If you build your own from Newegg components for example you will end up with a really powerful machine with less than $1000

If you don't want to build your own, just buy an inexpensive desktop with quad core CPU and replace the video card with one of the following:

1 GB AMD 5770
1 GB NVIDIA GTX 460
1 GB NVIDIA GTS 450


Those are the three cheapest DX11 cards that can handle most games at 1920x1080 or 1920x1200, price ranges from $110-150. just make sure whichever desktop you buy has PCI-e slot and enough internal space for the GPU.

Here are more video cards you might consider depending on your budget:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card-game-performance-radeon-hd-6670,2935-2.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card-game-performance-radeon-hd-6670,2935-3.html

You should really consider building your own pc. The hardest/most nerve recking part, IMO, is applying the thermal paste and that's really a no brainer(look online/read directions). Everything else is basic... can you read? Follow directions? Use a screw driver? Install drivers/os? If you can do these then your can put together a pc. Buying a Dell or gateway etc will cost you a large premium, for half the performance of a self built rig. Plus sales people at stores will flat out lie to you, and more than half have no right even being around, let alone selling, a computer to anyone.

My advice is to go get an account at a pc centric website, and ask for help there. There's also TONS of torturails! Worse case scenario, google( $amount to spend)pc build and use those as examples for your own, and build off of others ideas. Just don't waste 400$ to buy an underpowered name brand pc. You'll regret it, trust me I know first hand.

You can still play vanilla, then add mods. Have you ever use mods for TES before, I am sure there is something you would like?

And either way to the op. The vast majority of people get benefit from mods. There something for everyone. Literally thousands of hours of extra content. Even if you like vanilla game play, there's bug fixes, grahpics enchanters and whole other games! Look at Nehrim, it another complete game that uses OB engine. It has it own start up icon,title screen, and even its own mods. Free open world game just for buy OB, that is pretty neato.

Lol, when I hear people talk like that I KnOw they have never played with mods! If you have, you'd know. Most console players who have know better, and don't spout "I'd rather play only vanilla". No, after 5 vanilla playthroughs you'd rather have better cities, fcom, new armors, new quests, new everything.


http://m.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-graphics-card-geforce-gtx-590-radeon-hd-6990,2879-7.html

This is a chart, showing graphics cards from Highest to lowest powered. The intels are at the very bottom. DO NOT buy that and plan on any serious type of gaming.

Mods are totally worth it in my case, but I'm not sure how much I'd put into a system JUST to play a single game.

Mods kept me playing Morrowind for years. I couldn't play Oblivion at all without mods.

I imagine nearly any desktop you buy with dedicated video card, even probably the Intel HD 3000 or HD 4000 will be able to run recent games at console resolutions with console textures

in other words:
1280x720,
low res texture settings
etc.

But that would be a huge waste of money IMO because not only will it look like crap on your 1080p TV or monitor, but you can spend $100-150 and get a video card that can run everything in 1080p instead.

Are mods worth it? Definitely if you plan to play the game a very long time. Mods add almost infinite replay value. With mods the game stays fresh and doesn't become boring.

The only thing bad with mods is that it is time consuming to manage them (what files you installed where, compressing them). You also have to avoid conflicts between them. But once you get the hang of it it's worth it.

I think mods are definitely worth it, but the price impact really depends on one's own financial situation. If you have the money to throw away to build (or buy if you're inept at building) a computer, go for it. But if you're worried about keeping a budget, I'd say stick with what you have. A single game is not worth buying a gaming rig that will be obsolete in a few years (which it will be once games stop being made for these consoles - bottom line gaming comps won't cut it), but I'd be lying if I said powerful computers were ever a bad investment. I think a computer can do a lot of good things for people that consoles can't, so they tend to be better investments.

Since you need to ask this question, I can safely assume you haven't had experience with using mods, so I'll say this, yes, they are worth it. The modding community has done a lot to increase the lifespan of Morrowind and Oblivion for me, and ensure that even now I can still continue to enjoy them. And don't get me wrong, I liked both of these games as they were upon release, but that doesn't mean they can't be improved. With mods, it's possible to make them even better, and give them more longevity because you can keep adding new content, since at some point, if you keep playing, you'll eventually finish all the content in the game. The Elder Scrolls games already tend to offer more for what you pay for them than many other games, but there's still a limit to how much content Bethesda can put in them upon release. Mods can add in things Bethesda could not add, never thought to add, or did not want to add, and improve upon aspects of the game that are already good as well as fix some of the parts that aren't so good. And if you complain that the price of a gaming computer seems a little high just to use mods, keep in mind that Skyrim isn't the only game you could play on it, not to mention contrary to what some seem to think, if you don't mind not being able to run all games at maximum settings, you don't actually need to upgrade your computer every two weeks, and when you do need to upgrade, you may simply need to replace individual parts, which would be cheaper than buying an entirely new computer. Of course, it's your choice wherher to get the game on PC or not, I'm just saying that I think mods are a sufficient reason to consider the PC version, if that's an option for you.

Although I wouldn't be one to ask on what a good sort of computer to get would be since I haven't had occassion to upgrade my computer recently, I haven't really paid much attention to what the latest in computer hardware is, so I can't tell you what a good choice would be.

NO. do not fall for fall for their elitist lies. we console gamers are a proud and noble people do not let them tell you otherwise. there is nothing wrong with playing it on a console, its still going to be the same game.
(I'm not trying to be hostile I'm just jealous)

In all seriousness if you can afford it go for it, mods are great and keep the game alive for a long time.

PS: I find it odd that people say their favorite part of beth games are the mods which Beth doesn't even make

Why do you find it odd? Mods to me are a customization tool. I am for a giant options menu myself. My fav mod is FWE, which is basiclly a giant options menu, dozens of choices to tweak the game to your taste, that is awesome.

That's a valid opinion, and a certain friend of mine has it as well and never leaves me alone about it, but mods certainly add to the value of the game. A game should be able to sell well on its own merit, but there's no denying that user-made content can create games with much, much longer lifespans. What would Little Big Planet be like if people couldn't make their own stuff, or all of those Valve games that wouldn't exist if they hadn't been mods first.

But fear not, console people. Bethesda loves you too. Only Microsoft and Sony don't, otherwise you'd get to have mods with the rest of us.

Research a computer in October if you want one for Skyrim. Now would be a terrible time to get one because the prices on some components will likely go down by then.

The console makers really need to allow mods. Then everyone can enjoy them.

Still, you never know if things like OBSE would run since the architecture of the files or the way the are executed/queued may be different on consoles.
And graphical mods will still make the consoles die. They are not developt to actually schow more than it is already on skyrim.

@Topic:
HELL YES! THEY ARE!

cheers

Yes. 1000x yes, mods are for me an essential part of this game.

So? Some mods don't work on low end pc's. Just because some mods won't work for consoles it not a good argument that console should not get the ability to play mods.

I had assumed that mods for consoles would have to go though some sort of approval process. Perhaps something automated like Forge in Halo that calculates a certain score based on performance capability of a system. If you exceed that, the mod is incompatible with consoles, and mods that affect the same things to a great extent (a la mods that would be incompatible on PC) will be prevented from running together.

In the end, I think Bethesda would be better off having some sort of spotlight selection where they pick some of the most popular user mods, see if they are compatible with console capability, and then publish them to be downloaded for free. Not the best option, but an option nonetheless.

Yes!

I just got a new PC, I was originally going to get Skyrim for the 360 but if this computer can run it good, I will get it for the PC.

Specs

Case
Cooler Master Storm Scout Mid Tower Black Gaming Case

Processor
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T 3.2GHz 6MB Cache Black Edition Six-Core Desktop Processor

CPU Cooling
Corsair H50 Liquid Cooling System

Motherboard
ASUS M4A87TD EVO Motherboard - SATA3 & USB3 Ready

Memory
8GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 CL8 Dual Channel Memory

Graphics Card
Single AMD Radeon HD 6870 1GB GDDR5 - DX11 / Eyefinity Read

Power Supply
Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 700W Power Supply

Hard Drive (
1TB - SATA3 6Gb/s 7200rpm 32MB Cache HDD - Seagate Barracuda

Operating System
Genuine Windows? 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit


How is the graphics card?
Thanks

I am pretty sure they stated somewhere that if you can run Oblivion you can run Skyrim.

Hmmm, I'm going to say yes, some forum users are just plain abusive and we need mods to keep them in line.


OHHHHH! The other kind of mod! I have a console, and I'm sticking with it (mostly 'cause when I do get a gaming computer I wan a high-end one, and I don't have that money to blow right now), but yes, from what I've heard, mods are totally wroth it. Hell, I'd buy Skyrim for the PC just for a spears mod.

I haven't heard this anywhere, but it's true. Skyrim and Oblivion both run on the exact same consoles, so they should run on the exact same computers.

Are they worth it? They're half the point I buy Elder Scrolls games!

You tell me if mods are worth it check out this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hZWKK_oy_s

Enjoy.