Skyrim: CPU or GPU?

[Guyonskis]

I have a Phenom II 955 @3.7 and a HD5870 and I'm running Skyrim with everything maxed. The game runs really smooth everywhere except in cities, where I get a huge FPS drop, sometimes to an unplayable level.
Do you think my CPU or GPU is responsible? Something else?

Other Notes:
-I have the 2GB mod, made no difference.
-I tried the ATI graphics card fix, didn't change anything
-No other mods that affect performance (although I'd like to )

Thanks!

 

[the54thvoid]

i7 920 @ 3.6GHz and a GTX 580 @ 832MHz - game is super smooth for me except I sometimes (rarely) get gfx slow downs to nearly 1-2 fps. I simply save and reload and it fixes it. A few glitches in the game but as folk say, it's Bethesda...

 

[KainXS]

in some places in skyrim the FPS drops massively like in the jarl of whiteruns manor near his bedroom if I look at one wall the FPS is over 50, if I turn around it drops to 10

are you experiencing something like this.

 

[pantherx12]

Uncheck fxaa and object fade in the advance tab and don't have AA over x4, should sort you out.


Frame rates in town went from 15-25 by doing that.


Lowering shadows to high will give you a big boost as well.

 

[Hayder_Master]

Keep on what you have, if you want next step it will be new system, like sandy system.

 

[Guyonskis]

in some places in skyrim the FPS drops massively like in the jarl of whiteruns manor near his bedroom if I look at one wall the FPS is over 50, if I turn around it drops to 10

are you experiencing something like this.

Yes, however not in the same place. When I'm at the forge near the gates in Whiterun, looking at the smelter everything is fine, but turning around leads to a huge drop. The "zone" is that whole main street. I didn't mind all that much since it was just there, but now I'm in solitude and it's even worse. I'm assuming all cities will cause the same issue.

 

[Guyonskis]

Uncheck fxaa and object fade in the advance tab and don't have AA over x4, should sort you out.


Frame rates in town went from 15-25 by doing that.


Lowering shadows to high will give you a big boost as well.

I'm sure it will help, and I'll probably do that. I was just wondering whether it's my CPU or GPU that's holding me back. I just bought a HD 6970... but if it's CPU, maybe I should invest money in that instead.

 

[Guyonskis]

Keep on what you have, if you want next step it will be new system, like sandy system.

I was thinking either a Phenom II x4 980 or HD6970 as a quick, cheap upgrade. Not sure which would give me more.

 

[pantherx12]

I'm sure it will help, and I'll probably do that. I was just wondering whether it's my CPU or GPU that's holding me back. I just bought a HD 6970... but if it's CPU, maybe I should invest money in that instead.

Ah, it's CPU for sure, if you consider in like caves with v-sync off you get 200+ fps on out cards (with AA off)

It's all the people wondering around in town that does it(runs on havok AI I imagine), that and shadows.

These needs a DX11 patch (native multicore support, lighting/shadow system much more effciant)


Also Don't bother upgrading to another x4 phenom, x6 @4.5ghz might do the trick, but intel cpus are you're best option ( although perhaps not monetarily feasible)

 

[Guyonskis]

Ah, it's CPU for sure, if you consider in like caves with v-sync off you get 200+ fps on out cards (with AA off)

It's all the people wondering around in town that does it(runs on havok AI I imagine), that and shadows.

These needs a DX11 patch (native multicore support, lighting/shadow system much more effciant)


Also Don't bother upgrading to another x4 phenom, x6 @4.5ghz might do the trick, but intel cpus are you're best option ( although perhaps not monetarily feasible)

I'll look into this DX11 patch, I assumed I had everything at the latest version but maybe I missed that.

I realize Intel is the way to go now... bulldozer broke my heart . Intel is stupid expensive. Which x6 can get to 4.5???

 

[pantherx12]

I'll look into this DX11 patch, I assumed I had everything at the latest version but maybe I missed that.

I realize Intel is the way to go now... bulldozer broke my heart . Intel is stupid expensive. Which x6 can get to 4.5???

Sorry my typo made it mean something entirely different, I mean the games needs a dx11 patch those files I linked don't need anything special.


Also all the x6 over clock REALLY well ( for phenoms) you could also look at 960t ( it's a thurban x6 cpu with two cores disabled, seen 4ghz on stock volts on these, and some of them even unlock the extra cores)

1055t pretty much all at-least do 4ghz though I reckon you'll need a 1100 or 1090t for 4.5ghz. (or the previously mentioned 960t)