Skyrim, PC vs 360 and optimising a rig

[isometry]

@isometry
1920x1200 is a 16:10 ratio

You're right, I prefer 16:10 computer monitors and I'm still adjusting to the fact that manufacturers have moved us to 16:9 in the past two years.

I have a 1080p LCD so yeah, was thinking of going to 8gb RAM and either swapping out my GPU for a really flash one or getting another similar and running crossfire or something although I'd be learning as I go, haven't tried anything like that before.

Sounds like a good plan, and as others have said above, Skyrim doesn't use / need a lot of RAM unless it's on the highest ultra settings (and for that you'd need a processor upgrade anyway). If I were you I'd probably buy the game before upgrading, it might run fine, and if the framerate or settings are too low then look into a new graphics card.

 

[XSin]

Would it be safe to run another GPU (something along the lines of whats been recommended above) on a 660W PSU while keeping my current one in?

The RAM upgrade is something I've been intending anyway, when I put the comp together at the start of the year I bought a single 4gb chip with the intention of getting another when I had to. I recycled the GPU from my last computer that died which is why it outdates all the other parts.

 

[JET1971]

Would it be safe to run another GPU (something along the lines of whats been recommended above) on a 660W PSU while keeping my current one in?

The RAM upgrade is something I've been intending anyway, when I put the comp together at the start of the year I bought a single 4gb chip with the intention of getting another when I had to. I recycled the GPU from my last computer that died which is why it outdates all the other parts.

Most likely if the PSU is good quality and not a cheap pos then yes a GTX260 or 400 series will work. I run at 650 watt, SLI 9800GTX+ with no problems and thats more wattage than a single GTX 260 or 400 series though i wouldnt run any of those in SLI below 700 watts. If you build rigs then you should know to never buy a cheap PSU and more wattage isnt the key but quality with sufficiant wattage is and keep the rule of thumb more watts the better for future upgrades on a future build.

 

[renzozuken2002]

I bought Skyrim on release for my girlfriend since
But it seems like I made a bad decision since the word is that the PC version plays just fine as well as not having the 360 issue of pain-in-the-ass load times for entering and exiting buildings which is really getting on my nerves. Can anyone here vouch for this?

I fast travel from Whiterun entrance to Dragonsreach entrance.

Might I also suggest this mod:
http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=123
Worked wonders for me.

 

[Capt. Crankypants]

Might I also suggest this mod:
http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=123
Worked wonders for me.

Oooh, this actually works really well, thanks a'plenty. Usually I'm sceptical about mods, but I'm looking for a certain fix, so anything is worth a try. It does give a nice graphics/performance boost, but unfortunately doesn't resolve the problem I'm having with intermittent lag-spikes. If you hear about a fix for that, I'd be most grateful, and I'm certain I'm not alone with this problem.

 

[veloper]

Doubting if you should try Skyrim with those specs.

A six-core sounds impressive, but 360 ports are typically only optimised for 3 cores and Skyrim is in fact threaded for ONLY 2 cores, so your CPU will perform the same as a lowly phenom X2 @ 2,8 ghz here.

That would run Skyrim, with expected framedrops below 25 fps in combat if it weren't for the GPU.
The GPU is the real problem here. You'll want something atleast as fast as gtx260 or a hd4890 (recommended specs), but a 9500gt performs at a fraction of those cards (I'd estimate about 20%). No surprise there since it's the cheaper, budget version of a productline launched almost 4 years ago.

Forget SLI, as that won't help nearly enough.
Replace the videocard with something sensible in the geforce 400 GTX line, or an AMD HD5xxx, for around $100. Anything really fancy and more expensive like a GTX580 or HD6870 will be overkill with that CPU.

 

[Baneat]

Doubting if you should try Skyrim with those specs.

A six-core sounds impressive, but 360 ports are typically only optimised for 3 cores and Skyrim is in fact threaded for ONLY 2 cores, so your CPU will perform the same as a lowly phenom X2 @ 2,8 ghz here.

That would run Skyrim, with expected framedrops below 25 fps in combat if it weren't for the GPU.
The GPU is the real problem here. You'll want something atleast as fast as gtx260 or a hd4890 (recommended specs), but a 9500gt performs at a fraction of those cards (I'd estimate about 20%). No surprise there since it's the cheaper, budget version of a productline launched almost 4 years ago.

Forget SLI, as that won't help nearly enough.
Replace the videocard with something sensible in the geforce 400 GTX line, or an AMD HD5xxx, for around $100. Anything really fancy and more expensive like a GTX580 or HD6870 will be overkill with that CPU.

Running a much lesser processor and it runs on high-ultra >30FPS in combat

But I have a 5850, I just want to point out that his processor's definitely good enough. Really, not keen on that video card, but I know one person with a 9800GT and it runs fine on medium (Which is still significantly better than the Xbox one) at 1920x1080

 

[veloper]

Doubting if you should try Skyrim with those specs.

A six-core sounds impressive, but 360 ports are typically only optimised for 3 cores and Skyrim is in fact threaded for ONLY 2 cores, so your CPU will perform the same as a lowly phenom X2 @ 2,8 ghz here.

That would run Skyrim, with expected framedrops below 25 fps in combat if it weren't for the GPU.
The GPU is the real problem here. You'll want something atleast as fast as gtx260 or a hd4890 (recommended specs), but a 9500gt performs at a fraction of those cards (I'd estimate about 20%). No surprise there since it's the cheaper, budget version of a productline launched almost 4 years ago.

Forget SLI, as that won't help nearly enough.
Replace the videocard with something sensible in the geforce 400 GTX line, or an AMD HD5xxx, for around $100. Anything really fancy and more expensive like a GTX580 or HD6870 will be overkill with that CPU.

Running a much lesser processor and it runs on high-ultra >30FPS in combat

But I have a 5850, I just want to point out that his processor's definitely good enough. Really, not keen on that video card, but I know one person with a 9800GT and it runs fine on medium (Which is still significantly better than the Xbox one) at 1920x1080

What CPU do you have that it's still slower than a phenon at 2,8 ghz?

 

[Baneat]

Doubting if you should try Skyrim with those specs.

A six-core sounds impressive, but 360 ports are typically only optimised for 3 cores and Skyrim is in fact threaded for ONLY 2 cores, so your CPU will perform the same as a lowly phenom X2 @ 2,8 ghz here.

That would run Skyrim, with expected framedrops below 25 fps in combat if it weren't for the GPU.
The GPU is the real problem here. You'll want something atleast as fast as gtx260 or a hd4890 (recommended specs), but a 9500gt performs at a fraction of those cards (I'd estimate about 20%). No surprise there since it's the cheaper, budget version of a productline launched almost 4 years ago.

Forget SLI, as that won't help nearly enough.
Replace the videocard with something sensible in the geforce 400 GTX line, or an AMD HD5xxx, for around $100. Anything really fancy and more expensive like a GTX580 or HD6870 will be overkill with that CPU.

Running a much lesser processor and it runs on high-ultra >30FPS in combat

But I have a 5850, I just want to point out that his processor's definitely good enough. Really, not keen on that video card, but I know one person with a 9800GT and it runs fine on medium (Which is still significantly better than the Xbox one) at 1920x1080

What CPU do you have that it's still slower than a phenon at 2,8 ghz?

Phenom 1 series instead of II

clocked 2.8 also.

 

[veloper]

Doubting if you should try Skyrim with those specs.

A six-core sounds impressive, but 360 ports are typically only optimised for 3 cores and Skyrim is in fact threaded for ONLY 2 cores, so your CPU will perform the same as a lowly phenom X2 @ 2,8 ghz here.

That would run Skyrim, with expected framedrops below 25 fps in combat if it weren't for the GPU.
The GPU is the real problem here. You'll want something atleast as fast as gtx260 or a hd4890 (recommended specs), but a 9500gt performs at a fraction of those cards (I'd estimate about 20%). No surprise there since it's the cheaper, budget version of a productline launched almost 4 years ago.

Forget SLI, as that won't help nearly enough.
Replace the videocard with something sensible in the geforce 400 GTX line, or an AMD HD5xxx, for around $100. Anything really fancy and more expensive like a GTX580 or HD6870 will be overkill with that CPU.

Running a much lesser processor and it runs on high-ultra >30FPS in combat

But I have a 5850, I just want to point out that his processor's definitely good enough. Really, not keen on that video card, but I know one person with a 9800GT and it runs fine on medium (Which is still significantly better than the Xbox one) at 1920x1080

What CPU do you have that it's still slower than a phenon at 2,8 ghz?

Phenom 1 series instead of II

clocked 2.8 also.

Yes that is slow. Goes to show you cannot even trust benchmarks on Tom's Hardware anymore.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/skyrim-performance-benchmark,3074-9.html

 

[XSin]

So I'm better off completely getting rid of the current GPU as opposed to keeping it in with the new one?

Would overclocking help the 2-core issue at all? I have no experience with it but know a few people who could help out