The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PC Performance discussion

Durante said:
8 GB is an edge case. It depends on whether you ever use more than 8 GB or not (you can monitor the Commit (MB) stat on the performance tab in task manager to find out). The same is true for 12 GB and above, just that it's almost impossible to use that much unless you're running the 64 bit version of some very specialist applications.

Of course, you can always try it and set it back if you encounter any out of memory errors.
Click to expand...
That is not how pagefile works. Windows will use the pagefile no matter how much RAM you have. People need to stop believing in this "pagefile fix".

It will make your system more unstable in curtain scenarios. Disabling the pagefile is never recommended. If anything, move it to a different physical disk.
 
Izayoi said:
Finally settled on playable settings. I might mess with uGrids some more later, but for now I'm happy.

Steady 60 outside, and 120 inside (using 120hz monitor and the frame limiter).

Stock Core i7-2600k, single stock GTX 580.
Click to expand...

Can you please tell me what settings are you using?

I have a very similar rig, but indoor or inside, I get some awful fps.

Thanks.
 
rallyart said:
Can you please tell me what settings are you using?

I have a very similar rig, but indoor or inside, I get some awful fps.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I have a similar system too and I would like to know as well.

Pretty consistent 60FPS, but there are quiet a few dips here and there (for no apparent most of the time).
 
rallyart said:
Can you please tell me what settings are you using?

I have a very similar rig, but indoor or inside, I get some awful fps.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Same. I have almost the same setup and would like to see those settings.
 
DennisK4 said:
I think I am going to settle for a distance of 6000 and a resolution of 8192 for the shadows.

Sure, they are sharper at 4000 or 2000 distance but the shadow pop-in is killing me. 6000 is as low as I can go.

So far as I can tell there is no difference between a shadow resolution of 8192 and 16384. I can't tell any difference in fps either.

My game stays at 60 fps no matter what I do.
Click to expand...
I just made those my settings. Was getting too many random drops earlier, it was frustrating me.

The rest, I went with my own so it may not be for everyone. Can't believe I've spent so much time researching just shadows ><

1 more test ffs lol
 
In \Documents\my games\Skyrim.

Skyrim.ini:

Code: 
[General]
sLanguage=ENGLISH
fdefaultfov=80
uGridsToLoad=6
uInterior Cell Buffer=24
uExterior Cell Buffer=102
iPreloadSizeLimit=262144000

[Display]
fShadowLODMaxStartFade=1000.0
fSpecularLODMaxStartFade=2000.0
fLightLODMaxStartFade=3500.0
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=4096
bAllowScreenshot=1
iPresentInterval=0

[Audio]
fMusicDuckingSeconds=6.0
fMusicUnDuckingSeconds=8.0
fMenuModeFadeOutTime=3.0
fMenuModeFadeInTime=1.0

[Grass]
bAllowCreateGrass=1
bAllowLoadGrass=0

[GeneralWarnings]
SGeneralMasterMismatchWarning=One or more plugins could not find the correct versions of the master files they depend on. Errors may occur during load or game play. Check the "Warnings.txt" file for more information.

[Archive]
sResourceArchiveList=Skyrim - Misc.bsa, Skyrim - Shaders.bsa, Skyrim - Textures.bsa, Skyrim - Interface.bsa, Skyrim - Animations.bsa, Skyrim - Meshes.bsa, Skyrim - Sounds.bsa
sResourceArchiveList2=Skyrim - Voices.bsa, Skyrim - VoicesExtra.bsa

[Combat]
fMagnetismStrafeHeadingMult=0.0
fMagnetismLookingMult=0.0

[Papyrus]
fPostLoadUpdateTimeMS=500.0
bEnableLogging=0
bEnableTrace=0
bLoadDebugInformation=0
[Water]
bReflectLODObjects=1
bReflectLODLand=1
bReflectSky=1
bReflectLODTrees=1

SkyrimPrefs.ini:

Code: 
[General]
fBrightLightColorB=1.0000
fBrightLightColorG=1.0000
fBrightLightColorR=1.0000
iStoryManagerLoggingEvent=-1
bEnableStoryManagerLogging=0
[Imagespace]
bDoDepthOfField=1
iRadialBlurLevel=2
[Display]
iBlurDeferredShadowMask=3
fInteriorShadowDistance=3000.0000
fShadowDistance=8000.0000
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=4096
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=4096
iShadowSplitCount=2
iMaxAnisotropy=16
fLeafAnimDampenDistEnd=4600.0000
fLeafAnimDampenDistStart=3600.0000
fTreesMidLODSwitchDist=10000000.0000
fGamma=1.0000
fDecalLOD2=1500.0000
fDecalLOD1=1000.0000
fSpecularLODStartFade=2000.0000
fShadowLODStartFade=2000.0000
fLightLODStartFade=6500.0000
iTexMipMapMinimum=4
iTexMipMapSkip=0
iWaterMultiSamples=4
iMultiSample=0
iShadowMode=3
bTreesReceiveShadows=1
bDrawLandShadows=1
bFull Screen=1
iSize H=1080
iSize W=1920
fMeshLODFadePercentDefault=1.2000
fMeshLODFadeBoundDefault=256.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeTreeDistance=2048.0000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeTreeDistance=2844.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeDist=10000000.0000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeDist=10000000.0000
iScreenShotIndex=2
bShadowMaskZPrepass=0
bMainZPrepass=0
iMaxSkinDecalsPerFrame=25
iMaxDecalsPerFrame=100
bFloatPointRenderTarget=0
sD3DDevice="NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580"
bFXAAEnabled=1
iShadowMapResolution=4096
fShadowBiasScale=0.1500
iShadowMaskQuarter=4
iAdapter=0
iPresentInterval=0
iShadowFilter=3
bTransparencyMultisampling=1
bDrawShadows=1
[Grass]
b30GrassVS=1
fGrassStartFadeDistance=10000.0000
fGrassMaxStartFadeDistance=10000.0000
fGrassMinStartFadeDistance=5000.0000
[MAIN]
bGamepadEnable=1
bCrosshairEnabled=1
fHUDOpacity=1.0000
bSaveOnPause=1
bSaveOnTravel=1
bSaveOnWait=1
bSaveOnRest=1
fSkyCellRefFadeDistance=150000.0000
[GamePlay]
bShowFloatingQuestMarkers=1
bShowQuestMarkers=1
iDifficulty=2
[Interface]
bDialogueSubtitles=0
bGeneralSubtitles=0
bShowCompass=1
[Controls]
fGamepadHeadingSensitivity=1.7350
fMouseHeadingSensitivity=0.0125
bAlwaysRunByDefault=1
bInvertYValues=0
bGamePadRumble=1
bMouseAcceleration=0
fMouseHeadingYScale=0.0140
fMouseHeadingXScale=0.0200
[Particles]
iMaxDesired=750
[SaveGame]
fAutosaveEveryXMins=15.0000
[AudioMenu]
fAudioMasterVolume=1.0000
fVal7=1.0000
uID7=0
fVal6=1.0000
uID6=0
fVal5=1.0000
uID5=0
fVal4=1.0000
uID4=0
fVal3=1.0000
uID3=94881
fVal2=0.5000
uID2=466532
fVal1=1.0000
uID1=554685
fVal0=0.8000
uID0=1007612
[Clouds]
fCloudLevel2Distance=262144.0000
fCloudLevel1Distance=32768.0000
fCloudLevel0Distance=16384.0000
fCloudNearFadeDistance=9000.0000
[TerrainManager]
fTreeLoadDistance=75000.0000
fBlockMaximumDistance=250000.0000
fBlockLevel1Distance=70000.0000
fBlockLevel0Distance=35000.0000
fSplitDistanceMult=1.5000
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=40
[Decals]
uMaxDecals=1000
bDecals=1
bSkinnedDecals=1
uMaxSkinDecals=100
uMaxSkinDecalsPerActor=60
[LOD]
fLODFadeOutMultObjects=15.0000
fLODFadeOutMultItems=15.0000
fLODFadeOutMultActors=15.0000
fLODFadeOutMultSkyCell=1.0000
[Launcher]
bEnableFileSelection=1
bShowAllResolutions=1
uLastAspectRatio=3
[BlurShaderHDR]
bDoHighDynamicRange=1
[BlurShader]
bUseBlurShader=0
[Water]
iWaterReflectHeight=1024
iWaterReflectWidth=1024
bUseWaterDisplacements=1
bUseWaterRefractions=1
bUseWaterReflections=1
bUseWaterDepth=1

For the frame limiter mod.

In \Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\.

antilag.cfg:

Code: 
; D3D9 antilag config file
; by Kegetys <http://www.kegetys.net>

; RenderAheadLimit: Limit how many frames ahead are rendered to reduce input lag. 0 to disable.
; FPSlimit: Limit framerate for smoother gameplay and reduced cpu/gpu use. 0 to disable.

[config]
RenderAheadLimit=2
FPSlimit=120
 
DennisK4 said:
Thats true. In those two last screenshots I lowered the distance to 2000 to see if it would make the shadows sharper.

It does. Why not just lets us get long distance and sharp shadows at the same time Bethesda?
Click to expand...

It's conceptually pretty simple. Having implemented a shadow map engine myself in the past, applying a shadow map of the same resolution to a larger area of coverage will always result in blockier shadows than one that's applied to a smaller area of coverage because it has to be spread to accomodate that larger area. That's why the distance config has an affect on shadow fidelity.

With all this shadow talk, anyone know of a config parameter that allows the player to cast shadows while in first-person? It appears I can only see my character's shadow when switching to third-person...
 
Corky said:
Well I thought my 2600k would've been enough, because I'm dealing with the same shit.
Click to expand...

You think you feel bad. I have a 2600k OC to 4.5, 2x580's 3gb at 855mhz, 8gigs of ram and running at 1080p and I get mostly 60fps, but I do drop to 40's at times in the open areas. My rig is considered a beast, but I still cannot get a constant 60fps, in the intro I drop to 30's at times.

Frustrating, but luckily, I have had only one freeze after about 8 hours of play, no crashes to desktop etc. So I guess I am lucky in that regards.
 
jon_irenicus said:
It's conceptually pretty simple. Having implemented a shadow map engine myself in the past, applying a shadow map of the same resolution to a larger area of coverage will always result in blockier shadows than one that's applied to a smaller area of coverage because it has to be spread to accomodate that larger area. That's why the distance config has an affect on shadow fidelity.

With all this shadow talk, anyone know of a config parameter that allows the player to cast shadows while in first-person? It appears I can only see my character's shadow when switching to third-person...
Click to expand...
Will probably need a mod for that.
 
Aptos said:
I haven't got any crazy bugs from my fps being too high, but I keep getting inconsistent look sensitivity when my fps fluctuates. V-sync fixes the problem, but wtf? it's not that hard to calculate fps independent camera rotation rate
Click to expand...

You can (kind of) fix this by adding these parameters and tweaking the values in Skyrim.ini under [Controls]:
fMouseHeadingYScale=0.0110
fMouseHeadingXScale=0.0220

Makes Y sensitivity lower when in lower performance areas as a side effect, but I find that I'm not needing to look up/down too much compared to left/right so it's not a big deal.
 
Anyone know of a way to get rid of the weird stutter when looking at certain light sources? It seems to happen even when I'm running at a solid 60fps. :(
 
So is there any reason I can't get 60 FPS (not even constant) on anything higher than High on a SuperClocked GTX 570? I would think I'd be able to run it all out on Ultra at 1080P, but I may have just guessed wrong
 
SpudBud said:
Anyone know of a way to get rid of the weird stutter when looking at certain light sources? It seems to happen even when I'm running at a solid 60fps. :(
Click to expand...

AMD I presume ?

Welcome to the club.
 
I can't seem to shake these odd drops, like from 60 to 12 in the same spot. I don't know if it's my system working but the whole games runs smooth and then some really odd drops happen. Here's a spot that this happened in.

tesv2011-11-1323-11-56f1y9.png


Went from 60 to 12 to 60 again.
 
LiquidMetal14 said:
The issue is not just on AMD cards, that's for sure. Odd stutters everywhere. We need a patch or new drivers.
Click to expand...

Agreed. It can happen in the same scene, even just from different perspectives. Typical Elder Scrolls game. :\
 
Dunno if this is old or not, but I think I found a way to set the FOV properly, since it doesn't seem to work with the .ini.
Right-click Skyrim in Steam > Properties > Set Launch Options and add -fov xx (xx being whatever you fancy).
 
Firehead said:
Dunno if this is old or not, but I think I found a way to set the FOV properly, since it doesn't seem to work with the .ini.
Right-click Skyrim in Steam > Properties > Set Launch Options and add -fov xx (xx being whatever you fancy).
Click to expand...

If this works, I love you.
 
JackEtc said:
X6 1060T Black Edition. Seriously, is it REALLY the CPU?
Click to expand...

All the stuttering for other games has always been GPU related as far as I know so probably not. 1060T should be plenty for Skyrim. There has been stuttering reported on both brands of GPUs (for the record I have a 6950 and have no experienced any performance related problems) so I would not worry about your CPU.
 
Tallshortman said:
All the stuttering for other games has always been GPU related as far as I know so probably not. 1060T should be plenty for Skyrim. There has been stuttering reported on both brands of GPUs (for the record I have a 6950 and have no experienced any performance related problems) so I would not worry about your CPU.
Click to expand...
*sigh* so nobody knows exactly why anyone is having problems.

FUCK YEAH PC GAMINGGGG
 
LiquidMetal14 said:
I can't seem to shake these odd drops, like from 60 to 12 in the same spot. I don't know if it's my system working but the whole games runs smooth and then some really odd drops happen. Here's a spot that this happened in.



Went from 60 to 12 to 60 again.
Click to expand...

Are your shadows set to 8192? The only time I've experienced such a drastic drop was when I had them set at that value. Game would be running perfectly @ 60fps, all of a sudden I'd turn, and down to 14fps. Setting shadows back to 4096 eliminated that completely.

As a matter of fact, game is silky smooth on my end. (2600k @ 4.5GHz / GTX580 @ 950MHz)
 
datamage said:
Are your shadows set to 8192? The only time I've experienced such a drastic drop was when I had them set at that value. Game would be running perfectly @ 60fps, all of a sudden I'd turn, and down to 14fps. Setting shadows back to 4096 eliminated that completely.

As a matter of fact, game is silky smooth on my end. (2600k @ 4.5GHz / GTX580 @ 950MHz)
Click to expand...
4096. Its this mountain area that is so unstable. I mean it's sporadic as hell.
 
Shawsie64 said:
Anyone running it off an SSD? Is there any benefits?
Click to expand...
very, very fast load speeds. you only have two or so seconds to play around with the load screen before it disappears.
 
What does Skyrim need to run, pertaining to the stuff that steam installs? Can I get them elsewhere and install them manually?

I'm on fresh install of windows 7 with a new HDD, but steam just freezes when it tries to install directx and I assume something else after. I went to eat for over 40 min and it was still just sitting there at directx.

I dont remember if it installed directx when I launched Skyrim on my old HDD, or now my secondary HDD.

edit: I installed the vcx86 and directx 10 in the games installation folder. It launches, should that do it?
 
i7 965 @ 3.8GHz

GTX 580 3GB @ stock

8GB DDR3

120GB SSD

Runs beautifully with everything maxed out at 1080p, very few frame dips (lowest had to be high 20's). And other than a few bugs, some pop-in and the crappy flickering shadows it's been a much more consistent early experience than Oblivion. Performance wise I can't say I'm disappointed, hopefully now they'll patch the key/mouse controls and UI...
 
This fucking games refuses to run. Everything's fine at the Bethesda logo, then the dragon pops up, but the game closes instantly, the moment the menu begins to appear.

No crash message or anything, just poof, like I hit Alt+F4.
 
K.Jack said:
This fucking games refuses to run. Everything's fine at the Bethesda logo, then the dragon pops up, but the game closes instantly, the moment the menu begins to appear.

No crash message or anything, just poof, like I hit Alt+F4.
Click to expand...
You try setting your audio to a lower quality in your sound properties?
 
BoobPhysics101 said:
Yeah, I'm running off a Vertex 2. Huge benefits. Game loads VERY quickly. Less than 2-3 seconds usually.
Click to expand...

scorcho said:
very, very fast load speeds. you only have two or so seconds to play around with the load screen before it disappears.
Click to expand...


Awesome thanks guys, ill use steam mover to put on SSD tonight
 
scorcho said:
very, very fast load speeds. you only have two or so seconds to play around with the load screen before it disappears.
Click to expand...
Versus the three or four seconds with a standard HDD. Load times are great across the board.
 
FYI, the game loads fast on almost any HDD. Initial loads are no longer than 5 seconds and area loads are 2-3 seconds as well.
 
Did some testing with my SLI setup and confirmed my beleif that the SLI scalling is not very well done. With SLI, I average around 60fps, but I do get dips into the 40's at times, not alot, but it does happen. When in SLI both GPU's are running around 40% or so. When I tested this, I was in the first town and walked the same path to gauge the FPS.

I turned off SLI and ten ran in the same areas and the fps was exactly the same, same dips in the same areas. The difference is that the GPU usage was now at 65-75% usage. In short, SLI is really doing nothing to help me other than running both cards alot less in usage.

As I type this the camera is zooming around my character in the 1st town and am pretty solid 60fps at what seems an average 75% usage on one GPU. Doing the same test in SLI I get the same exact FPS, but each GPU is at 42% usage. So for me, if they can fix the SLI scalling, I would never, ever dip below 60fps, which then would allow me to use some of the grid tweaks so I have a larger/farther draw distance and maintain a rock solid 60fps.
 
LiquidMetal14 said:
FYI, the game loads fast on almost any HDD. Initial loads are no longer than 5 seconds and area loads are 2-3 seconds as well.
Click to expand...

You dont want to know how bad and long they are on the consoles though. Suffice it to say that you have enough time to read the information and most of the time, there is enough time for a second tip to show up and be able to read that one as well. On the PC, unless you are a speed reader, you dont have time to read those tips.
 
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