Unofficial "Will My PC Run Skyrim" Thread #54 w hard

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 11:08 am

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1254956-unofficial-will-my-pc-run-skyrim-thread-53-w-hardware-guide//

OFFICIAL SPECS RELEASED! Read Hardware Guide below to see where you stand.


Bethblog: http://www.bethblog.com/index.php/2011/10/25/skyrim-system-requirements-announced/
Recommended Specs (For running Skyrim on "High" settings at 1920x1080 resolution)
  • Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
  • Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
  • 4GB System RAM
  • 6GB free HDD space
  • DirectX 9 compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with 1GB of RAM (Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or higher; ATI Radeon 4890 or higher).
  • DirectX compatible sound card
  • Internet access for Steam activation
Minimum Specs (For running Skyrim on "Low" settings at 1920x1080 resolution)
  • Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
  • Processor: Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent processor
  • 2GB System RAM
  • 6GB free HDD Space
  • Direct X 9 compliant video card with 512 MB of RAM
  • DirectX compatible sound card
  • Internet access for Steam activation

Pete Hines on Twitter:
"The Min specs get you playing, The recommended specs let you play on High, not on Ultra. You'll want beefier rig for that"

Tig Ol Bitties Regarding Resolution:

Hey Gstaff,

Can you give me a confirmation here regarding the PC Requirements for Skyrim.

1.) Was the requirements generated using 1080p resolution?

2.) "Dual-Core" tends to be a vague description on what is needed for a minimal CPU. Can we safely assume the lowest denominator dual cores ...ie older Pentium D's and Athlon X2 chips?


Thanks,

Tig

Todd was using a 1920 x 1080 monitor.

Beyond that, the min/rec specs are all I have to share.


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Please stay on topic, this is specifically a thread to help those who are trying to figure out if they can run Skyrim, if you want general tech help go http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1247846-the-community-tech-thread-no-109/. Thanks!


Do not post here if you are going to brag about where you stand on the GPU list or if you are going to criticize other member's systems. This is not the place to say "I have so and so card and looks like I will totally max this game out"....or...."ooohhh, my system is so much better than yours!!11!!1!!" Comments like that either clutter up this thread unnecessarily and/or will only get you negative responses. Please keep it to yourself. :stare:

Originally by ArticKill
Spoiler
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 (roughly on par with the Radeon X1800XT)
>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.

- Please stay on topic, this is specifically a thread to help those who are trying to figure out if they can run Skyrim, if you want general tech help go to this thread. Thanks!

- Do not post here if you are going to brag about where you stand on the GPU list or if you are going to criticize other member's systems. This is not the place to say "I have so and so card and looks like I will totally max this game out"....or...."ooohhh, my system is so much better than yours!!11!!1!!" Comments like those either clutter up this thread unnecessarily and/or will only get you negative responses. Please keep it to yourself. :stare:

- 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.

- Since this is unofficial, there are no guarantees 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 function to report these new threads to the moderators.

Ok, let's see how it goes.

Thanks in advance.


ElderScrolls V: Skyrim
Desktop Video Card (GPU) Hardware List and Performance Level Predictions


Compiled by Tig Ol Bitties




Notes:

- I am borrowing a hierarchy list that was compiled by some fine folks at OCN as I find it to be quite accurate, but did add my own edits in between here and there. Modification Notes are added to the list to predict performance levels of this game. http://www.overclock.net/graphics-cards-general/502403-graphics-card-ranking-5th-time-last.html is the list borrowed if you are curious. Partial credit given to Anth0789, TheSandman, Astroz, NrGx, and J3r3my who helped create and maintain that list. And a big acknowledgement goes out to a swell member that hasn't been here a while, http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?app=members&module=list, who has provided pretty much the backbone for guides like these in the past. If you don't see your card, feel free to ask.

- This list does not include CPU performance. If you find your video card here to be capable to run the game and are curious about your CPU, general rule of thumb is that if you have a true dual-core chip with at least 2.0GHz frequency, you will likely be fine to run the game. Pentium 4 chips are not true dual core chips; they are dual-core pretenders and are really single-core chips with poor implementation of HyperThreading. Should your dual-core CPU have a lower frequency than 2.0GHz, you can ask about it here. Please understand that frequencies are only comparable within the same architecture of CPUs...it is not a 1-to-1 ratio. A Core 2 Duo or Athlon X2 at 2.0GHz will destroy a Pentium D at the same frequency.

- With the continuing growing questions regarding Mobile GPUs, a list has been kindly provided by Greg49. You can find it after the Desktop GPU list. Source used to predict performance levels for this game: http://www.notebookcheck.net/

- Intel Integrated Graphic Chipsets are for the most part garbage. The hardware implementation to handle shaders required for these games are heavily skimped on with these chipsets. These are more meant for business applications and general usage as opposed to gaming. Strong chance you will not be able to run the game with one based on past games released here and their performance with one. Fallout: FNV allowed some to run the game out of the box, so there might be hope with Skyrim...but you are better off with something else if possible. Gameplay levels are rather low and poor if one manages to work. For the time being, these chips are omitted.

- There are various monitor resolutions out there and the amount of pixels to be rendered does have an effect on performance...the higher the resolution, the more your video card has to work to render all those extra pixels. I can't be bothered to cover settings for each resolution, so I am basing this list on the more common one for gaming these days...1080p (1920x1080). If your resolution is a step lower than this (1680x1050), then your performance will be slightly better than what's indicated in the list....YMMV.

- With the Official Requirements out now, the guide below doesn't need to change much, if not at all. The performance levels you see here are based on those requirements although I personally do not buy the 512MB VRAM requirement. If the card has a lower VRAM amount like 320MB for example, the game will still run so long as the card's other specs have the horsepower (Stream Processors, core/memory/shader clockspeeds, memory bandwidth, memory type, etc). In these cases, it may simply just be a matter of having to lower texture size. There are even videos on youtube now of people running the game with 256MB cards:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxXzFvggFoY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in-ifEvo_Hc

- Here is what I find to be a more realistic system requirement for the game based on what I've found so far:

Recommended Specs (For running Skyrim on "High" settings at 1920x1080 resolution)
  • Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
  • Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
  • 4GB System RAM
  • 6GB free HDD space
  • DirectX 9 compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with 1GB of RAM (Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or higher; ATI Radeon 4890 or higher).
  • DirectX compatible sound card
  • Internet access for Steam activation
Minimum Specs (For running Skyrim on "Low" settings at 1920x1080 resolution)
  • Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
  • Processor: Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent processor (presuming older Athlon 64 X2 CPUs since Pentium D started at 2.6GHz)
  • 2GB System RAM
  • 6GB free HDD Space
  • Direct X 9 compliant video card with 256 MB of RAM
  • DirectX compatible sound card
  • Internet access for Steam activation

- Benchmarks (will add as they come in):
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/skyrim-performance-benchmark,3074.html
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/11/11/elder_scrolls_v_skyrim_performance_iq_preview


Without further ado, here is the list....

Color Codes:
3DFX
AMD
Matrox
Nvidia
S3
SiS


***It is a long list, we know, but to find your card real quick, press ctrl F and a search box should appear on the bottom or a window that pops up, simply put the number of your GPU and click on the 'up/down' or 'find/search' buttons. Example: You want to know if your 6670 will run, type in 6670! If you want to know if a 580 will run, type 580!***-tgl1992

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Egad!!: I'm fairly certain these will give you at least Ultra Settings. Gets more to the max levels if more near the top of the list.
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  • GeForce Mars II Dual GTX 580 3GB
  • Radeon HD6990 4GB
  • GeForce GTX 590 3GB
  • Radeon HD6870X2 2GB
  • Radeon HD5870X2 4GB
  • Radeon HD5970 4GB
  • Radeon HD5970 2GB
  • GeForce GTX 580 3GB
  • GeForce GTX 580 1536MB - GeForce GTX 460 2Win 2GB
  • Radeon HD6970 2GB
  • GeForce GTX 570 1280MB
  • GeForce GTX 480 1536MB
  • Radeon HD6950 2GB
  • Radeon HD6950 1GB
  • GeForce GTX 295 1792MB
  • Radeon HD4870X2 2GB
  • Radeon HD5870 2GB
  • Radeon HD5870 1GB
  • GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB
  • GeForce GTX 470 1280MB
  • Radeon HD6870 1GB
  • GeForce GTX 560 1GB
  • Radeon HD5850 1GB
  • Radeon HD6850 1GB
  • GeForce GTX 460 2GB
  • GeForce GTX 285 2GB
  • GeForce GTX 460 1GB
  • GeForce GTX 465 1GB
  • Radeon HD4850X2 2GB
  • Radeon HD4850X2 1GB
  • GeForce GTX 285 1GB
  • GeForce GTX 460 768MB
  • GeForce GTX 460 SE 1GB
  • Radeon HD5830 1GB
  • Radeon HD6790 1GB
  • GeForce GTX 275 1792MB
  • Radeon HD4890 2GB
  • GeForce GTX 280 1GB
  • GeForce GTX 275 896MB
  • GeForce 9800GX2 1GB
  • Radeon HD4890 1GB
  • GeForce GTX 260-Core 216 896MB



    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    High at least: Mileage may vary, but these are well-performing cards that could put you in the max criteria depending on resolution. Some of these cards may be "outdated," but are all rather good and will definitely be able to play Skyrim and look nice at the same time.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  • GeForce GTX 550 Ti 1GB
  • Radeon HD4870 1GB
  • Radeon HD5770 1GB / HD6770 1GB
  • Radeon HD4870 512MB
  • GeForce GTX 260 896MB
  • GeForce GTS 450 1GB
  • Radeon HD3870X2 1GB
  • Radeon HD5750 1GB / HD6750 1GB
  • GeForce GTS 250 1GB
  • Radeon HD4850 1GB
  • GeForce 9800GTX+ 512MB/GTS250 512MB
  • GeForce 8800 Ultra 768MB
  • Radeon HD4850 512MB
  • GeForce 9800GTX 512MB
  • GeForce 8800GTX 768MB
  • Radeon HD4770 512MB
  • GeForce 8800GTS 512MB (G92)


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Medium-High Levels: Several cards from years past, but they've still got lots of power in them and will be able to truly enjoy Skyrim.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  • Radeon HD6670 1GB
  • Radeon HD4830 512MB
  • Radeon HD5670 1GB
  • Radeon HD5670 512MB
  • Radeon HD6570 1GB
  • GeForce 8800GT 1GB/9800GT 1GB
  • GeForce 8800GT 512MB/9800GT 512MB
  • Radeon HD2900XT 1GB
  • Radeon HD4730 512MB
  • GeForce 9600GT 1GB
  • GeForce 9600GT 512MB/GTS240 512MB
  • GeForce GT 240 1GB
  • GeForce GT 240 512MB
  • Radeon HD2900XT 512MB
  • Radeon HD3870 512MB
  • GeForce 8800GTS 640MB (112SP)
  • GeForce 8800GTS 640MB
  • Radeon HD4670 1GB
  • Radeon HD4670 512MB
  • Radeon HD2900Pro 512MB
  • Radeon HD3850 512MB
  • GeForce 8800GT 256MB
  • GeForce 8800GTS 320MB
  • GeForce 8800GS 384MB/9600GSO 384MB
  • GeForce 9600GSO 768MB
  • GeForce 9600GSO 512MB (G94)


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Medium to Low-Medium Levels: Mostly cards from years past, but they've still got some power in them and wth the right tweaks, should be able to enjoy Skyrim. The X360 rough video card equivalent is a X1800XT, but it does have a strong CPU. Still, should give some idea where you stand. The PC game is still worth getting even with these cards IMO, but an upgrade would be a good idea too. The 512MB version of cards are going to fair better than the 256MB of the same card. The 512MB requirement is kind of baloney...youtube videos are surfacing of people playing the game with 256MB cards and it looks like textures may have to be turned down. These days, you should have a card with at least 512MB of VRAM though for a game like this that can be texture-heavy.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  • Radeon HD5570 1GB
  • GeForce GT 430 1GB
  • GeForce GT 520 1GB
  • Radeon HD5550 1GB
  • Radeon HD3850 256MB
  • GeForce 7950GX2 1GB
  • GeForce 7900GX2 1GB
  • Radeon X1950XTX 512MB
  • GeForce 7800GT Dual 512MB
  • Radeon X1900XTX 512MB
  • Radeon X1900XT 512MB
  • GeForce 7900GTX 512MB
  • Radeon X1950XT 256MB
  • Radeon X1900XT 256MB
  • GeForce 7900GTO 512MB
  • GeForce 7800GTX 512MB
  • GeForce 7950GT 512MB
  • Radeon X1950Pro 512MB
  • Radeon HD2900GT 256MB
  • Radeon X1950Pro 256MB
  • Radeon HD4650 512MB
  • GeForce 8600GTS 512MB
  • GeForce 8600GTS 256MB
  • GeForce 7900GT 512MB
  • GeForce GT 220 1GB
  • GeForce GT 220 512MB
  • GeForce 9500GT 1GB
  • GeForce 9500GT 512MB
  • Radeon X1800XT 512MB
  • GeForce 7900GS 512MB
  • GeForce 8600GT 512MB
  • Radeon X1950GT 512MB
  • Radeon X1900GT 256MB
  • Radeon X1800XT 256MB
  • GeForce 7900GT 256MB
  • GeForce 7800GTX 256MB
  • GeForce 7800GS Bliss+ 512MB
  • Radeon X1900GT Rev2 256MB
  • GeForce 7800GT 256MB
  • Radeon HD6450 1GB
  • Radeon X1800XL 256MB
  • GeForce 7800GS 256MB
  • Radeon X1800GTO 256MB
  • GeForce 8600GT 256MB
  • Radeon X1650XT 256MB
  • GeForce 7600GT 256MB
  • Radeon HD2600XT 256MB
  • Radeon HD3650 256MB
  • Radeon HD4550 512MB
  • Radeon HD5450 512MB


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Low to Very Low Levels: Mostly cards from years past. This is the area where upgrading should be considered. Or just getting it for the X360/PS3. Generally weak, but given the right tweaks and settings, some of these may run Skyrim without looking too ugly...YMMV with differing low resolutions and your tolerance levels. The further down this list section you go, the more you really should reconsider getting this game for the PC. And the Radeon X800 series cards are up in the air right now whether it will get support. These are Shader Model 2.0b cards...the requirements for Skyrim may increase the Shader Model needs to SM 3.0. We'll see.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  • Radeon X850XTPE 256MB
  • Radeon X850XT 256MB
  • GeForce 7600GTS 256MB
  • Radeon HD2600Pro 256MB
  • Radeon X800XT/PE 256MB
  • GeForce 6800Ultra/EE 256MB
  • GeForce 6800GT 256MB
  • GeForce 6800GS 256MB
  • Radeon X800XL 256MB
  • Radeon X800GTO 256MB/X800GTO2 256MB
  • Radeon X850Pro 256MB
  • Radeon X800Pro 256MB
  • Radeon X800GTO 256MB
  • GeForce 6800GS AGP 256MB
  • GeForce 9400GT 512MB
  • GeForce GT 210 512MB
  • GeForce 8500GT 256MB
  • Radeon X1650Pro 256MB
  • Radeon X1600XT 256MB
  • GeForce 7600GS 256MB
  • Radeon HD2400XT 256MB
  • GeForce 6800 256MB
  • Radeon X800GT 256MB
  • Radeon X800 256MB
  • Radeon X1300XGE 512MB
  • Radeon X1300XT 256MB
  • Radeon X1600Pro 256MB
  • Radeon HD4350 512MB
  • Radeon HD3450 256MB
  • GeForce 8400GS 256MB
  • GeForce 6800XT/LE 256MB
  • GeForce 7300GT 256MB
  • GeForce 6600GT 256MB
  • Radeon HD2400Pro 256MB


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Fuggedaboutit: Cards from years past. These cards either don't have the necessary shader requirements and/or are just too damn old and weak. If you still have one of these, you are so overdue for a new PC or a massive upgrade.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  • Radeon X700XT 256MB
  • Radeon 9800XT 256MB
  • Radeon X700Pro 256MB
  • Radeon 9800Pro 256MB
  • Radeon 9800Pro 128MB
  • Radeon 9700Pro 256MB
  • GeForce 6600 256MB
  • Radeon 9800 256MB
  • Radeon X700 256MB
  • Radeon 9800SE 256MB
  • Chrome S27 256MB
  • Radeon 9700 128MB
  • GeForce 5950 Ultra 256MB
  • GeForce 5900 Ultra 256MB
  • GeForce5900 128MB
  • GeForce 5800 Ultra 128MB
  • GeForce 5900XT 128MB
  • GeForce 5800 128MB
  • Radeon X1300Pro 128MB
  • Radeon X600XT 128MB
  • Radeon 9600XT 128MB
  • GeForce TI4800 128MB
  • GeForce TI4600 128MB
  • Radeon X600Pro 128MB
  • Radeon 9500Pro 128MB
  • Radeon 9600Pro 128MB
  • GeForce TI4800SE 128MB
  • GeForce TI4400 128MB
  • Radeon X1550 128MB
  • Radeon X1300 128MB
  • Radeon 9800SE 128MB
  • Radeon X600 128MB
  • Radeon 9600 128MB
  • Radeon 9500 128MB
  • GeForce 6600LE 128MB
  • Radeon X1300SE 128MB
  • GeForce 6200TC 128MB
  • GeForce 6200 128MB
  • GeForce 5700 Ultra 128MB
  • GeForce 5700 128MB
  • GeForce 7300GS 128MB
  • GeForce 6200LE 128MB
  • Radeon X550 128MB
  • GeForce 5600 Ultra FC 128MB
  • GeForce 5600 Ultra 128MB
  • Radeon 9550 128MB
  • GeForce TI4200 128MB
  • GeForce 5600 128MB
  • GeForce 5600XT 128MB
  • Radeon 9600SE 128MB
  • GeForce 7300LE 128MB
  • Radeon X1050 128MB
  • Radeon X300 128MB
  • GeForce 7300SE 128MB
  • GeForce 7200GS 128MB
  • GeForce 7100GS 128MB
  • Radeon 9550SE 128MB
  • Radeon 9200Pro 128MB
  • GeForce 3 TI500 64MB
  • GeForce 5500 128MB
  • Radeon 8500 128MB
  • Radeon 9000Pro 128MB
  • Radeon 9200 128MB
  • GeForce 5200 Ultra 128MB
  • Radeon 9250 128MB
  • Radeon 9000 128MB
  • Matrox Parhelia
  • GeForce 4 MX460 64MB
  • GeForce 5200 64MB
  • Voodoo 5 6000
  • GeForce 3 64MB
  • Radeon 8500LE 64MB
  • GeForce 3 TI200 64MB
  • SiS Xabre 600 64MB
  • SiS Xabre 400 64MB
  • GeForce 4 MX440 64MB
  • SiS Xabre 200 64MB
  • Radeon 9200SE 64MB
  • GeForce 2 Ultra 64MB
  • Radeon 7500 64MB
  • GeForce 2 TI 64MB
  • GeForce 2 Pro 64MB
  • Voodoo 5 5500
  • GeForce 2 GTS 64MB
  • GeForce 4 MX420 64MB
  • Radeon DDR (Later Renamed Radeon 7200)
  • GeForce 256 DDR 32MB
  • GeForce 2 MX400 64MB
  • Radeon SDR
  • GeForce 256 32MB
  • Savage 4
  • GeForce 2 MX 32MB
  • Voodoo 4 4500
  • Voodoo 3 3500
  • Voodoo 3 3000
  • Riva TNT2 Ultra
  • Matrox G400
  • Radeon VE (Later Renamed Radeon 7000)
  • Voodoo 3 2000
  • Riva TNT2
  • Rage128
  • Voodoo 3 1000
  • Voodoo 2
  • Rage 128 Pro
  • Riva TNT
  • Intel i740
  • Savage 2000
  • Matrox G200
  • Voodoo Banshee
  • Rage 3D Pro
  • VooDoo 1
  • Riva 128ZX
  • Riva 128
  • Rage IIc
  • [B]Rage 3D





Mobile GPU Performance Level Predictions


Compiled by Greg49




EXTREME: These cards SHOULD max the game at full 1080p, without any problems.

1. Radeon HD 6990M
2. Nvidia GTX 580M
3. Nvidia GTX 485M
4. Radeon HD 6970M
5. Nvidia GTX 570M
6. Radeon HD 6950M
7. Radeon HD 4870 X2

HIGH: These cards should run Skyrim at high setings, give or take a little depending on the resolution. They will definitely play Skyrim well.

8. Nvidia GTX 480M
9. Nvidia GTX 470M

10. Nvidia GTX 560M
11. Radeon HD 5870M
12. Radeon HD 6870M

13. Nvidia GTX 460M 1.5GB
14. Nvidia GTX 460M 1GB
15. Nvidia GTX 285M


MEDIUM/HIGH: These cards should be around medium/high settings give or take a little depending on the exact resolution. Some of these cards are showing their age but should still be more then sufficient for Skyrim.

16. Radeon HD 4870
17. Nvidia GTX 280M
18. Radeon HD 3870 X2
19. Radeon HD 3850 X2
20. Radeon HD 4850

21. Nvidia GTX 260M
22. Nvidia GTX 9800M
23. Nvidia 555M GT 2GB
24. Nvidia 555M GT 1GB

25. Radeon HD 6850M
26. Radeon HD 5850M
27. Radeon HD 6770M

28. Nvidia 9800M GT / 8800M GTX
29. Nvidia GT 445M
30. Nvidia GTS 360M

31. Radeon HD 6750M
32. Nvidia GT 550M
33. Nvidia GTS 260M
34. Nvidia GTS 160M
35. Nvidia GTS 9800M

36. Radeon HD 6830M
37. Radeon HD 5830M

38. Nvidia 9800M GS
39. Radeon HD 4830M
40. Radeon HD 6730M
41. Radeon HD 5770M


MEDIUM: These cards should be around solid medium settings give or take a little depending on the resolution. These cards should be on par with the console version graphically or even a bit higher.


42. Nvidia 8800M GTS
43. Radeon HD 5750
44. Nvidia 540M GT
45. Radeon HD 5730
46. Radeon HD 6670M

47. Nvida 435M GT
48. Radeon HD 6650M
49. Nvidia 350M GTS
50. Nvida 250M GTS

51. Radeon HD 6630M
52 Radeon HD 5650M

53. Nvidia 525M
54. Radeon HD 4670M
55. Nvidia 425M
56. Nvidia 9700M GTS
57. Nvidia 335M GT

58. Radeon HD 3870M
59. Radeon HD 4650M


MEDIUM/LOW: These cards should run Skyrim, with the right tweaks you could probably get them to look as good as the console version. The farther you get down the list the closer you are to low end.


60. Radeon HD 3850M
61. Nvidia 420M GT
62. Nvidia 330M GT
63. Nvidia 240M GT
64. Nvidia 7950M GTX
65. Nvidia 9700M GT
66. Nvidiia 230M GT

67. Radeon HD 6490M
68. Nvidia 325M GT
69. Nvidia 130M GT
70. Nvidia 7900 GTX
71. Nvidia 9650M GS
72. Nvidia 9650M GT
73. Nvidia 8700M GT
74. Nvidia 7800 GTX
75. Nvidia 7900 GS
76. Nvidia 9600M GT
77. Nvidia 220M GT
78. Nvidia 120M GT

79. Radeon HD 6470M
80. Nvidia GT 520M
81. Radeon HD 3670M
82. Nvidia 320M GT
83. Radeom HD 2600M XT
84. Mobility Radeon X1900
85. Mobility Radeon X1800 XT
86. Mobility Radeon X1800

87. Nvidia 7800M Go
88. Nvidia 9600M GS
89. Nvidia 9500M GS

90. Radeon 6370M
91. Radeon HD 5470M

92. Nvidia 415M GT
93. Radeon HD 3650M

LOW END: These cards will have trouble running the game if they even run it. The game probably won't be very enjoyable on any of these. The cards on the top of this of this list may be sufficient, but its more of a judgement call. The cards on the bottom probably won't run Skyrim at all.

94. Nvidia 410M
95. Radeon HD 4570M
96. Radeon HD 6450M
97. Radeon HD 5450M
98. Radeon HD 2600M

99. Nvidia 310M
100. Nvidia G120M
101. Nvidia 315M
102. Nvidia 7600M GT
103. Nvidia 9500M G
104. Nvidia 8600M GS
105. Nvidia 7700M Go
106. Nvidia 6800M

107. Mobility Radeon X1800XT
108. Radeon HD 5430M
109. Radeon HD 4550M
110. Radeon HD 4530M
111. Radeon HD 4350M

112. Nvidia 305M
113. Mobility Radeon X1700
114. Nvidia 7600 Go
115. Mobility Radeon X800
116. Mobility Radeon X1600

117. Nvidia 6600M Go
118. Mobility Radeon X1450
119. Radeon HD X700M

120. Nvidia 110M G
121. Radeon HD 4330M
122. Nvidia 8400M GT
123. Nvidia 105M G
124. Nvidia 103M G
125. Nvidia 9500M Ge
126. Nvidia 102M G
127. Nvidia 205M G
128. Nvidia 9400M ION

129. Radeon HD 6320M
130. Radeon HD 6310M
131. Radeon HD 3470M

132. Nidia 9300M G
133. ION 2
134. Nvidia 9200M GS

135. Radeon HD 3450M
136. Radeon HD 3430M
137. Radeon HD 3410M
138. Radeon HD 2400XT
139. Radeon HD 4270M
140. Radeon HD 4250M
141. Radeon HD 4200M
142. Radeon HD 2400M

143. Nvidia 8400 GS
144. Radeon HD 3200M
145. Radeon HD 3100M

146. Nvidia 8400M G
147. Nvidia 8200M G

148. Nvidia 7400M Go
149. Nvidia 7300 Go


NOT A CHANCE: These cards will not run Skyrim, it's time for a new laptop.

150. Mobility Radeon 9800
151. Mobility Radeon X600
152. Radeon X2300M

153. Nvidia 4200 Go
154. Mobility Radeon 9600
155. Mobility Radeon 9500

156. Nvidia 7200M Go
157. Nvidia 6400M Go

158. Mobility Radeon X300
159. Nvidia 6250M Go
160. Nvidia 6200M Go
161. Nvidia FX 5700 Go
162. Nvidia FX Go 5600

163. Radeon Xpress X1270
164. Radeon Xpress X1250
165. Radeon Xpress 1200
166. Radeon X1200

User avatar
Niisha
 
Posts: 3393
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:54 am

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 5:47 pm

So who is playing on Ultra settings without any issues. What graphics card are you using and what PSU. Seeking to upgrade.
User avatar
Georgia Fullalove
 
Posts: 3390
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 11:48 pm

Post » Mon May 21, 2012 1:45 am

This thread is for those who aren't running it yet to ask for a prediction, but right now, the lists of ranked cards are in need of a major reshuffle, since the PC version ended up being more demanding than we anticipated and were led to believe.

It will also be a lot of help, considering that the Official Requirements are very useless.
User avatar
Oyuki Manson Lavey
 
Posts: 3438
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:47 am

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 4:15 pm

So who is playing on Ultra settings without any issues. What graphics card are you using and what PSU. Seeking to upgrade.

i5-760 @ 3.8ghz
8gb DDR3-2000
Dual 1gb GTX460 Hawk
Corsair HX750 Modular PSU
EVGA P55 Classified 200

Ultra details, maximum everything except no AA or FXAA (AF is at x16, though). Every slider at maximum. I get buttery fluid 60fps all the time except in towns (where it dips to 25-45fps depending on city).
User avatar
brandon frier
 
Posts: 3422
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:47 pm

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 12:19 pm

So who is playing on Ultra settings without any issues. What graphics card are you using and what PSU. Seeking to upgrade.

GTX 580 with a Corsair TX750 PSU. Average fps is 85 so far...16x AA, 8x transparency, 16x AF all through Nvidia control panel.
User avatar
Michelle Chau
 
Posts: 3308
Joined: Sat Aug 26, 2006 4:24 am

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 2:59 pm

In order for me in most cases to know if my computer runs a video game, I use System Requirements Lab (google "can I run it") And it will tell you the Minimum and Maximum Specs of a list of games. Cheers

Cooler Master Sniper Black Edition
P8P67 Deluxe Mobo
Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 FleX 2GB
i5 2500k
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
Antec TP-750 Blue
Logitech G110 (Not Recommended)
Logitech G9x (Recommended)
User avatar
Oscar Vazquez
 
Posts: 3418
Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:08 pm

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 3:04 pm

GTX 560 Ti (Reference cooler...rather loudly but ok)
500W Acer PSU.

Maxing everything + .ini-Tweaks for tree and stone shadows.
vSync is enabled (but playing with 360 controller so there won't be a problem with the mouse axes).
FPS range from 40-60 with that one spot in whiterun that delivers about 25-30 FPS (but still seems smooth to me).

No crash so far (CPU is i5-2400 @ 3.1ghz) and no other problems beside that fire not visible bug but there is a fix in the hardware forum.
User avatar
dav
 
Posts: 3338
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:46 pm

Post » Mon May 21, 2012 1:59 am

Laptop here (though I have a Comp that can play this fine...)

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 11/13/2011, 23:34:26
Machine name: ------
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.110622-1506)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: TOSHIBA
System Model: Qosmio X775
BIOS: BIOS Date: 07/28/11 16:16:07 Ver: AMI APTIO 1.30
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM CPU @ 2.00GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.0GHz
Memory: 6144MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 6050MB RAM
Page File: 3105MB used, 8993MB available
Windows Dir: C:\windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 64bit Unicode
Graphics Card: GeForce GTX 560M

Though despite the GTX 560M, this game runs like [censored]. BF3, Crysis 2... Both run amazingly well, but this can't take it...
User avatar
Cccurly
 
Posts: 3381
Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 8:18 pm

Post » Mon May 21, 2012 2:05 am

so i know my system beats minimum requirements. but i would like ti know if anyone has a similar system to mine, so i can figure how often i might have to reboot. or what settings skyrim might run on.

windows xp sp3
asus m2n-mx motherboard
geforce 9500GT 1 gig of video memory
2.5 gigs of ddr2 ram
64 bit dual core amd 5200+ at 2.6 ghz
latest nvidia drivers
User avatar
Ronald
 
Posts: 3319
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 12:16 am

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 9:08 pm

So who is playing on Ultra settings without any issues. What graphics card are you using and what PSU. Seeking to upgrade.

Ultra without any issues, other than the very occassional flutter of reflections on moving water. AAx8, AFx16, vsync enabled through nvidia panel.

i7 920@3.5ghz
12g DDR3 Ram
Evga 465x3 SLI'd of course (oc'd well beyond the factory 'super-clock')
1200w PSU
Evga FTW3 MoBo
User avatar
Petr Jordy Zugar
 
Posts: 3497
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:10 pm

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 8:04 pm

Laptop here (though I have a Comp that can play this fine...)

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 11/13/2011, 23:34:26
Machine name: ------
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.110622-1506)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: TOSHIBA
System Model: Qosmio X775
BIOS: BIOS Date: 07/28/11 16:16:07 Ver: AMI APTIO 1.30
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM CPU @ 2.00GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.0GHz
Memory: 6144MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 6050MB RAM
Page File: 3105MB used, 8993MB available
Windows Dir: C:\windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 64bit Unicode
Graphics Card: GeForce GTX 560M

Though despite the GTX 560M, this game runs like [censored]. BF3, Crysis 2... Both run amazingly well, but this can't take it...

Try turning down your shadows and AA/AF settings. Your laptop should run the game on medium-high but there might be some issues since Skyrim likes to work your CPU for things your GPU should be doing.
User avatar
SHAWNNA-KAY
 
Posts: 3444
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 1:22 pm

Post » Mon May 21, 2012 1:39 am

Hello!

Curious if this old PC can handle Skyrim and if yes, at what graphics/FPS levels and which components should be upgraded first, thanks a lot for any help.

Windows 7
SAMSUNG HD103SJ (1TB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm, 32MB Cache) : 932GB
CPU TYPE:
AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400
CPU SPEED:
2.32 GHz
SYSTEM MEMORY:
3 GB
VIDEO CARD MODEL:
NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT 512MB
PRIMARY DISPLAY RESOLUTION:
1920x1080
User avatar
cassy
 
Posts: 3368
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:57 am

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 12:38 pm

I have the Radeon HD5850 1GB and its on place 23.

It says i can play on ultra setting ..but in reality i have 10 fps (medium settings) in whiterun , WTF ? This is [censored]

rest of my rig is


Phenom x4 2,2 ghz
4 GB RAM


I dont understand this..very disapointed -.-

i hope the second patch fixes it : )
User avatar
Tai Scott
 
Posts: 3446
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:58 pm

Post » Mon May 21, 2012 3:15 am

Try turning down your shadows and AA/AF settings. Your laptop should run the game on medium-high but there might be some issues since Skyrim likes to work your CPU for things your GPU should be doing.

I did, but even on the lowest possible settings, it is lagging badly...
User avatar
Susan
 
Posts: 3536
Joined: Sun Jun 25, 2006 2:46 am

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 2:09 pm

I did, but even on the lowest possible settings, it is lagging badly...
right -.-
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Amiee Kent
 
Posts: 3447
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:25 pm

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 11:46 am

right -.-
Same Problem?
User avatar
Rachyroo
 
Posts: 3415
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 11:23 pm

Post » Mon May 21, 2012 12:36 am

Same Problem?

yes.. ive maked a video about my problem http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-D0nF4six4

i dont get it ..so a beautiful game and just badly ported -.-
User avatar
Kate Schofield
 
Posts: 3556
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:58 am

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 5:40 pm

I admit I already got a reply here (before it needed to be wiped), so before I get my head bitten off, let me explain why i'm asking again.
I made a few changes to my setup, which might make a difference.

I've read alot how this game is turning out to be very CPU intensive, shadow rendering on the CPU, instead of GPU... Bah!

With the original answer being that my system (in signature), would handle medium most likely, I was happy, but hoped for more.
I went about overclocking the CPU first;
I had some quiet impressive results without even changing it away from the stock voltage.
It was easy to get it to go from 1.6Ghz to 2.4Ghz, all 4 cores are happy to do this, they can even do 2.8Ghz, but I'm after a stable setup.
Will this make a difference, or could I still be limited by my APU/GPU combo.
Is it worth trying to overclock the Graphics too?

Thanks for any feedback.
User avatar
Cash n Class
 
Posts: 3430
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 10:01 am

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 1:59 pm

Hey guys, it's that really worried guy with the Radeon HD 3100M. I remember everyone saying I probably can't run Skyrim with such a bad card and stuff like that but it turns out I can run Skyrim on medium-high with no lag. Is this just luck, or is there some sort of hidden power in my card?
User avatar
Mario Alcantar
 
Posts: 3416
Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:26 am

Post » Mon May 21, 2012 2:01 am

I'm running a msi gx630 series, 9600m gt 512 mb vid card, 32 bit win vista, amd athlon dual core ql-62 2.00ghz. Any shot? Or just go with the 360 version?
User avatar
emily grieve
 
Posts: 3408
Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2006 11:55 pm

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 4:07 pm

Hey guys, it's that really worried guy with the Radeon HD 3100M. I remember everyone saying I probably can't run Skyrim with such a bad card and stuff like that but it turns out I can run Skyrim on medium-high with no lag. Is this just luck, or is there some sort of hidden power in my card?

My Guess, is you have a very good CPU that is compensating and/or you've managed to fiddle the settings just right so it doesn't stress your system (Low shadows).
User avatar
marie breen
 
Posts: 3388
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2006 4:50 am

Post » Mon May 21, 2012 12:50 am

Will this old poor computer run it? This computers was awesome in the time of Oblivion but I fear it no longer can keep up haha :P So what do I have to replace and what should I replace it with? (I have a limited budget)

OS: Windows XP
CPU: AMD Athlon 64, 2200 MHz (11 x 200) 3700+
System Memory: 1024 MB (PC3200 DDr SDRAM)
Graphic Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT (256 MB)

Is it worth upgrading or should I just buy an Xbox and play it on the xbox?
User avatar
Talitha Kukk
 
Posts: 3477
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 1:14 am

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 3:43 pm

I'm running a msi gx630 series, 9600m gt 512 mb vid card, 32 bit win vista, amd athlon dual core ql-62 2.00ghz. Any shot? Or just go with the 360 version?

I have a very similar laptop - I'm hoping I can run the game without having to buy a gaming system, because I just don't play video games often enough to warrant it. Here are my specs:

Windows 7 64-bit machine with:

Intel® Core™2 Duo CPU T6400 @ 2.00GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.0GHz
4096MB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
  • Display Memory: 2269 MB
  • Dedicated Memory: 493 MB
  • Shared Memory: 1775 MB
81.9 GB free on the HDD

My monitor does NOT display at 1080p - it runs at 1366 x 768 (32 bit). Not sure if that will change anything, but I thought it worth mentioning since the minimum and recommended specs mention a higher resolution.

I've seen some people say this will be fine, and others suggest I buy an Xbox 360 or PS3 because it'll look like crap - but with all the lag problems on the consoles, plus the inability to mod on those platforms, I'd prefer my computer. Someone (please) give me good news!
User avatar
Benito Martinez
 
Posts: 3470
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:33 am

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 4:55 pm

hey guys.

Skyrim has high cpu requirements. If you have a decent graphic card and are experiencing low frame rates then its likely your cpu is the bottleneck.

My System

quad core @ 2.4 ghz OC to 2.7 ghz
Nvidia GTX 560 ti
4gb ram
windows 7 64 bit

Small Test and Conclusion


Using ultra settings(shadows on vhigh not ultra) Im getting around 40-45 fps dropping to 25-35 in some cities)

- while playing skyrim, the GTX 560 ti (measured using msi afterburner ) is only using 70% of its capacity and 60% of its video memory
- I overclocked my cpu from 2.4 to 2.7 ghz and immediately got another 8-10 fps.

So moral of the story - if your getting low frame-rates have a go at overclocking your cpu (slowly, incrementally and safely)
User avatar
+++CAZZY
 
Posts: 3403
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 1:04 pm

Post » Sun May 20, 2012 5:12 pm

Will this old poor computer run it? This computers was awesome in the time of Oblivion but I fear it no longer can keep up haha :P So what do I have to replace and what should I replace it with? (I have a limited budget)

OS: Windows XP
CPU: AMD Athlon 64, 2200 MHz (11 x 200) 3700+
System Memory: 1024 MB (PC3200 DDr SDRAM)
Graphic Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT (256 MB)

Is it worth upgrading or should I just buy an Xbox and play it on the xbox?

If your not planning to install mods then get it for the xbox. I have skyrim on both xbox and a high end (ish) PC to and the increase in graphics wow for PC (ultra settings) is not that huge. (as the texture res is virtually the same on xbox and PC)

Once skyrim high res texture mods for PC are available then the PC will blow the xbox out of the water but unless u have a high end pc you will most likely not be able to run those mods anyway. (and looking at your specs you would need to replace virtually every component with mid-high end $$ stuff)

Im a PC is best guy but in all honesty out of the box skyrim is probably better on the xbox. The interface is designed for a controller and you get to play on your HD tv while sitting on the couch
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louise hamilton
 
Posts: 3412
Joined: Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:16 am

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