How much VRAM will I need to mod Skyrim?

[Pmckenna]

Hi,

I'm about to buy a GTX 670 but I'd first like to know how much VRAM I'll need to play Skyrim with mods such as texture pack combiner, detailed faces and maybe an ENB installed?

Also, will the mods installed hurt my FPS? Or is it unaffected until I start hitting the VRAM limit of my card?

Thanks,

EDIT: I'll be playing at 1080p on my tv btw.

 

[darth pravus]

They will probably lower your FPS a bit. You will know when you hit VRAM limits as your FPS will tank to about 5.

You should, however, be fine with those mods and a 2gb limit.

 

[Pmckenna]

Really? I've heard about people running upwards of 3gb in some cases, especially with an ENB.

I'm asking you guys because this is my first time building a PC and I'd prefer not to spend the extra £70 on a 4gb 670 if I can run all the mods I'd like with 2gb.

Also, it seems to be impossible to get a definite answer on VRAM usage with these mods.. Seems to be anywhere from 1.8 - 3.8 usage.

 

[Caspase]

At 1080p 2 gb is fine. I had a crapton of mods and the max I saw was 1.7. If you want 1440p or more or want to use every mod known to man then maybe 4 gb.

 

[Pmckenna]

At 1080p 2 gb is fine. I had a crapton of mods and the max I saw was 1.7. If you want 1440p or more or want to use every mod known to man then maybe 4 gb.

Hi, what mods were you using exactly? Because the texture pack combiner I mentioned is most definitely a crapton of mods. If I don't use this, I'll probably use S.T.E.P (Skyrim Total Enhancement Project) Anyone used it before?

Thanks,

 

[Caspase]

I had the hd texture pack with the water physics and a bunch of others. Cant tell you which exactly because I would change frequently xD but like 15-20 active in the mod manager

 

[AntiZig]

I'm kind of looking for mods to add to my skyrim as well. Would be interested to know which people find better looking / less agressive on VRAM - the 2kHD textures or the STEP?

one thing I can tell you about ENBs is the higher your resolution the more ram those will need in order to run post processing.

 

[Supernova1138]

With the Bethesda high res textures, and additional modded high res textures I hit up to 1800 MB usage with my 7870 at 4xMSAA, Ultra settings. If you want to start throwing tons of post processing in there, or want to really up your AA, you might want more than 2GB.

 

[Pmckenna]

I'm kind of looking for mods to add to my skyrim as well. Would be interested to know which people find better looking / less agressive on VRAM - the 2kHD textures or the STEP?

Hi Zig, I'm not 100% certain, but I do think 2kHD textures has a lite version, no? I'm only just reading about S.T.E.P right now, but I think they do have various options for cards with less VRAM to spare.

You should try their forums for more info.
http://forum.step-project.com/index.php

one thing I can tell you about ENBs is the higher your resolution the more ram those will need in order to run post processing.

Ram or vram?

 

[Pmckenna]

With the Bethesda high res textures, and additional modded high res textures I hit up to 1800 MB usage with my 7870 at 4xMSAA, Ultra settings. If you want to start throwing tons of post processing in there, or want to really up your AA, you might want more than 2GB.

Thanks super, post processing is ENBs, right?

Did you notice a significant improvement with Bethesda's own high res textures? What other textures did you use?

Cheers,

P

 

[Supernova1138]

I had Bethesda's high res textures and the Skyrim Realistic Overhaul mod on. No post processing effects. My VRAM usage would vary between 1.5 and 1.8 GB depending on my location.

I never played the game without high res textures, so I don't know what it looked like before, so I can't really compare that.

 

[AntiZig]

Ram or vram?

vram naturally. sorry I must have misspelled.

 

[chill24]

I know this thread is old, but maybe it's still useful to someone. I also use 1080p with skyrim mods and I regularly go over 2 gb, but pretty much never over 3. I don't know how many mods I have, but its quite a bit. I also have all effects, AA and such maxed.

It sits at around 2.1 to 2.3 gb ram most of the time. When in cities or areas with lots going on is when it starts to get close to 3.

I've played crysis 3 beta some and I think the vram was around 1.8 (not sure though). I'll be interested in what the single player uses.

Hope this helps.

Gtx670 4gb