Planning On Upgrading My GPU.

[grymsoul]

Hey guys, I want to upgrade my graphics cards so that I can handle skyrim's awesome realistic looking ENBs. I'm not sure what it will take for me to also have a constant 60 fps gameplay but maybe you guys can make a couple suggestions.

 

This is my rig

 

 

-I7-4771 CPU 3.50 GHz

-64 bit Operating System

-Geforce GTX 760 2 GB

-8 gb RAM

-1 TB Hard Drive

-120 GB SSD (This is where my game is currently saved)

750 Power Supply

 

 

I was planning on just upgrading to a 4gb model but maybe I'll need an upgraded card instead? Also, what happens to the card I'm using now. Will the performance increase if I have two card instead of one? Or will my current one become useless. If it's the latter, then I would prefer to sell it and make up some of the cost of the new one.

 

My price range is $300-400.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

[Rayblue]

That video card is already the top of the line, IMHO, so I don't see anything much advantageous about adding a second card for SLI unless you have plans for an nView display.

[Uriel]

You can buy another Geforce GTX 760 2gb and run SLI, but it will still be a 2Gb card even though you will have two of them. Also, ENB is not very fond of multi-chip configs, so, if you plan to use ENB, you better dont go this way.

 

My next goal is something with a bunch of VRAM(4-6gb), and not lower then r280/gtx770.

 

If you buy a different card, old card can be of use in PhysX enabled games. New one will be in charge of graphics while the old one will calculate the PhysX stuff. Nothing too profitable though.

[Justoutthere]

Cant understand why you are not getting good FPS already with that rig unless you are seriously loaded down with script heay mods and/or running significant software in background when playing Skyrim. 

 

My Setup, which I get reasonable , admittedly not 60fps but acceptably smooth gameplay

 

 

 

AMD Phenom 2.1 gHz (Quadcore)
4Gb Ram

GForce GT610 2gB (Yes thats GT NOT GTX)

 

 

[grymsoul]

Well, I get around 60 fps when I start up the game and everything is at medium or even high settings. It starts to decrease once I take it out of windows mode and enter into into 1920x1080 full screen mode. I average around thirty now, and this is WITHOUT any mods installed. So I fear to think what my fps will look like AFTER installing an enb. When I did have mods, they were hitting in the mid twenties. The mods I usually use could be called script heavy I guess. They contain monster packs, armor packs and weapons packs. I'm guess having all that eats away at my Vram, which is why I'm thinking of going for a 4gb model. What do you think?

[lordofthedread]

Well, I get around 60 fps when I start up the game and everything is at medium or even high settings. It starts to decrease once I take it out of windows mode and enter into into 1920x1080 full screen mode. I average around thirty now, and this is WITHOUT any mods installed. So I fear to think what my fps will look like AFTER installing an enb. When I did have mods, they were hitting in the mid twenties. The mods I usually use could be called script heavy I guess. They contain monster packs, armor packs and weapons packs. I'm guess having all that eats away at my Vram, which is why I'm thinking of going for a 4gb model. What do you think?

 

Something is definitly wrong with your setup I have an i5 processor and GTX760 andI do it "low 30fps" sometimes with ENB and 200+ mods in 1920x1080

[Justoutthere]

I am current;y running SL, SL enchantress, UNPBO (bodymod) about 20 armour replacers/added Prison overhaul and Skyrim Hair Project.

 

I can get about 20 Fps running at 1600 x 900 8 samples on both antialias and filtering, fullscreen.

 

I have to wonder what else you are running to achieve that low level. Accoring to the UESP wiki you should be able to run vanilia Skyrim at extreame/high settings (according to same source mine is at low/medium).

[Veladarius]

If the textures are large it can slow things down, also AA and such will as well. I run in windowed mode set to the screen size and just use a SKSE plugin that fixes it. I am running in 1920x1200 with most things at ultra and ENB + HDT but have the AA and AF turned off. I get 25-30 outdoors and about 60 indoors and have an i5 and Radeon 7850 2gb.

[CGi]

Optimize the used textures with DDSOpt or Optimizer Textures and use ENB w/o any graphic modifications enabled (use ENBoost if you don't know how to accomplish that yourself), as it helps freeing up the memory of Skyrim by storing the textures in its own process. ENB does realtime texture optimization as well (hence why the author of ENB suggests to not use an texture optimizer) which helps freeing up some VRAM. But not to optimize the textures is a waste of resources as what a texture optimizer does can not be archived in realtime by ENB.

 

i started playing Skyrim on my old ATi HD 6970 2GB VRAM with most (if not all) textures replaced with 2k versions (2k is the recommended max resolution for systems with 2GB VRAM, so using an optimizer which can shrink down textures >2k down to 2k [or less] is recommeded) and the game ran at ~50 FPS. And the CPU was only an C2D E6850 with 6GB RAM.

i don't know how this system would perform nowadays, with all the script heavy mods i use, but i think i still wouldn't run into your problem.

 

Another optimization would be to get rid of loose files and use BSAs instead, because the better the BSA compression - the faster data can be loaded what reduces micro stutters. The game may then use a tad more RAM as data decompression is done in RAM, but this can actually be ignored.

[elktrue]

I have the exact same card that you currently have and it works great!

 

If you really need to upgrade though maybe go with a 780 with 3-4 gb VRAM

[bradleyh]

I have been monitoring My V-Ram usage since February, My Game regularly exceeds 2Gb of V-Ram. I have a GTX 780 with 3Gb, I will recommend You purchase a card that has 3 or 4 Gb of V-Ram.

Merida Hair pushed My Game past 2Gb, and I can thank Yoo for it

[lidowxxx]

Well, I get around 60 fps when I start up the game and everything is at medium or even high settings. It starts to decrease once I take it out of windows mode and enter into into 1920x1080 full screen mode. I average around thirty now, and this is WITHOUT any mods installed. So I fear to think what my fps will look like AFTER installing an enb. When I did have mods, they were hitting in the mid twenties. The mods I usually use could be called script heavy I guess. They contain monster packs, armor packs and weapons packs. I'm guess having all that eats away at my Vram, which is why I'm thinking of going for a 4gb model. What do you think?

30fps without ENB and any mods is DEADLY wrong for such a rig, something else is definitely interfering, you should be getting consistent 60fps EVERYWHERE with Vsync on. 

 

Since you eliminated the possibility of overheating in the other thread, here is something you can do:

 

Check your power options in control panel and make sure the power plan is not set to "power saver".

 

Delete your skyrim.ini and skyrimprefs.ini found in documents/my games/skyrim folder, start the game again, it will generate new files in their place, then you can change graphical settings.

 

Download CPU-Z: http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html and GPU-Z: http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/‎ play the game in windows mode and leave both programs on where you can see them, check your CPU core speed with CPU-Z and GPU core clock and memory speed under "sensors" tab in GPU-Z while you are gaming, your CPU-Z should report 3.5ghz+ ALL the time and you should see at least 1033mhz+ for your GPU core clock. If you see the numbers significantly lower, then something else on your computer is controlling the hardwares, could be 3rd party softwares, viruses...etc.

[Fredas]

I got a 290X specifically for Skyrim.  My timing wasn't all that great, though, as I jumped on the first 290X out the door (stock), and it is the noisiest beast on the planet.  I gather that's been tackled adequately at this point.  Anyway, at your price range, it is not impossible to get this card, and I don't think there's a better bang for the buck.

 

I will never recommend a multi-chip configuration, ever.  Beyond the already-mentioned issue with ENBs, you get a couple of other problems: Extra latency (never good) and microstuttering (dealbreaker).  It could be argued that the latter consideration depends upon how "sensitive" one is to the phenomenon, but we're gamers here; we're going to notice when our games seem to have two framerates superimposed over one another.

 

[johann7124]

I have a GTX 670 and can consistently run around 60FPS indoors and about 35-40 outdoors. This is on Ultra settings.

 

I use my GTX 760 as the Physx processor currently.

[Dutchbat]

Picking up the r9 290(x) was the best choice sofar for me. It's a beast that comes with a good price. I pushed Skyrim pretty much to it's max now, when i run Gpu-z the card is using 3800 ram so not much more room left.

 

I don't really know where you're from because the price tags on those cards vary by a large bit for each continent. 

[grymsoul]

 

Well, I get around 60 fps when I start up the game and everything is at medium or even high settings. It starts to decrease once I take it out of windows mode and enter into into 1920x1080 full screen mode. I average around thirty now, and this is WITHOUT any mods installed. So I fear to think what my fps will look like AFTER installing an enb. When I did have mods, they were hitting in the mid twenties. The mods I usually use could be called script heavy I guess. They contain monster packs, armor packs and weapons packs. I'm guess having all that eats away at my Vram, which is why I'm thinking of going for a 4gb model. What do you think?

30fps without ENB and any mods is DEADLY wrong for such a rig, something else is definitely interfering, you should be getting consistent 60fps EVERYWHERE with Vsync on. 

 

Since you eliminated the possibility of overheating in the other thread, here is something you can do:

 

Check your power options in control panel and make sure the power plan is not set to "power saver".

 

Delete your skyrim.ini and skyrimprefs.ini found in documents/my games/skyrim folder, start the game again, it will generate new files in their place, then you can change graphical settings.

 

Download CPU-Z: http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html and GPU-Z: http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/‎ play the game in windows mode and leave both programs on where you can see them, check your CPU core speed with CPU-Z and GPU core clock and memory speed under "sensors" tab in GPU-Z while you are gaming, your CPU-Z should report 3.5ghz+ ALL the time and you should see at least 1033mhz+ for your GPU core clock. If you see the numbers significantly lower, then something else on your computer is controlling the hardwares, could be 3rd party softwares, viruses...etc.

 

 

My GPU Core clock speed averaged around 1250.0 MHz. I was running it in windows mode at ultra but NOT in full 1920x1080 resolution. It maintained a steady 55-60 fps but sometimes suddenly tanked all the way down to 30. . .then rose back to 55-60. is that normal? I also ckecked my power settings it was set to recommended not power saving.

 

I tried playing it in full 1080 but it becomes unplaying. my fps was 30. It would even dip as low as 19. For some reason, it's even worse than yesterday.

 

 

[lidowxxx]

hmm.... if you can maintain 55-60fps with occasional drops, perhaps it's not the fault of your computer, when do the fps drops happen typically? Please leave no resource intensive programs running in the background when you are playing the game,  also listing all the mods you have installed would help us nab the cause.

[grymsoul]

 

 

Well, I get around 60 fps when I start up the game and everything is at medium or even high settings. It starts to decrease once I take it out of windows mode and enter into into 1920x1080 full screen mode. I average around thirty now, and this is WITHOUT any mods installed. So I fear to think what my fps will look like AFTER installing an enb. When I did have mods, they were hitting in the mid twenties. The mods I usually use could be called script heavy I guess. They contain monster packs, armor packs and weapons packs. I'm guess having all that eats away at my Vram, which is why I'm thinking of going for a 4gb model. What do you think?

30fps without ENB and any mods is DEADLY wrong for such a rig, something else is definitely interfering, you should be getting consistent 60fps EVERYWHERE with Vsync on. 

 

Since you eliminated the possibility of overheating in the other thread, here is something you can do:

 

Check your power options in control panel and make sure the power plan is not set to "power saver".

 

Delete your skyrim.ini and skyrimprefs.ini found in documents/my games/skyrim folder, start the game again, it will generate new files in their place, then you can change graphical settings.

 

Download CPU-Z: http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html and GPU-Z: http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/‎ play the game in windows mode and leave both programs on where you can see them, check your CPU core speed with CPU-Z and GPU core clock and memory speed under "sensors" tab in GPU-Z while you are gaming, your CPU-Z should report 3.5ghz+ ALL the time and you should see at least 1033mhz+ for your GPU core clock. If you see the numbers significantly lower, then something else on your computer is controlling the hardwares, could be 3rd party softwares, viruses...etc.

 

 

My GPU Core clock speed averaged around 1250.0 MHz. I was running it in windows mode at ultra but NOT in full 1920x1080 resolution. It maintained a steady 55-60 fps but sometimes suddenly tanked all the way down to 30. . .then rose back to 55-60. is that normal? I also ckecked my power settings it was set to recommended not power saving.

 

I tried playing it in full 1080 but it becomes unplaying. my fps was 30. It would even dip as low as 19. For some reason, it's even worse than yesterday.

 

 

I take back what I said above. Apparently, It defaulted to my integrated graphics card in GPU-Z. When I select Geforce GTX 760, this is the reading it stays at, 135.0 MHz for core clock. It appears that the graphics ISN't being used by skyrim?? I even selected it in skyrim's main menu before I went in game but it appears the only card that GPU-Z is recognizing as active is my intergrated one. I also play bishock infinite and it also seems that it uses the intergrated graphics card by default. Is it possible that the reason I'm having such low FPS is because NONE of my games are actually using my gtx 760?

 

 

[grymsoul]

Yess! I found what the problem was and it was all thanks to lidowxxx and his suggestion of downloading GPU-Z. Apparently my computer was ALWAYS using my Onboard graphics card EVEN when I chose my 760. It always defaulted back to the integrated one without me realizing. By reading the GPU-Z stats, I realized that my 760 was never being used even when I picked it. I did some research online and someone suggested that I disable my onboard gpu. I did and now ALL my games are getting TREMENDOUS FPS when playing. I even topped out at 200 FPS in bioshock infinite! I have a constant 60 fps throughout skyrim even with AA on. Thank you guys for your help.  and THANK YOU LIDOWXXX for pointing me in the right direction. I love this community

 

 

 

[bradleyh]

I am glad You were able to find and fix the problem, now You can kill Your newfound Framerates playing with ENB's

 

[grymsoul]

I am glad You were able to find and fix the problem, now You can kill Your newfound Framerates playing with ENB's

 

Lol, sure will! Thank you.

[lidowxxx]

Glad to hear you got it fixed, gtx760 is a very capable card, try out some ENBs and have fun playing