Which graphics card is the best for Skyrim

[Shadeybladey]

Yes, my motherboard will not take DDR4 RAM, only 4x 8GB DDR3. It cannot take 64 GB and apparently they don't make DDR3 anymore, so I am having trouble finding new RAM. So at the moment I am stuck with the original 2x 4GB.

 

I just installed the Skyrim HD 2k graphics overhaul. I don't know if it will work for SSE as it was made for SLE. But things look much better already. I also got a few others I have not installed yet.

 

I do notice slightly longer loading times and longer pauses sometimes when changing cells. But I am running the game off the 2TB IDE E:\ drive, and have only a 3 GB graphics card. You shouldn't have any problems.

 

I suppose it would be possible to have hundreds of 8k texture mods and overload your system, and cooling is very important. My Radeon burned out in a Neverwinter dungeon, so I have the Nvidia GTX 1060 now and a utility that has 0% fan speed at 0 to 20ºC and increments by +1% fan speed per +1ºC temp rise, to a max of 100% at 100ºC. It usually runs at 53ºC, rising to maybe 60º to 65ºC+.

 

:smile:

[PeterSmithdgts]

i think you should go for MXRT 6700 graphic card. as it is use to make the display more clear and HD.

[SirBricklayerSlayer]

Dang I'm jealous of some of these cards. To experience Skyrim to the best of my abilities I must save up for an graphics card upgrade.

[Fanzlu]

Just based on my experience running skyrim with multiple mod pack

 

Best price/performance setup for skyrim in early 2022 with following setting:

1080p / Ultra setting / stable 60 fps with 0.1% fps low 59fps - not shutter at all / Special edition or newer (which will use more than 4 cores)

Lots mod (with high texture pack)

 

Desktop version:

 

CPU:

Any 6 cores(or more) CPU that run at geekbench 5 with mark above 1000+ single core and 5000+ multiple core

https://browser.geekbench.com/processor-benchmarks

Two good options

- Ryzen 5600G (which you can play it with integrated GPU in medium setting with most mod (excluding texture pack) while waiting GPU price drop)
- Intel 12400 (can play skyrim with integrated GPU in low setting with most mod (excluding texture pack) while waiting GPU price drop)

 

RAM:

16GB (make sure use two sticks 8GB with dual channel)

 

GPU:

You want to have 10GB or more vram because texture pack will eat up to 10GB at 1080p, some options are

RTX 3060 12GB version (new card, should be available for most place and price should be reasonable)

GTX 1080 TI (older card, but you can find it use for cheaper)

 

Storage:

You want to use SSD for sure, pretty much any TLC SSD with DRAM cache will be fine. Make sure to prepare at least 1TB because some of the mod are huge.

 

 

Laptop version:

 

Actually laptop is not recommend for best skyrim experience with full mod, but if you really have to, choose this one

ASUS - ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition 15.6" FHD Gaming Laptop

[brown66]

Sorry my English. It's no my native language.

 

Skyrim it's a game with many drawcall, specially if full moded!

 

From my own experience, I would stay away from any AMD processors that are below the 5000 series. The older Ryzen series have bad performance in heavy drawcall games.

 

I made an upgrade in October(?), 2020, from a Ryzen 5 1600X to an i7-10700K and the difference in Skyrim (but not in desktop applications) was amazing! It was as I had upgrade my graphics card! That's show how Skyrim is very CPU depended game, specially in the one core performance.

 

As for the graphics card...

 

In 2006, when I started playing Skyrim LE, I was using a Radeon R9 280X graphics card, on an AMD FX-4130 computer (I think with 16GB of DDR3), to play the game at 4K! Ok, the frame rate in some areas here not much (around 25FPS), but I could play the game!

 

Now, in 2022, I'm still playing Skyrim LE, but in VR, through Vorpx, on a Pimax 8KX headset, at the input resolution of 4260x2400 per eye. My graphics card? An MSI RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio. The other components from my setup? An i7-12700k, on an Asus TUF Gaming Z690-Plus Gaming D4 motherboard, with 32 GB of DDR4 3600Mhz CL16. My FPS? Around 25, per eye, in some areas...

 

So, the conclusion is, at least to me, that it doesn't matter how powerful is your graphics card or your computer, because Skyrim will always find a way to knock down your computer!

 

Oh! I almost forgot... If you are playing Skyrim LE, forget textures beyond 4K. And if you put too many 4K textures in your Skyrim LE game, the game will run out of memory and you will get a CTD, because this game is a 32 bit application. If you want to try 4X and 8K textures, you better use Skyrim SE (a 64bit game) and get a graphics card with a lot of VRAM (at least 6 to 8 Gb to play a 1080p, 11 to 12Gb to play at 1444p and above 16Gb to play at 4K). There is a video on YouTube where a guy shows how to almost fully fill the 24GB of VRAM from an RTX 3090 with the Skyrim SE...

Edited May 12, 2022 by brown66

[Shadeybladey]

Sorry my English. It's no my native language.

 

Oh! I almost forgot... If you are playing Skyrim LE, forget textures beyond 4K. And if you put too many 4K textures in your Skyrim LE game, the game will run out of memory and you will get a CTD, because this game is a 32 bit application. If you want to try 4X and 8K textures, you better use Skyrim SE (a 64bit game)

 

No worries, that was very helpful.

 

I will definitely need a new motherboard in the next couple of years. My cpu is a generation II, and I think they are up to Generation VIII now! And I will also be able to fit faster RAM. I managed to get the 4x8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz I needed, but it's slower than the 2x4 GB 2133 MHz I had. So I have more, but not necessarily faster. I think I can overclock it, but I will need a very good guide from the manufacturers.

 

The Official Hi-Res texture packs run very nicely on my old machine, but I've not tried any 4k packs. But I was crashing every time I entered Understone Keep in Markarth, and after disabling many mods, it turns out it was the official Hi-Res Texture packs! Once inside the place, I can re-enable them again and all is well!

 

 

Cheers!

 

:D