Unofficial "Can My PC Run Skyrim?" Thread

Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 5:20 am

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1210988-unofficial-can-my-pc-run-skyrim-thread/

If anyone had a question from the previous thread that did not get answered before the post limit lockdown, feel free to repost it here.

This thread is the catch-all discussion thread for questions concerning computer hardware and its capability of running The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Please post all system spec queries here, as all other threads on this topic are liable to be closed.

The general rule of thumb here is that we are comparing the systems you post with the official system specs for the Xbox 360, which is the platform the game is primarily being designed for. These specs (in basic) are:

CPU: IBM Xenon @3.2GHz (Three cores)
Memory: 512Mb DDR3 (this memory is shared by the CPU and GPU and is bandwidth-accelerated by an onboard eDRAM chip)
GPU: Xenos graphics chip @ 500MHz
>DirectX 9.0c
>Shader Model 3.0
>No dedicated VRAM (it shares the system RAM)

What this means is that although the game will likely not be very demanding graphically (at least, before factoring in the increased texture resolutions and various other graphics features the PC gamers will get), it will likely put a heavy load on the CPU, and it is recommended to have at least a quad-core, although dual cores will probably not have too much issue so long as they have a reasonable clock speed (about 2.8 GHz on a modern dual-core should do).

We then take into account the fact that the game will likely not be as well optimized on the PC due to varying hardware setups. We also take into account the different optimization techniques required for PC setups due to the existence of, for instance, dedicated GPU memory. This means we are expecting Skyrim to require a decent processor of at least dual-core architecture with a reasonably fast clock speed, and GPUs with at least a 512Mb dedicated framebuffer and reasonable core clocks and memory clocks, as well as at least 4Gb of system RAM. If you meet these requirements, you should be able to run Skyrim; maybe not at the highest graphics settings without incurring a large performance hit, but you should be able to run it.

MODS EDIT:
General notice to begin with: at this point the system requirements are not yet known. Anything is speculation and conjecture at this moment. Asking about the requirements can yield an educated guess at best.

- From now on we're going to use this as the system requirement and speculation thread for both PC-systems and laptops.

- People can post questions related to their system in this thread.

- We'll also use this thread for general speculation regarding the anticipated and expected system requirements; be it minimum, recommended and optimum.

- This thread can also be used to ask about possible and potential upgrades that people plan or may want to make.

- Other threads will be closed and referred to this one. Once this reaches 200 posts, we'll continue in a new one and leave a link to the old thread.

- Once the official system requirements have been made public by Bethesda, we can change the topic to 'Will my system run Skyrim?'.

- Since this is unofficial, there are no guarentees and the administration may decide to change the course of this thread.

- We will appreciate it if you could link to this (and any subsequent) thread in new threads people make about hardware requirements. And, that you use the report fuction to report these new threads to the moderators.

Ok, let's see how it goes. :thumbsup:

Thanks in advance. :)
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Annika Marziniak
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:06 pm

I'd like to know if people experienced performance differences with a good phenom II x4 and an i5 with FO3 and NV.

Edit: those games will be good things to base skyrim performance with (sort of).
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Mylizards Dot com
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 5:36 am

I still have that big dilemma of about if buying a new rig in October with actual tech or wait for a bit and play Skyrim with my actual PC (Phenom II x4 2,8, Geforce 9600GT, 4 GB RAM).

The problem is that if I buy it in October, when the HD 7xxx or the GTX 6xx are released two or three months after, I'll be like "great, I've bought this piece of **** and now I look at those absolutely great pieces of hardware and it gives me the nerves and the guilt feeling of "WHY HAVEN'T I WAITED??".

Another thing is that I guess that my 9600GT is maybe a bit feeble to handle Skyrim at max settings at 1680x1050 (and I have no intention of playing at any less than that). I'm about to change it for a GTX 560 Ti OC (200€)...but I'm a bit unsure of that either...ideas? :)
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Johanna Van Drunick
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 2:14 pm

I'm not that knowledgable about rigs but here's mine, what you think?
Mobo: Asus Sabertooth p67 B3
Cpu: Intel I7 3.4 ghz 2600k 8mb Sandybridge
Gpu: ATI Radeon HD 6950 2GB
Ram: Kingston HyperX memory 8 GB 240pin DDR3
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Margarita Diaz
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:20 pm

I would not foresee any complications from that setup.

Benahrir: Your card is still decent for its age, and today would be placed in the middle of the "mainline" branch of GPUs. You're probably not going to get the very best out of Skyrim with it, but you should still be able to handle the game at a decent resolution (thanks to the card's good memory bandwidth).

My advice: upgrade that card when you get the chance, but don't feel bad if you end up playing Skyrim on it.
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Marilú
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:13 pm

I still have that big dilemma of about if buying a new rig in October with actual tech or wait for a bit and play Skyrim with my actual PC (Phenom II x4 2,8, Geforce 9600GT, 4 GB RAM).
The problem is that if I buy it in October, when the HD 7xxx or the GTX 6xx are released two or three months after, I'll be like "great, I've bought this piece of **** and now I look at those absolutely great pieces of hardware and it gives me the nerves and the guilt feeling of "WHY HAVEN'T I WAITED??".

Another thing is that I guess that my 9600GT is maybe a bit feeble to handle Skyrim at max settings at 1680x1050 (and I have no intention of playing at any less than that). I'm about to change it for a GTX 560 Ti OC (200€)...but I'm a bit unsure of that either...ideas? :)

Use the comparison tool on this page to help you choose :)

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU11/188
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Zoe Ratcliffe
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:53 pm

Use the comparison tool on this page to help you choose :)

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU11/188


The problem is not choosing a new temporary GPU (http://www.gigabyte.ru/global/ru/pages/263/GTX560Ti-SOC.html is good enough for 200 bucks...it beats the 6950 to it's knees, and even makes the 6970 sweat)...it's about if I buy it or not in order to play Skyrim at it's max, considering that I'm going to build a new rig regardless of that.

Benahrir: Your card is still decent for its age, and today would be placed in the middle of the "mainline" branch of GPUs. You're probably not going to get the very best out of Skyrim with it, but you should still be able to handle the game at a decent resolution (thanks to the card's good memory bandwidth).

My advice: upgrade that card when you get the chance, but don't feel bad if you end up playing Skyrim on it.


Well, I already have the chance, but as I said...I don't know if it's a waste of money.

On the other hand, I want to enjoy Skyrim at no less than 1680x1050@Max@60+ fps. Skyrim deserves no less than that :) I've already played though Crysis 1 with that card with crappy framerates, and I don't want to repeat the experience of ruining an excellent game.
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elliot mudd
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:13 pm

Use the comparison tool on this page to help you choose :)

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU11/188


That site only has modern cards in its database.

I prefer http://www.gpureview.com for comparing cards, because they have a pretty good database of both modern and older cards available.
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Tina Tupou
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 2:07 pm

I'm not that knowledgable about rigs but here's mine, what you think?
Mobo: Asus Sabertooth p67 B3
Cpu: Intel I7 3.4 ghz 2600k 8mb Sandybridge
Gpu: ATI Radeon HD 6950 2GB
Ram: Kingston HyperX memory 8 GB 240pin DDR3


Your Processor, Ram and GPU are more than adequate I'm sure. Don't know about the Mobo but I'm sure it's fine. You should be able to play the latest games on max settings or nearly at max...
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Elle H
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:41 pm

Your Processor, Ram and GPU are more than adequate I'm sure. Don't know about the Mobo but I'm sure it's fine. You should be able to play the latest games on max settings or nearly at max...


What you can tell from the MoBo is that it has an Intel P67 chipset with B3 stepping (thus he will not suffer from the SATA problem previous P67 boards had).

That's a good, efficient, and modern Northbridge chipset. Perfectly fine for gaming.
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Richard
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:18 pm

What you can tell from the MoBo is that it has an Intel P67 chipset with B3 stepping (thus he will not suffer from the SATA problem previous P67 boards had).

That's a good, efficient, and modern Northbridge chipset. Perfectly fine for gaming.


That's cool, I'm kind of a novice when it comes to computer hardware. Most my info comes from Newegg, :lol:.

Let me throw out my laptop's specs just for the sake of it. I already know it's mid range and might not be able to play it on high settings, but want an outside opinion:

CPU: Intel core 2 duo P8700 2.53 GHz, Bus speed 1066 MHz
GPU: ATI Radeon HD 4650 1gb dedicated memory
Ram: 4g DDR2 800 MHz
Hard Drive: 500GB 5400rpm
Screen Max Resolution: 1600x900 (It's a Sony)
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KU Fint
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 12:03 pm

Your Processor, Ram and GPU are more than adequate I'm sure. Don't know about the Mobo but I'm sure it's fine. You should be able to play the latest games on max settings or nearly at max...

Cheers, going to start looking into overclocking the cpu but I don't have the time to research the subject just now, and don't want to mess it up obviously...
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Greg Swan
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:56 am

Had my pc switched from liquid cooling to fan cooled as the resevoirs always developed leaks and I did some upgrades that I believe will easily handle Skyrim. Sharing the setup for folks to ruminate on and whether they'd like it. This is my new setup:

OS: W7U
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7 CPU 950 @ 3.07GHz 3.06GHz
Installed memory (RAM): 12.0 GB
System Type: 64-bit Operating System
Gpu: 2X Nvidia GeForce GTX 580
HD: Raptor 139 GB
SD: 3x ATA 700GB
SB: Creative SB X-Fi and Realtek High Definition Audio

:tes:
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Hairul Hafis
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:29 pm

The problem is not choosing a new temporary GPU (http://www.gigabyte.ru/global/ru/pages/263/GTX560Ti-SOC.html is good enough for 200 bucks...it beats the 6950 to it's knees, and even makes the 6970 sweat)...it's about if I buy it or not in order to play Skyrim at it's max, considering that I'm going to build a new rig regardless of that.



Well, I already have the chance, but as I said...I don't know if it's a waste of money.

On the other hand, I want to enjoy Skyrim at no less than 1680x1050@Max@60+ fps. Skyrim deserves no less than that :) I've already played though Crysis 1 with that card with crappy framerates, and I don't want to repeat the experience of ruining an excellent game.

Just looked and expected the 560ti to blow away that 6950 afer reading this and it did not the 6950 was better lol
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Amanda savory
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:01 am

Just looked and expected the 560ti to blow away that 6950 afer reading this and it did not the 6950 was better lol


I said THAT 560 Ti beats the 6950...it's fabric overclocked to 950/1900/4580.

And it has the same price tag, or even lower.
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Meghan Terry
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:22 pm

Hey GUISE i have quad gtx 580 i7 975 extreme and 32gig of ram u think this game will run on medium?
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Lillian Cawfield
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:49 am

Just looked and expected the 560ti to blow away that 6950 afer reading this and it did not the 6950 was better lol


how do you know if you haven't tried it, eh?
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ONLY ME!!!!
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:36 pm

I said THAT 560 Ti beats the 6950...it's fabric overclocked to 950/1900/4580.

And it has the same price tag, or even lower.

Gotcha
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Britney Lopez
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:57 am

Hey GUISE i have quad gtx 580 i7 975 extreme and 32gig of ram u think this game will run on medium?


Yes. It will run on high! 32 gigs of ram...is that even possible?
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Pumpkin
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 4:48 pm

how do you know if you haven't tried it, eh?

I was going by the benchmarks listed on anandtech and i did not realize he meant a specific card(which was my fault)he was showing.
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Davorah Katz
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 4:55 pm

Gotcha,Not all 6950's are the same either though some of them are factory overclocked also so it is hard to compare since there are so many types of both the 560ti and 6950's,but that 560 is a nice for that price especialy.


I had that in account when looking for a temporary GPU. That GTX 560 Ti costs me 240 euros (well, 200 technically, as I have "financed" 40 as a birthday gift, but that doesn't matter right now). A normal 6950 would cost me (so far I've looked to) 250-270 euros. And I guess an overclocked-by-fabric one would cost me even more.

It's probable that an OC 6950 has more performance than that 560 Ti, but in the overall price/quality ratio, that GTX 560 Ti wins by now. Unless anybody can find an OC 6950 or better in Spain for equal or less than 240 bucks (taxes AND shipping included).
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Love iz not
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:06 am

I had that in account when looking for a temporary GPU. That GTX 560 Ti costs me 240 euros (well, 200 technically, as I have "financed" 40 as a birthday gift, but that doesn't matter right now). A normal 6950 would cost me (so far I've looked to) 250-270 euros. And I guess an overclocked-by-fabric one would cost me even more.

It's probable that an OC 6950 has more performance than that 560 Ti, but in the overall price/quality ratio, that GTX 560 Ti wins by now. Unless anybody can find an OC 6950 or better in Spain for equal or less than 240 bucks (taxes AND shipping included).

Yeah i hear ya,after looking at that im thinking of buying one of those cards haha that is some nice factory overclocking, the only 6950's that are less than that are the 1 gb variants.
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James Smart
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:22 am

Well, it seems that I wont be getting my new computer until christmas, which means that I'll have to try and run Skyrim off this old machine. I think I'll be able to run it on medium-ish settings and I can't really give any detailed information on it at the moment since I'm not near it. So yeah, here are the (very rough) specs of my computer, thanks in advance. :3

CPU: Intel -something- quad core @ 2.4 GHz.
RAM/ Memory: 3GB DDR3
GPU: Nvidia 9800GT


Yet again, sorry that I can't give any specific information about it at the moment, I'll probably edit it when I can though. :D
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Shae Munro
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 12:31 pm

I'm runing an i5 750 @ 3.3Ghz, 8 gigs of RAM, a 100GB SSD and a pair of 5750s in CF

I think my video cards will prove to be my bottleneck, I'm considering going to a pair of 6870s in CF
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Charles Mckinna
 
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Post » Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:13 pm

How's my rig:
CPU: Intel Core i5 2500k 3.30GHz (Gonna overclock!)
GPU: Club 3D GeForce GTX 560 Ti CoolStream Edition OC Dual Slot 1GB (229€)
(Processor 880MHz, memory 4100MHz) I guess it's a pretty good deal because of the extra cooling.
MoBo: ASRock, but I don't remember it's name. OC-able.
Power: XFX Core Edition PRO 650W
RAM: Corsair DIMM DDR3 8GB 1333MHz
Screen: BenQ 24' Full HD Led screen

EDIT: @Above
I'm pretty sure your 2x5750 will do just fine. They are equal to 6870 which is more than enought to Skyrim IMO.

I have posted here before but more opinions are always nice to have. :D
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Marquis T
 
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