PC Double Checking my incoming hardware...

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DeadOctopi

Premium Member
Well, I've been out of the "keeping up on gaming and computer hardware" for like, the better part of a decade. The last time I upgraded my PC was to dump a better CPU, RAM amount/speed, and GPU into my self-built pc to play WOW with a little less lagging or stuttering. That was a while ago.

I looked at the "can you run it" sites and I apparently met the minimum requirements. When they say "It'll let you run the game." They probably meant to tack on "but don't expect to play any of it."

Let's put it this way. The opening ride in on the cart? Looked like a stop motion animation. Probably less than 15 fps.


So....I jumped on Amazon to piggyback on some last-minute (30 mins until midnight) "cyber monday" deals and ended up with the following.

A new 600W PSU - Antec
GTX 550 Ti 1GB Video Card
A new 550GB SATA Drive (7200 rpm WD caviar) [may upgrade to SSD if it's a "must have" situation]
8GBs of 1600MHz DDR3 memory - Corsair
AMD Phenom II x4 840 3.2GHz
New MOBO to support new CPU/Vid Card/ Etc.

I'm aware I didn't end up with "ultra setting, turning everthing up to max" components, but I'm hoping I landed towards the "high" settings at least. The game is beautiful, but I'm not a guy who notices all the little glares/shadows unless it's in a screenshot. I can deal with cutting back for FPS above 12. :p

Is there something I overlooked in my zeal to upgrade? Some glaring hole that's going to ruin my day? I'm SO out of the loop when it came to CPUs, especially. There were just so freakin' many of them to browse.

Been poking around on Youtube, I assume I'll be OK with those components, considering there's some pretty good looking vids running with less RAM/GPU power.

Any insight? Thanks.

NOTE: I know my CPU lacks a L3 Cache, which I hear kinda throttles things a bit, but at the same time, I'm unaware if most games even make use of that much. I'm a little worried since Skyrim sounds pretty CPU dependent. I'm just a little green on the subject at the moment. :)
 

Spankle

New Member
The biggest things for skyrim are you video card, harddrive rpm and ram. You should be able to run on high in most settings with that set up. some of the super dynamic effects might need to be turned off but that doesnt change your game experience much at all.
Do you happen to know if that GTX 550's 1GB is dedicated? if it is you'll be even better off. As for upgrading to SSD i dont think it should be necessary, however i have one so i dont have experience with a sata drive and this game. Your load times should be about 5-10 seconds long top given your rig. If they are longer than that let me know
 

DeadOctopi

Premium Member
Thanks for the reply Spankle, it's been a nail biting few days of buyer's remorse. Being again a bit out of the loop it looks like there's 400 versions/brands of the same card, just different manufacturers. and it would be the only card in the rig to start with, so I'm guessing it would be dedicated by default (if I'm even answering your question, I'm not 100% I am, don't some people run dual cards and dedicate one to something fierce while the other handles the bulk tasks?.....my god, I need to brush up on tech :-/)
 

Finalchrono

Time Bandit
Dude that setup is almost close to mine and I have at maximum 4 seconds of loading time. The graphics card he has does have dedicated memory, at least it should because I have that one as well. You probably won't be able to play on Ultra settings though unless you get a mod for it from skyrim nexus though. Then again maybe you will, I play on 1920x1080 resolution so that may be why I don't get to play on Ultra. Also, the cache is helpful because it stores commonly used routines/addresses, but it won't be too big of an issue with games since most of it is fetching data and rendering, both taken care of by the HDD, ram, and video card mostly.

Now on the other hand, if you set your graphics card up to have the CPU handle most of its Physx procedures then you may have a little bit of lag on your hands, but not enough to make you not want to play the game.
 

Spankle

New Member
I was just unfamilair with that particular card. If its a seperate card that you can plug and unplug from the motherboard its dedicated memory meaning that gig of ram is used solely by the card for grpahics and not shared with the rest of the computer. So yea pretty good setup you shouldn't have issues. I would also recommend downloading GameBooster from IoBit. just google it as i'm not sure if i can post links.

This program will optimize your system for gaming. One click in the program puts you in to "Game Mode" by shutting down all the unnecessary processes and services that run on your cpu in the background. This greatly improves FPS and Lag issues. It should be a free download but i cant remember if it was a trial only deal or not. Worth a look either way. Nifty little program
 

Finalchrono

Time Bandit
Actually nevermind, I just checked my specs and it isn't fully dedicated. He has 8 GBs of memory like I do, so there will not be any problem there.
 
Hello Skyrim Fans,

Can anyone confirm or deny my system setup as it pertains to running the game in both a functional as well as enjoyable fashion with decent graphics and playability without lag?
In short, I'd use:

AMD Athlon 64 x 2; 2.8 GHz dual core
Radeon HD 6670 Video Card - 1GB, DDR3
Kingston ValueRAM - 4GB (2x 2GB), PC2-6400, DDR2-800MHz, CL6 (1600 MHz with DDR, correct?)
Hard Drive,320GB,S2,7.2K RPM
I would use a low resolution like 1280x1024 or 1600xWhatever.
I would disable shadows and disable reflections, etc.

What settings could i use? Medium? Medium-high? Would the magic and cinematics and gameplay still be smooth? Thanks!


In long:


I'm looking to play on the PC since it seems to have the fastest support and most bells and whistles available, but my current PC is not powerful enough. In order to take the cheapest financial route to play Skyrim I'd like to upgrade my system RAM and my GFX card only.

This would push my setup to:

1. AMD Athlon 64 x 2; 2.8 GHz (my propriety mobo wont let me upgrade the processor and it's only a dual core, but as I understand, the AMD architecture is faster than Intel's for gaming purposes due to a data pipeline with less relays and therefore less processing errors. In the original Athlon I believe it was something like the AMD's 6 or 7 relays versus Intel's 21-23 relays. I'm not sure how much this actually affects games but every little bit helps!)

Also, the Dell System Config list from the support site lists the processor as follows:
Qty 1. Part # R8FWN Processor,Athlon 64X2 For Desktops,240,2.8,512X2,2C,C2

2.8 GHz, assuming 512 x 2 Cache but not sure what levels. I assume at least level 2 cache based on the age of the PC which I bought mid 2010. Assuming the 2C or C2 talk about cache level and/or latency timers. Dunno what 240, 2C, or C2 mean for sure though.


2. XFX HD-667X-ZHF3 Radeon HD 6670 Video Card - 1GB, DDR3, PCI-Express 2.1 (X16), DVI, VGA, HDMI, DirectX 11, Single-Slot (id have to buy this and install it before i buy the game, currently on sale for 60 USD)

3. Kingston ValueRAM KVR800D2N6K2/4G Desktop Memory Kit - 4GB (2x 2GB), PC2-6400, DDR2-800MHz, 240-pin DIMM, 1.8V, CL6, Non-ECC, Unbuffered (I'd have to buy this also, for 53 USD. It's not the best RAM on the market but 2 sticks would activate DDR on the mobo)

4. Hard Drive,320GB,S2,7.2K,SGT-PHAR (this is currently installed, not too concerned about the HDD)

I'd also have to buy the game which is about 60 USD also.

Total about 180 USD. 200 is about all I have to spend since money is tight right now.



I believe my primary bottleneck would be the processor if I moved forward with this setup. However I would play it at a lower resolution than 1900x1080 or whatever 1080p is - with as many inconsequential graphic options turned off as I could stand. I would probably be happy at 1280x1024 res or 1600xWhatever maximum. As from playing Everquest I know that Shadows use a huge amount of processing power and certain dynamic lighting effects use a good amount of power too but have little to show for it visually besides reflections and glints on weapons and shields.

Here are the specs for Skyrim from Bethesda:

Recommended Specs
  • Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
  • Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
  • 4GB System RAM
  • 6GB free HDD space
  • DirectX 9.0c compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with 1GB of RAM (Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or higher (i.e GTX550Ti); ATI Radeon 4890 or higher).
  • DirectX compatible sound card
  • Internet access for Steam activation
Minimum Specs
  • 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 9.0c compliant video card with 512 MB of RAM
  • DirectX compatible sound card
  • Internet access for Steam activation
"The Min specs get you playing, The recommended specs let you play on High, not on Ultra. You'll want beefier rig for that"

-From Pete Hines' Twitter account

Apparently Pete Hines is some corporate VP or CEO from Bethesda or something. Excuse my ignorance but ive already done a lot of research on this game and im just not going to look that up.

Bottom line is if someone can provide experiential evidence that I can play on a Low-medium, medium, or medium-high setting with little to no lag on the setup I listed for 180 USD i would pay that amount. It looks like a heck of a game.

Thanks,
Matt
 

Finalchrono

Time Bandit
There's no way to tell outright what specific settings you'll get. I can ballpark it and say you'll likely get medium-high settings, but at the same time I don't know too much about your CPU. Is your price cap $180 or something? I'm confused about what costs what with all those commas, could you clean it up in list form please?
 
Bump. Edits are underlined and numbers and spaces have been added to the projected specs list. Thank you Finalchrono for answering so quickly.

Also, the Dell System Config list from the support site lists the processor as follows:
Qty 1. Part # R8FWN Processor,Athlon 64X2 For Desktops,240,2.8,512X2,2C,C2

Assuming 2.8 GHz, assuming 512 x 2 Cache but not sure what levels. Assuming the 2C or C2 talk about cache level and/or latency timers. Dunno what 240, 2C, or C2 mean for sure though.

Oh yeah, I was wondering if anyone knows another site or thread or forum i could post the above on to get a response?

Thanks,
Matt
 

Finalchrono

Time Bandit
Hmm well, I can estimate medium to medium-high. Your graphics card is #76 on the benchmark list which is pretty good. Your CPU on the other hand, well ehh it's kind of in the middle as far as moving from minimum to recommended. Your memory is low on the frequency too, 800mhz is a bit behind. So, from this build i'd have to say again medium to medium-high. However, with some tweaks and maybe some mods you might actually get to play it on high settings.
 
Thanks Final, and just for my own peace of mind could I ask you to denote how you arrived at your conclusion please? Relativity speaks volumes. Real Estate people deal largely in comparables. Very much appreciated if you do.

Does anyone else know where else I may be able to post for answers on this matter?

Thanks,
Matt

PS: When the DDR kicks in wouldn't that bump the system RAM speed to 1.6 MHz?

~Thx!
 

Finalchrono

Time Bandit
You could post this on Tom's Hardware. They deal with this kind of stuff all the time. I came to the conclusion by determining the quality of hardware.

CPU - Dual Core + 2.8Ghz (Pretty good) + two 512MB caches (Ok) = Medium
Graphics Card - #76 on benchmark + 1 GB extra memory = Medium to Medium High
Memory - 4GBs of dual channel memory rated 800mhz = roughly 2 GBs of 1600mhz memory = Medium-High
HDD - 7200 RPMs is great for retrieval speeds = Medium-High

Dual channel memory actually works better on an intel bridge. If you had an Athlon FX CPU then it could utilize dual channel properly.
 
Outstanding! Thanks!

Any idea if a proprietary dell mobo would allow for overclocking the cpu via the standard increasing of the frontside bus speed? Or where and how to find out more info on this? And stability testing?

Thanks!
 

Finalchrono

Time Bandit
Like I said, you should be able to find a lot of this information on Tom's Hardware. Seeing as manufacturer's need to keep you from tampering with their products, they don't usually let you overclock as you could mess up the computer and it isn't covered in the warranty.

There are plenty of stability testing programs, my favorite being Linx.
 

DeadOctopi

Premium Member
Just to chime in, this is my current crap rig. works fine for digital illustration but it was time to upgrade)

Mobo: Some gigabyte purchased 6-7 years ago. VGA and Single DVI plugs, to paint a pretty picture.
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5000+ 2.6GHz (fair enough I suppose)
RAM: some DDR2 or DDR3, 4GB worth (probably a low clock speed)
Nvidia GeFroce 8400GS 512MB (pretty crummy)
64 bit Windows 7 Professional
Where everything comes to a screeching halt..well, one of the culprits I assume..

Single IDE Hard drive in the case.

Just chugging along until it dies. Skyrim is on that, and for most of my storage for media/work I have two externals and use carbonite for client work/ personal work. I don't work with -huge- files and most of it is vector so it's fast enough, small file sizes.

With this setup the game isn't worth loading, even on lowest settings, letting the application decide to take the card where it wants. Newest drivers and updates on all hardware in the box. and then ini tweaks to kill everything that renders beyond a two step radius around the character.

So there's a benchmark for you, haha. This system is old and dying.

Thanks everyone for the input, can't wait to get into this game....if that third party seller on amazon ever ships my damned card.... I love you amazon, you will upgrade my shipping just to hit a delivery date.
 
Hi DeadOctopi, good to see you.

What's the RPM and GB on your IDE drive? (120 to 320 GB @ 5k-5.2k rpm?) If you were to upgrade the HDD and GFX card you might be able to get Skyrim on medium settings or maybe a little better with that machine.

I'm not sure just exactly how the HDD impacts Skyrim but if only for faster load times you may be able to use that HDD.

And with any luck you may be able to overclock a little bit if that is not a proprietary mobo. An old friend who did tech work for Toshiba said you can usually get about 100 to 300 more MHz out of a processor by upping the Frontside Bus speed just a little. And if you make sure you have good cooling it would not be too much stress on the system to get a little more performance and life out of your processor.

If you put 60 USD on the same GFX card I posted and Seagate ST3250312AS Barracuda 7200.12 250GB Hard Drive - 250GB, 8MB, SATA 6Gb/s $89.99 you would probably get medium settings.

How much did you spend for the rig that's on it's way to you and where did you buy it? I considered buying a new machine but work has been pretty slow lately.
 

Finalchrono

Time Bandit
I can say he probably spent around $500-$600. Also he said he bought it from Amazon. Kind of makes me wonder if you read the posts or skim through them :p. The list of what he bought is the first post. I have a lot of the stuff on his list and I actually spent around $400. I got it all when it was on sale and including lame mail in rebates. I'm still waiting for my $70 worth of mail in rebates, got I hate them with a passion. If he wants to play Battlefield 3, I don't think the card you're getting will cut it.
 
I skimmed, i saw no prices just hardware listed.

Is there anyone else who can help me out by responding to my first post on this thread please? I'd like to play Skyrim for Christmas! Thanks in advance.

=====================================

Hello Skyrim Fans,

Can anyone confirm or deny my system setup as it pertains to running the game in both a functional as well as enjoyable fashion with decent graphics and playability without lag?

In short, I'd use:

AMD Athlon 64 x 2; 2.8 GHz dual core
Radeon HD 6670 Video Card - 1GB, DDR3
Kingston ValueRAM - 4GB (2x 2GB), PC2-6400, DDR2-800MHz, CL6 (1600 MHz with DDR, correct?)
Hard Drive,320GB,S2,7.2K RPM
I would use a low resolution like 1280x1024 or 1600xWhatever.
I would disable shadows and disable reflections, etc.

What settings could i use? Medium? Medium-high? Would the magic and cinematics and gameplay still be smooth? Thanks!


In long:


I'm looking to play on the PC since it seems to have the fastest support and most bells and whistles available, but my current PC is not powerful enough. In order to take the cheapest financial route to play Skyrim I'd like to upgrade my system RAM and my GFX card only.

This would push my setup to:

1. AMD Athlon 64 x 2; 2.8 GHz (my propriety mobo wont let me upgrade the processor and it's only a dual core, but as I understand, the AMD architecture is faster than Intel's for gaming purposes due to a data pipeline with less relays and therefore less processing errors. In the original Athlon I believe it was something like the AMD's 6 or 7 relays versus Intel's 21-23 relays. I'm not sure how much this actually affects games but every little bit helps!)

Also, the Dell System Config list from the support site lists the processor as follows:
Qty 1. Part # R8FWN Processor,Athlon 64X2 For Desktops,240,2.8,512X2,2C,C2

2.8 GHz, assuming 512 x 2 Cache but not sure what levels. I assume at least level 2 cache based on the age of the PC which I bought mid 2010. Assuming the 2C or C2 talk about cache level and/or latency timers. Dunno what 240, 2C, or C2 mean for sure though.


2. XFX HD-667X-ZHF3 Radeon HD 6670 Video Card - 1GB, DDR3, PCI-Express 2.1 (X16), DVI, VGA, HDMI, DirectX 11, Single-Slot (id have to buy this and install it before i buy the game, currently on sale for 60 USD)

3. Kingston ValueRAM KVR800D2N6K2/4G Desktop Memory Kit - 4GB (2x 2GB), PC2-6400, DDR2-800MHz, 240-pin DIMM, 1.8V, CL6, Non-ECC, Unbuffered (I'd have to buy this also, for 53 USD. It's not the best RAM on the market but 2 sticks would activate DDR on the mobo)

4. Hard Drive,320GB,S2,7.2K,SGT-PHAR (this is currently installed, not too concerned about the HDD)

I'd also have to buy the game which is about 60 USD also.

Total about 180 USD. 200 is about all I have to spend since money is tight right now.



I believe my primary bottleneck would be the processor if I moved forward with this setup. However I would play it at a lower resolution than 1900x1080 or whatever 1080p is - with as many inconsequential graphic options turned off as I could stand. I would probably be happy at 1280x1024 res or 1600xWhatever maximum. As from playing Everquest I know that Shadows use a huge amount of processing power and certain dynamic lighting effects use a good amount of power too but have little to show for it visually besides reflections and glints on weapons and shields.

Here are the specs for Skyrim from Bethesda:

Recommended Specs
  • Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
  • Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
  • 4GB System RAM
  • 6GB free HDD space
  • DirectX 9.0c compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with 1GB of RAM (Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or higher (i.e GTX550Ti); ATI Radeon 4890 or higher).
  • DirectX compatible sound card
  • Internet access for Steam activation
Minimum Specs
  • 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 9.0c compliant video card with 512 MB of RAM
  • DirectX compatible sound card
  • Internet access for Steam activation
"The Min specs get you playing, The recommended specs let you play on High, not on Ultra. You'll want beefier rig for that"

-From Pete Hines' Twitter account

Apparently Pete Hines is some corporate VP or CEO from Bethesda or something. Excuse my ignorance but ive already done a lot of research on this game and im just not going to look that up.

Bottom line is if someone can provide experiential evidence that I can play on a Low-medium, medium, or medium-high setting with little to no lag on the setup I listed for 180 USD i would pay that amount. It looks like a heck of a game.

Thanks,
Matt
 

mika

New Member
I think you'll be able to play on high at the max resolution. My spec is lower than yours, and I run fine on High Quality (default settings that Skyrim detected). I was honestly surprised at how well the game is optimized to run on lower-end machines, maybe cause it uses an old engine?

Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (2.6GHz)
2GB RAM DDR2
Radeon HD 4850

1920x1080 - 30+ FPS, a lot more in dungeons (45+), slightly less outdoors in some areas (Markath) but very playable.

edit: side note that could affect your FPS, I make sure absolutely nothing is running in the background by using selective startup in msconfig.
 

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