Here is a .ini that I created that should max out the most powerful systems. For those of you who are running cutting edge systems with thousands of dollars worth of hardware, try this ini. All I ask is that you report back and tell us how awesome the game looks, the FPS, and possibly some screenshots if you are pleased with the ini below!! Have fun!
As usual, remember to set the resolution you are going to use in the below ini, and set your graphics adapter where it says! Then copy and past into where the .ini is. BACKUP THE ORIGINAL INI FILE.

[General]
fBrightLightColorB=1.0000
fBrightLightColorG=1.0000
fBrightLightColorR=1.0000
iStoryManagerLoggingEvent=-1
bEnableStoryManagerLogging=0
bAllowConsole=1
iPreloadSizeLimit=209715200
bPreloadIntroSequence=1
fMasterFilePreLoadMB=320.0000
iNumHWThreads=1
bUseThreadedParticleSystem=1
uGridsToLoad=20
uInterior Cell Buffer=16
uExterior Cell Buffer=180
iFPSClamp=0
[Imagespace]
bDoDepthOfField=1
iRadialBlurLevel=4
[Display]
iBlurDeferredShadowMask=4
fInteriorShadowDistance=6000.0000
fShadowDistance=16000.0000
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=4096
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=8192
iShadowSplitCount=2
iMaxAnisotropy=16
fLeafAnimDampenDistEnd=6600.0000
fLeafAnimDampenDistStart=5600.0000
fTreesMidLODSwitchDist=20000000
fGamma=1.5000
fDecalLOD2=3500.0000
fDecalLOD1=3000.0000
fSpecularLODStartFade=4000.0000
fShadowLODStartFade=400.0000
fLightLODStartFade=5500.0000
iTexMipMapMinimum=16
iTexMipMapSkip=0
iWaterMultiSamples=4
iMultiSample=8
iShadowMode=5
bTreesReceiveShadows=1
bDrawLandShadows=1
bFull Screen=1
iSize W=INSERT YOUR RESOLUTION HERE!!
iSize H=INSERT YOUR RESOLUTION HERE!!
fMeshLODFadePercentDefault=3.2000
fMeshLODFadeBoundDefault=1024.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeTreeDistance=8192.0000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeTreeDistance=11376.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeDist=20000000.0000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeDist=20000000.0000
iScreenShotIndex=2
bShadowMaskZPrepass=0
bMainZPrepass=0
iMaxSkinDecalsPerFrame=50
iMaxDecalsPerFrame=300
bFloatPointRenderTarget=0
sD3DDevice="INSERT THE NAME OF YOUR GPU HERE"
bFXAAEnabled=0
fShadowBiasScale=0.050
iShadowMaskQuarter=5
iAdapter=0
iPresentInterval=0
iShadowFilter=3
bTransparencyMultisampling=0
bDrawShadows=1
iShadowMapResolution=8192
fDefault1stPersonFOV=90.0000
fDefaultWorldFOV=90.0000
fDefaultFOV=90.0000
bSimpleLighting=0
bDynamicWindowReflections=1
bUseFakeFullScreenMotionBlur=0
bAllowPartialPrecision=0
bShadowsOnGrass=1
bActorSelfShadowing=1
bMTRendering=1
bUseSunbeams=1
bAllow30Shaders=1
bDo30VFog=1
[Grass]
b30GrassVS=1
fGrassStartFadeDistance=10000.0000
fGrassMaxStartFadeDistance=10000.0000
fGrassMinStartFadeDistance=0.0000
iMaxGrassTypesPerTexure=5
bAllowLoadGrass=1
iGrassCellRadius=8
bGrassPointLighting=1
fGrassFadeRange=2500.0000
fGrassDefaultStartFadeDistance=5000.0000
bDrawShaderGrass=1
[MAIN]
bGamepadEnable=0
bCrosshairEnabled=1
fHUDOpacity=1.0000
bSaveOnPause=1
bSaveOnTravel=1
bSaveOnWait=1
bSaveOnRest=1
fSkyCellRefFadeDistance=150000.0000
[GamePlay]
bShowFloatingQuestMarkers=1
bShowQuestMarkers=1
iShadowMaskQuarter=5
iDifficulty=4
[Interface]
bDialogueSubtitles=1
bGeneralSubtitles=1
bShowCompass=1
[Controls]
fGamepadHeadingSensitivity=1.0000
fMouseHeadingSensitivity=1.0000
bAlwaysRunByDefault=1
bInvertYValues=1
bGamePadRumble=1
bMouseAcceleration=1
[Particles]
iMaxDesired=2048
[SaveGame]
fAutosaveEveryXMins=5.0000
[AudioMenu]
fAudioMasterVolume=1.0000
fVal7=
uID7=
fVal6=
uID6=
fVal5=
uID5=
fVal4=
uID4=
fVal3=
uID3=
fVal2=
uID2=
fVal1=
uID1=
fVal0=
uID0=
[Clouds]
fCloudLevel2Distance=462144.0000
fCloudLevel1Distance=52768.0000
fCloudLevel0Distance=36384.0000
fCloudNearFadeDistance=20000.0000
[TerrainManager]
fTreeLoadDistance=125000.0000
fBlockMaximumDistance=350000.0000
fBlockLevel1Distance=120000.0000
fBlockLevel0Distance=45000.000
fSplitDistanceMult=2.5000
bShowLODInEditor=0
[NavMesh]
fObstacleAlpha=0.5000
fCoverSideHighAlpha=0.8000
fCoverSideLowAlpha=0.6500
fEdgeFullAlpha=1.0000
fEdgeHighAlpha=0.7500
fEdgeLowAlpha=0.5000
fTriangleFullAlpha=0.7000
fTriangleHighAlpha=0.3500
fTriangleLowAlpha=0.2000
fLedgeBoxHalfHeight=25.0000
fEdgeDistFromVert=10.0000
fEdgeThickness=10.0000
fPointSize=2.5000
[Trees]
bRenderSkinnedTrees=1
uiMaxSkinnedTreesToRender=100
bForceFullDetail=1
bEnableTreeAnimations=1
bEnableTrees=1
fUpdateBudget=4.0000
bPickSkinnedTrees=1
[Decals]
uMaxDecals=2500
bDecals=1
bSkinnedDecals=1
uMaxSkinDecals=250
uMaxSkinDecalsPerActor=200
bDecalMultithreaded=1
[LOD]
fLODFadeOutMultObjects=50.0000
fLODFadeOutMultItems=50.0000
fLODFadeOutMultActors=50.0000
fLODFadeOutMultSkyCell=1.0000
[Launcher]
bEnableFileSelection=1
bShowAllResolutions=1
uLastAspectRatio=4
[BlurShaderHDR]
bDoHighDynamicRange=1
[BlurShader]
bUseBlurShader=0
[Water]
iWaterReflectHeight=2048
iWaterReflectWidth=2048
bUseWaterDisplacements=1
bUseWaterRefractions=1
bUseWaterReflections=1
bUseWaterDepth=1
bUseWaterReflectionBlur=1
bReflectExplosions=1
iWaterBlurAmount=4
bAutoWaterSilhouetteReflections=0
bForceHighDetailReflections=1
bUseWaterHiRes=1
bUseWaterLOD=0
bReflectLODObjects=1
bReflectLODLand=1
bReflectSky=1
bReflectLODTrees=1
bUseWaterShader=1
[BackgroundLoad]
bBackgroundLoadLipFiles=1
bUseBackgroundFileLoader=1
bLoadBackgroundFaceGen=1
bUseMultiThreadedFaceGen=1
bBackgroundCellLoads=1
bLoadHelmetsInBackground=1
bUseMultiThreadedTrees=1
[ScreenSplatter]
bBloodSplatterEnabled=1

Your shadows are going to be ugly as hell with those settings. The draw distance for them has to be 2600 or below for them to look good, even on ultra, and I very much doubt the game has shadow textures built in above 4096. That's ultra, after all.

Besides, it's pointless to make a crazy high settings ini file right now, when a bunch of optimization issues need to be sorted out first. Some people running i7s and GTX 580s can't even get a good framerate on low settings.

I'd rather have ugly shadows than shadows only 5 feet around you.

"uGridsToLoad=20"

I read this corrupts saves?

They look pretty damn good and draw just beyond your vision at 2600. On a flat area, anyway. If you're up on a hill looking down, then you can sometimes see them fade in. Me, I can't stand the Minecraft shadows.

Yes, it will if you haven't started a character with it already set. And then not change the value.

My favourite thing about this 'hardcoe' *.ini file is that it made it look better and raised my FPS from 40 to 60.
I even beefed it up more to make it more 'hardcoe'.

I have a GTX 580 and I have everything on Ultra except shadows which are on high and I get a constant 60fps+ except in Whiterun where it may drop to 45fps if looking in a particular direction but considering I am only in Whiterun for less than 1% of the game its not an issue.

Not trying to be a troll but you are exaggerating.

Anyone try the .ini I suggested? Is it any good?

If you ARE going to use it, make sure to change his specific settings like

iDifficulty=4
and
bInvertYValues=1

Sorry man, but this config is sloppily put together.

1. Lol mouse sensitivity.
2. The gamma is WAY too high, everything is too dark. Dark contrast is an illusion to a better looking game, and I hate how people take advantage of that.
3. You didn't even increase(enough?) the land model render distance. (compare mountain detail to the right of the two images below + top of mountains in background.)
4. You messed with the shadow bias so stuff looks weird when turning.

Yours:
http://i.imgur.com/ZqdY3.jpg
Something I made screwing around for a few minutes inputting stupid high values and not even testing:
http://i.imgur.com/F5fqG.jpg

What are you talking about? I am talking about the .ini tweak. Don't comment on suff you have no idea about please, the .ini tweak has nothing to do with performance, its all about preference.. Long range-ugly shadows vs Good looking, low range shadows. Or you can of course have Medium range-Medium quality shadows.. I myself prefer long range till a mod comes out and I can have both .

iPreloadSizeLimit=209715200
bPreloadIntroSequence=1
fMasterFilePreLoadMB=320.0000
iNumHWThreads=1
bUseThreadedParticleSystem=1
uGridsToLoad=20
uInterior Cell Buffer=16
uExterior Cell Buffer=180
iFPSClamp=0

See this stuff?

This doesn't go in your skyrimprefs.ini .... it doesn't belong there.. and it has utterly no impact on the game at all because it doesn't belong there... inputting it in the skyrimprefs.ini you may as well be pressing the enter key as many times as there are lines of it.

If you want it to have any effect... you must PLACE it in the skyrim.ini file UNDER general..... there are 2 files.... one to control most of the ingame stuff... and the other is to control how the game works prior to even making it into the game.

i tested this and the ugridstoload change only matters if you put it in the Skyrim.ini and not SkyrimPrefs.ini...which makes sense, because uexteriorcellbuffer is already located in Skyrim.ini and not SkyrimPrefs.ini.

ugridstoload is the only change that can make my beast of a rig chug. it affects draw distance of trees and terrain and stuff. crank it up if you're seeing terrain popping up from way too close, or if you want to see the better tree decals load from farther away. i haven't had anything go wrong with my saves.

Lolololol, I put ugridstoload=15 in my skyrim.ini (didn't even have it in there before) but... it made my game look worse AND perform worse.

Without ugridstoload=15
http://i.imgur.com/22hJP.jpg
With ugridstoload=15
http://i.imgur.com/0syyC.jpg

Flip back and forth while commencing rofl.

Yeah i haven't had any issues going up or down on the ugridstoload options with my saves... they all seem to work.. and saving a new save and then exiting to change it to a lower value has allowed me to re-enter the game.. load from the new save with no issues at all.

i suppose perhaps it has been fixed due to people doing stuff like that in oblivion and the developers recognized the save corruption and fixed it so it wasn't an issue anymore.

The only time I got a save corruption in this game was when I used that config tweak that allowed you to zoom in all the way down onto the map.... just sayin'.

you'll get this if the game either runs out of cell buffer or preloadmemory space which would need to be increased...

Also... from my experience.. anything ABOVE 11 (odd numbers) will result in totally unpredictable situations.. DO NOT EXCEED 11 .....it's just a bad idea.....don't put in even numbers.... 5/7/9/11 are the ones you'll want..

5 = default
7 = better (more appropriate for computers with decent graphics/power capability, nothing to extensive)
9 = Better hope you have a good CPU and fast hardrive..... not to mention abundance of Video RAM and physical ram
11 = Your machine regardless of it being low end or ultimately high end is going to feel bloated while attempting this.... don't feel bad if your very well below 60fps... don't feel bad even if your below 30fps..... actually don't feel bad if your below 15fps with this setting.

IF you are not experiencing a change in performance, or you end up with ugliness instead like one of the posters posted recently..... it's not working and it actually causing loading issues, either increase the cell/memory and whatnot to try and compensate/fix the issue.. or back it down a notch. If your video ram is exceeded you may see texture drop to values that look like total garbage... even purple textures if your not careful.

I did have problems with my saves that I thought was corruption and lost for good. Did some research and found out that when you tweak it and save over an existing file (which I did, good ol' quicksave), it corrupts it if you change it again to any other setting but what it was. When I read that, went to my ini, switched back to 10 and reloaded my games.

Success!

I have my Ugridstoload at 9 right now and I want to bump it up to 11. Will bumping it up affect my save file or is it only for removing it?

make a backup of your saved before proceeding just to make sure....

op u svck

You really know how to enlighten a thread with your cunning linguistics.

just saying dont compose a ini for other ppl to use If you dont know what those settings do or where they belong or what the maximum values are... Im new to this and see multiple things being wrong with his ultra innnni

If you make a save now with it at 9, then later change it to a smaller number, you won't be able to load the save made when it was 9. Your current value must be equal to or greater than the value in the save you are trying to load. Otherwise you crash to desktop.