How to play Skyrim on Lower-End Computers

[Aaron90123]

Okay first of all you need to download this mod:

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/34

This mod allows you to maintain a frame rate of 20-30+. It keeps places at steady fps, and places where your pc can't handle it at 15-20 fps.

 

The Next thing you want to do is to modify your Skyrimprefs to these settings.

 

[Display]
iBlurDeferredShadowMask=0
fInteriorShadowDistance=0.0000
fShadowDistance=0.0000
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=1024
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=2048
iShadowSplitCount=0
iMaxAnisotropy=2

fShadowLODStartFade=0.0000

iShadowMode=0
bTreesReceiveShadows=0
bDrawLandShadows=0
bFull Screen=1
iSize H=480
iSize W=640

iPresentInterval=0
iShadowFilter=3
bShadowsOnGrass=0

bDrawShadows=0

 

[Controls]

bMouseAcceleration=0

 

[Water]
iWaterReflectHeight=256
iWaterReflectWidth=256
bUseWaterDisplacements=1
bUseWaterRefractions=1
bUseWaterReflections=1
bUseWaterDepth=1

Also goto your Skyrim config file and add

 

[Papyrus]
fPostLoadUpdateTimeMS=500.0
bEnableLogging=0
bEnableTrace=0
bLoadDebugInformation=0
iMinMemoryPageSize=100000
iMaxMemoryPageSize=5000000
iMaxAllocatedMemoryBytes=1800000000

Tested on a NVIDIA Quadro NVS 160m (256mb)

If you don't understand watch this video it goes through the whole process:

Here is a screen shot after I downloaded a graphics mod.

http://s14.postimage.org/p59raqzpd/2013_03_04_00001.jpg

Edited March 5, 2013 by Aaron90123

[Guss]

ehh. my laptop dont have a card can do a bit better there. :smile: 1024x768 is around 10-15fps fake lighting is killer no matter what for me. and also i run on 800x600 for 12-18fps. 19fps is about max. for those who want a better graphics but fps is always an issue but playable.

 

Thought i would add that for those lower end computers and also want to have better graphics. This is what i came up with, i like it but if your a fps lover then i would say lower the the resolution.

 

-----------------------------

 

[Display]
iBlurDeferredShadowMask=0
fInteriorShadowDistance=3000.0000
fShadowDistance=200.0000
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=256
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=512
iShadowSplitCount=2
iMaxAnisotropy=1
fLeafAnimDampenDistEnd=4600.0000
fLeafAnimDampenDistStart=3600.0000
fTreesMidLODSwitchDist=3600.0000
fGamma=1.0000
fDecalLOD2=1500.0000
fDecalLOD1=1000.0000
fSpecularLODStartFade=200.0000
fShadowLODStartFade=200.0000
fLightLODStartFade=200.0000
iTexMipMapMinimum=0
iTexMipMapSkip=1
iWaterMultiSamples=0
iMultiSample=1
iShadowMode=3
bTreesReceiveShadows=0
bDrawLandShadows=0
bFull Screen=1
iSize H=768
iSize W=1024
fMeshLODFadePercentDefault=1.2000
fMeshLODFadeBoundDefault=256.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeTreeDistance=2048.0000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeTreeDistance=2844.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeDist=3072.0000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeDist=4096.0000
iScreenShotIndex=2
bShadowMaskZPrepass=0
bMainZPrepass=0
iMaxSkinDecalsPerFrame=0
iMaxDecalsPerFrame=0
bFloatPointRenderTarget=0
sD3DDevice="Mobile Intel® 4 Series Express Chipset Family"
bFXAAEnabled=0
iShadowMapResolution=512
fShadowBiasScale=0.5000
iShadowMaskQuarter=3
iAdapter=0
iPresentInterval=1
iShadowFilter=3
bShadowsOnGrass=1
bTransparencyMultisampling=0
bDeferredShadows=1
bDrawShadows=1

 

-----

 

[Water]
iWaterReflectHeight=256
iWaterReflectWidth=256
bUseWaterDisplacements=0
bUseWaterRefractions=0
bUseWaterReflections=0
bUseWaterDepth=1

------

 

[blurShaderHDR]
bDoHighDynamicRange=0

 

------

[blurShader]
bUseBlurShader=0

Edited February 19, 2013 by Guss

[gsmanners]

I have to say, I've played at 800x600, and it looks terrible. I can't imagine 640x480. With my recent experiences, I'm tempted, but I can't make myself go lower than 1024x640.

[Dweedle]

theres a texture compressor on the nexus too, use it on the texture bsa's, worked wonders for me and no graphic difference

[gsmanners]

Some other settings that can dramatically improve frame rate:

 

[LightingShader]
fEyeEnvmapLODEnd=0.0
fRefractionLODFadeEnd=0.0
fSpecularLODFadeEnd=0.0

[FiftyTifty]

Changing shadow resolution to 1, then bdrawshadows to 0. Big boost.

[Aaron90123]

Well i went from playing on low at 800x600 then i went to medium on 640x480 and downloaded some graphic mods, it doesn't look that bad

[niceguy]

20-30 fps, what a luxary, I used to have crappy computers when I played WoW. For me, then 7 fps was typical... the horror! Let's just say I wasn't much for raiding.

[AIndalecio]

After playing on my MacBook Pro with Boot Camp for the past couple years, I found that if you lower the resolution to something custom like 745 x 425, disable those horrible ht texture packs that available for free Download, then use the mod to force fullscreen while you have "windowed mode" checked the game works flawlessly with 60fps inside, and 25-40fps outside, at least that's what I found I'm also using an Intel HD 3000 integrated video card... When I get home, I will look up the exact mod that I'm using to force the full-screen mode while I'm windowed mode... I can also copy and paste my Skyrim INI files if you would like.

[Dhegonus]

hialgo boost is a huge boost,a must have for low end rigs and a mod called "colorful lights" it removes some shadows and alters the lights slightly and gives a boost in interior cells.. also avoid all enbs with bloom..bloom is a killer for lower end machine.