bethesda.net/app/answers/detail/a_id/36338/~/what-do-i-do-if-the-elder-scrolls-v%3A-skyrim-special-edition-is-crashing-on-pc%3F

But in my AMD Radeon settings console under additional settings, there is nothing at all like an option for power or Switchable Graphics Application Settings (step 4 of the above link).

My GPU is an AMD Firepro W5000 and my OS is Windows 7 Ultimate. Any advice would be appreciated. Also any theory as to why the original Skyrim launcher can detect my GPU but SE can't... it seems kinda nonsensical that a remastered version of a game is apparently made to recognize LESS cards than the original. Thanks for reading.

[LeddBate]

Wellll, the Firepro W5000 is a workstation card, right? And a bit dated at that. Didn't it come out around the time of the 7000 series of the AMD gaming GPUs? Possibly 64-bit Skyrim is having issues seeing it. I don't know why though....

 

(Googles furiously.....)

 

The only thing I can see is that some people can get their W5000 card detected and some (like you) cannot.

 

This tool MIGHT help you if nothing else works.

 

Good luck.

[mbwarband]

Yeah, workstation card and a bit dated, but it's been good for gaming. It ran a heavily-modded original Skyrim without a hitch.

I tried the tool you linked to, but no luck. It detected my card, and generated a .dll file which I moved to my SkyrimSE folder, but the launcher still won't detect my card. I modded SE with NMM after installing before ever trying to run the game, assuming beforehand that all would be fine. After trying your solution, I went ahead and maxed out settings in the launcher and ran the game, just to test things.

And what do you know... even though I'm running at 800x450 in windowed mode, I can actually play the game, things look good (for that resolution), and I'm getting good FPS for the most part. All of this means that the game HAS to be rendering through my GPU, as there is no way I'd be getting that kind of performance from my crappy integrated GPU. So the game is using my card, but the launcher just won't detect it nor allow me to change resolutions. Frustrating. I'm beginning to think there may be no solution to my problem, short of buying a new card. Meh.

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to look for a fix; I hadn't run across that tool in my searches. All the best.

[Ratsel13]

Oldrim detected my old HD 6570, but not Skyrim SE (I've since upgraded my vid card, detects no problem).

Must be a DX11 thing. Anyways didn't bother me much.

[LeddBate]

 

Yeah, workstation card and a bit dated, but it's been good for gaming. It ran a heavily-modded original Skyrim without a hitch.

I tried the tool you linked to, but no luck. It detected my card, and generated a .dll file which I moved to my SkyrimSE folder, but the launcher still won't detect my card.

 

 

You did delete the previous .dll file (that the tool replaced), right?

 

Anyway, before you buy a new GPU, list the rest of your rig's specs here first. We'll suggest a good bang-for-the-buck upgrade based on your mobo, CPU and PSU combination.

[mbwarband]

 

 

Yeah, workstation card and a bit dated, but it's been good for gaming. It ran a heavily-modded original Skyrim without a hitch.

I tried the tool you linked to, but no luck. It detected my card, and generated a .dll file which I moved to my SkyrimSE folder, but the launcher still won't detect my card.

 

 

You did delete the previous .dll file (that the tool replaced), right?

 

Anyway, before you buy a new GPU, list the rest of your rig's specs here first. We'll suggest a good bang-for-the-buck upgrade based on your mobo, CPU and PSU combination.

 

 

Nope, there was no d3d9.dll file in my SkyrimSE folder to delete. There are a few other .dll files in there, but none with that name or similar.

I was hoping to not have to invest in a new card. This one seems to be able to do the job if I could just get it recognized. I may keep looking around for a solution. Anyway, specs are -

Dell OptiPlex 9010

Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz

16 GB RAM

OS and SkyrimSE installed on a SSD

450 watt PSU

Idk what MOBO is in there, but the card slot is pci-e x16.

Thanks friendo. Yeah, if you wanna recommend a card, I'll listen. I consider my tech savvy-ness to be slightly above mediocre at best, so another opinion is always welcome. :smile:

[Ratsel13]

Solution is just manually adjust the settings, or try this: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/4875/?tab=3&navtag=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Fskyrimspecialedition%2Fajax%2Fmodimages%2F%3Fuser%3D0%26id%3D4875%26gid%3D1704

[LeddBate]

Ugh. Call me a snob, but small form factor PCs make me wince. Usually, they're too small to add decent components (when you can, that is) and often have internal temperature issues.

 

Usually this is where I would say something witty like: There's a reason that 'Dell' rhymes with 'hell'. However, I have to admit that the 9010 has decent components. (Though I still have to wonder about temperatures in that crammed little box.)

 

Okay, let's take it one step at a time. First, let's evaluate your rig (as best I can)

 

MOBO: Intel Q77 Express. This socket 1155 chipset is about middle-of-the-road. Plenty good enough for Skyrim, even heavily modded.

CPU: This is a very decent single-core processor. It's still quite pricey today. Again, more than enough oomph for Skyrim.

GPU: The W5000 is actually superior to the Radeon7470 that the OptiPlex 9010's usually came equipped with. However, that's like saying one breed of tortoise is faster than another. This is your real weak link.

16 GB of RAM: More than you'll ever need. Well, for Skyrim anyway.

OS: You didn't mention whether you're rocking Win7, Win8 (or one of it's derivatives) or (ugh) Win10. Regardless, make sure your .NETframeworks are up-to-date.

SSD: How big is your SSD? Regardless, having your game on the SSD is good for loading times.

PSU: That PSU is a bit weak for upgrading your GPU to anything really powerful. Also, what brand is it? A cheap, no-name PSU is usually a disaster waiting to happen.

 

Suggestion: It's hard for me to recommend a GPU upgrade for your rig because I can't find any decent data (or interior pictures) on the interior dimensions of the 9010. With that disclaimer, here's what I suggest. Given your other components, I think a GTX 1060 would be an excellent GPU upgrade for you. There are two versions available -one with 3GB of VRAM, the other with 6GB. I recommend the 6GB version if you can afford the $300 to $350 price tag. However, theres a few caveats. First is the dimensions of the card. It's not a monster, but at 25.4 cm long (measured from the slot cover to end of the card) and 10.7 cm tall (measured from the top of the motherboard slot to the top of the card) it may not fit into your rig where the W5000 currently sits. Measure the area thoroughly first before pulling the trigger on a purchase. (Including any other card you opt for if you decide the 1060 is too pricey.) Second, this card has an average load of about 90 watts and peaks around 140 watts. Combined with the other equipment in your rig, you should peak at a maximum of 300 watts (probably a good deal less.) This means your 450 watt PSU is plenty strong enough -HOWEVER, I repeat that a no-name PSU is begging for trouble. Please let us know what your PSU's brand name and model number is. We'll warn you if it's not good.

[LeddBate]

Solution is just manually adjust the settings, or try this: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/4875/?tab=3&navtag=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Fskyrimspecialedition%2Fajax%2Fmodimages%2F%3Fuser%3D0%26id%3D4875%26gid%3D1704

 

Oooh, I wasn't aware of this. Hey mbwarband, try Ratsel13's suggestion first!

[mbwarband]

Sorry for the late reply, haven't had much free time.

@Ratsel13 - The program you linked to did the job. Thank you! I tried a couple resolutions at first, and the screen would be cut off at the edges. After experimenting a bit, the trick seems to be to set your desktop resolution to whatever res you want the game to run in. All seems to be fine now.

@LeddBate - Wow, lot of info to parse there. :) I know you should avoid Dell if you have a choice. But this whole system was a package deal, which I got at a discount at the time. It was a big leap forward from my previous PC, and since I'm not very, how to say, financially flexible... I went ahead and picked it up.

After playing SE a bit more, I have say that you're correct; my current card is the weakest link. I'm not getting the performance at the highest settings that I thought I was. My FPS on Ultra settings in some areas will dip down to teens and 20's. High settings are somewhat better, but still not where I'd like to be. So... I'll probably experiment with individual settings and see what I get. SE seems a good deal more demanding, as it should be; Godrays and such. If I can't get good performance, I'll consider the GTX 1060.

But to answer your other questions - OS is Win7 Ultimate, SSD is 250GB, and the PSU is a Dell brand, so who knows how good it is. I planned on putting a solid 650 watt PSU from my old PC in this one at the time, but of course... space constraints. So it's either brute-force modification of the case, or spending the cash for a solid PSU that's the same size. I suppose it's worth mentioning that I got this PC used, so I assume that the PSU has been in there since the machine was built. I've had no trouble out of it yet, but I'm certainly no expert in this area.

In any case, I really do appreciate all the input and help. It's a lot to think about. Decisons, decisions.