Which graphics card is the best for Skyrim

[surfwater401]

Iâm gonna purchase myself a gaming desktop. But I wanna have around minimum of 130 mods. Iâm looking for a graphics card and GPU that can run Skyrim on ultra setting with those mods. Some new gaming desktops have i9 processors and graphics card of 3070-3080. Would that be fine? Or what would be more suitable. I can spend up to $3,500 would be my budget.

[Shadeybladey]

I wouldn't necessarily get the absolute top-end, very latest cpu just for playing Skyrim when it ill be hundreds of dollars cheaper in 12 months. Last year's model will be fine and a lot cheaper.

 

I still have my 2012 Intel i7 2600K 3.40 GHz o/c @3.8 GHz and 3 GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (the Radeon HD7970 3 GB burned out a few years ago) and it runs fine at ultra, although I don't use loads of ultra high texture mods.

 

I am adding a 1 TB SSD and upgrading the 8 GB 2133 MHz DDR 3 RAM to 32 GB, though, but that is because there are other games that need it.

 

Of course, get the best you can afford and spend as much as you like. Big SSD drive, good graphics, fast cpu and large monitor. Mine is a Dell U2410 24" 1920x1200 widescreen flat panel.

 

I am a little out of touch with the PC market atm as I've had mine for 9 years, and I DID originally buy it just to play Skyrim! My previous one was 12 years old and crap in comparison.

 

I have a similar budget as you, but I'll replace the entire PC only when I really need to.

 

:smile:

[surfwater401]

I wouldn't necessarily get the absolute top-end, very latest cpu just for playing Skyrim when it ill be hundreds of dollars cheaper in 12 months. Last year's model will be fine and a lot cheaper.

 

I still have my 2012 Intel i7 2600K 3.40 GHz o/c @3.8 GHz and 3 GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (the Radeon HD7970 3 GB burned out a few years ago) and it runs fine at ultra, although I don't use loads of ultra high texture mods.

 

I am adding a 1 TB SSD and upgrading the 8 GB 2133 MHz DDR 3 RAM to 32 GB, though, but that is because there are other games that need it.

 

Of course, get the best you can afford and spend as much as you like. Big SSD drive, good graphics, fast cpu and large monitor. Mine is a Dell U2410 24" 1920x1200 widescreen flat panel.

 

I am a little out of touch with the PC market atm as I've had mine for 9 years, and I DID originally buy it just to play Skyrim! My previous one was 12 years old and crap in comparison.

 

I have a similar budget as you, but I'll replace the entire PC only when I really need to.

 

:smile:

 

Thanks for that. So would a graphics card of 3070 8gb and a gpu of i9 10850k, 32gb of ram, 1tb for C drive and 2tb for D drive be strong enough?

[Shadeybladey]

DOH!

 

Sorry, you were asking specifically about Graphics cards! I misread and thought you were asking about cpu as well!

 

 

 

Thanks for that. So would a graphics card of 3070 8gb and a gpu of i9 10850k, 32gb of ram, 1tb for C drive and 2tb for D drive be strong enough?

 

Good Grief, yes, that would do it! Both boot disk and storage drive will be SSD?

 

Due to having 40 GB of mods, I am running Skyrim SLE from the 2 TB IDE storage drive. But I do notice slight pauses when changing cells when running in the wilderness. SSD is just better and faster. You still might get those pauses when changing cells, but much less noticeable.

 

You'll be playing SSE, I assume?

 

My PC has only a 256 GB SSD boot disk and 2 TB IDE storage disk, as it's so old. So making enough free space for games like ESO that need 85 GB free and 120 GB free to download and play is difficult. I have a 4 TB and 3 TB external back up drives as well and still cannot make enough space due to Windows and other programs on C:\.

 

The new 1 TB SSD I just bought has 4x the space for 1/3 the price of the 256 GB in 2012!

 

I was also looking at Mortal Online 2, which looks a lot like Skyrim and is basically open-world PvP. The reccomended specs are:

 

Intel i7-6700K

32 GB RAM

Nvidia GTX 1070/GTX1660Ti

60 GB available space.

 

Luckily, my ancient Asus Maximus IV Extreme-Z motherboard will hold up to 32 GB, but only as 4x 8 GB DDR3 RAM modules. I cannot use DDR4 or have 64 GB. So motherboard capacity is also important for future upgrades.

 

The only problem might be my cpu and graphics card being less than the recommended, but they beat (I think!) the minimum of:

Intel i3-3220

16 GB RAM

NVidia GeForce GTX 650

Also, cooling is very important for a high powered system like yours. Check that out and get independent advice from other vendors. Don't be ripped off either way, too little or too much. Too much is better than too little, but too many fans in the wrong place can fight each other and not get a good air flow through the system. Graohics cards have thie own fams, of course. I have a water-cooled system for the cpu and several large fans in the side, top and and a few normal ones at the back.

Anyway, good luck!

As for mods, don't go insane with hundreds all at once. I think there are STEP guides for SSE for getting the best quality graphics mods, so you could refer to those. You must make sure they are designed for the version you are using, SLE or SSE.

With other mods like the ones I prefer: camping, survival, hunting, crafting, perk trees changes, rules changes etc, you must take care with compatibility and conflicting scripts and so on. Sorting out crashes and conflicts is much easier when using groups of 5 mods and testing.

You will also need SKSE for the version you are playing if you use non-graphics mods. "Must have" mods for me are the Unoffical Patch, SkyUI and most of Arthmoor's "fixes", When Vampires Attack, Run for Your Lives, The Paarthurnax Dilemma etc.

When you are up an running, try posting some screen shots here! I'd love to see them!

:smile:

[surfwater401]

 

DOH!

Â

Sorry, you were asking specifically about Graphics cards! I misread and thought you were asking about cpu as well!

Â

Â

 Thanks for that. So would a graphics card of 3070 8gb and a gpu of i9 10850k, 32gb of ram, 1tb for C drive and 2tb for D drive be strong enough?

Â

Good Grief, yes, that would do it! Both boot disk and storage drive will be SSD?

Â

Due to having 40 GB of mods, I am running Skyrim SLE from the 2 TB IDE storage drive. But I do notice slight pauses when changing cells when running in the wilderness. SSD is just better and faster. You still might get those pauses when changing cells, but much less noticeable.

Â

You'll be playing SSE, I assume?

Â

My PC has only a 256 GB SSD boot disk and 2 TB IDE storage disk, as it's so old. So making enough free space for games like ESO that need 85 GB free and 120 GB free to download and play is difficult. I have a 4 TB and 3 TB external back up drives as well and still cannot make enough space due to Windows and other programs on C:\.

Â

The new 1 TB SSD I just bought has 4x the space for 1/3 the price of the 256 GB in 2012!

Â

I was also looking at Mortal Online 2, which looks a lot like Skyrim and is basically open-world PvP. The reccomended specs are:

Â

Intel i7-6700K

32 GB RAM

Nvidia GTX 1070/GTX1660Ti

60 GB available space.Â

Â

Luckily, my ancient Asus Maximus IV Extreme-Z motherboard will hold up to 32 GB, but only as 4x 8 GB DDR3 RAM modules. I cannot use DDR4 or have 64 GB. So motherboard capacity is also important for future upgrades.

Â

The only problem might be my cpu and graphics card being less than the recommended, but they beat (I think!) the minimum of:

Intel i3-3220

16 GB RAM

NVidia GeForce GTX 650

Â

Â

Also, cooling is very important for a high powered system like yours. Check that out and get independent advice from other vendors. Don't be ripped off either way, too little or too much. Too much is better than too little, but too many fans in the wrong place can fight each other and not get a good air flow through the system. Graohics cards have thie own fams, of course. I have a water-cooled system for the cpu and several large fans in the side, top and and a few normal ones at the back.

Â

Anyway, good luck!

Â

As for mods, don't go insane with hundreds all at once. I think there are STEP guides for SSE for getting the best quality graphics mods, so you could refer to those. You must make sure they are designed for the version you are using, SLE or SSE.

Â

With other mods like the ones I prefer: camping, survival, hunting, crafting, perk trees changes, rules changes etc, you must take care with compatibility and conflicting scripts and so on. Sorting out crashes and conflicts is much easier when using groups of 5 mods and testing.

Â

You will also need SKSE for the version you are playing if you use non-graphics mods. "Must have" mods for me are the Unoffical Patch, SkyUI and most of Arthmoor's "fixes", When Vampires Attack, Run for Your Lives, The Paarthurnax Dilemma etc.

Â

When you are up an running, try posting some screen shots here! I'd love to see them!

Â

:smile:

Hey thatâs okay :)

 

Yep they will be SSD drive and itâs definitely for Skyrim se. How many mods do you reckon it could handle?

 

This is the desktop Iâm currently looking at.

 

https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/ready-to-run-pcs/gaming-pc/79337-ss-frost3070

 

The big mods Iâll have while be Bishop romance mod, birds and flocks, depths of Skyrim, moonlight tales, opening scene overhaul, camping mod, populated Skyrim record, vivid weathers and flora overhaul. The rest are more more little mods.

[Shadeybladey]

I've never tried over-loading my mods, but it might handle as many as you like!

 

:D

[surfwater401]

Thanks for that ð gonna purchase it soon

[surfwater401]

Youâve being very helpful, I really appreciate it

[Shadeybladey]

I will be getting a similar system one day, so thanks for the link. Sadly, it won't be $3,500. In the UK it should be about £2,750, but will probably be £3,500!

 

:D

 

PS The rcommended specs for SSE are:

 

Intel i5-2400/AMD FX-8320

8 GB RAM

NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB /AMD R9 290 4GB

12 GB available space

so you should be more than fine!

[surfwater401]

Thanks for all of this. I have some old laptops that I donât use, so Iâm gonna sell them and use the money to buy it. I also have a desktop which is great for gaming but not for what I wanna use. If I could Iâd upgrade the desktop I have. But they are out of stock in most parts atm including motherboards and graphic cards.