I need to buy a new gaming computer before I can play Skyrim. I'd like to know what you fellow gamers are currently using and how well you like it.

I'm interested in things like:

* Processor brand/speed
* Video card brand/speed/memory
* Memory (how much?)
* Screen resolution you're using
* Graphics options you're using in the game
* FPS (if you know)

plus whatever else you think is important to enjoy the gaming experience.

Addendum:

* Good company to buy a computer from (I'm currently thinking Dell / Alienware -- OK OK! Maybe I'll get my husband to build one. )

* Budget: Max $2,000
(Also planning to get a 55" LCD or LED TV. I usually play with the computer hooked up to the TV.)

Thanks for your help!

If I was in your shoes I would be looking for an i7 processor (2nd gen), 8GB RAM, the best video card you can afford (or two older SLI cards) and 1080p. Ultra/top settings.

- Intel i5 quad core, 3.2 Ghz
- (Sapphire) Radeon HD6780, 1GB
- 4 GB RAM

- 1920x1080
- All graphics options fully maxed, including .ini file tweaks.
- Don't know my FPS; never, ever, ever, ever lag.

If you just want to play Skyrim, you don't need any more than what I have. If you're restricted to a budget I'd say a setup similar to mine is also the best choise.
If you want to future-proof a bit more you can go for an i7 processor (not really needed), a Radeon HD6950/GTX560Ti/GTX580 and 8 GB RAM. But for Skyrim alone this is all overkill.

Here's my build (just did it) and I LOVE IT

Intel Core i5-2500k (OC'd to 4.4)
NVidia GeForce GTX 560ti
GSkill 8GB 1600 DDR3 Ram
1920x1080
Ultra
>60+ FPS

ROCK ON COME AT ME BRO

I went to overclockers and bought a 2 grand rig. Got a good deal plus i'm too lazy to build my own. To be honest there wasn't much in it adding up all the components.. After 5 years i'll ditch this rig and buy another one.

You didn't give a budget, makes it kinda hard to choose. But if I was to upgrade my current computer, here is what I would get.

Processor = i5 2500k, best processor for the money out there right now, in my opinion.
Video Card = GeForce GTX 560 TI or Radeon HD 6950 both really good cards for > $300
Memory = 8GB is the "magic" number right now
Resolution = 1920x1080 seems to be the go to for gaming right now. I'm happy with 1680x1050 for now though
Graphics Options = Ultra
FPS = not sure, but if you didn't get at least 60 FPS with this setup, something is wrong

I5-2500k with a proper mobo for overcloking it to around 4,4ghz (asrock p67 pro?), some decent air cooler, 8gb ram, gtx 560ti/570/580 or radeon hd6950 (or 2 in crossfire), ssd drive, decent case with good airflow (cooler master 690 dominator II) and do not try to save on PSU. 27" lcd screen for fullhd gaming.

This is going to be your best bet as far as suggestions go. I would recommend the Nvidia card over AMD, simply because it seems like Skyrim likes the Nvidia drivers a lot more right now. And keep in mind you're going to have to do a few tweaks to your game in order for it to maximize your PCs power...and even then it won't use the majority of your GPU/RAM. The main thing here is to get a strong CPU.

If you are mainly just gaming, the Intel 2500k is probably the best bang for the buck right now Price vs performance.


Now, if you do a lot of work with threaded apps, such as multi-threaded apps like HD video encoding for example, then you may want to consider a i7 CPU. They cost more, but a good deal faster then the 2500s in this area due to being hyperthreaded. (Which BTW is the main difference. i5 4 cores with 4 threads. i7 4 cores w/hyperthreading. So 4 cores 8 threads.)
just consider how much you need it. If you do these types of things rarely, it may be a waste. If often, its a worthwhile investment.



For gaming, and most everything else, they both perform about the same.

So it depends on what your overall needs and expectations are for the PC. So the 2500k or 2600K would be what I suggest looking into for a new build.

You are asking for advice, so I think we can assume you are not the most technical person. Even with little experience, you can still buy components and build your own system. It isn't that hard. But you shouldn't bother with more advanced things. So don't plan on overclocking your CPU or videocard. And don't bother with SLI or CF (that's 2 cheaper videocards in one PC).

There is lots of good advice in the posts above.

i5-2500 is the best option for a CPU for a gaming PC right now.
You can buy the K-version (i5-2500K) for 10 euros/dollars more. In case you do decide to overclock your machine later.
Don't bother with AMD at the moment. For middle/high-end gaming, their offerings aren't as good. Only when you want to buy a budget system.

Get a motherboard with a Z68 chipset. ASRock makes nice, good, dependable motherboards for a good price.
Asus, Gigabyte, there are a few others. But don't buy an expensive one. You won't get higher framerates.
Get 4 GB of RAM. Or an extra 4GB for 8GB total. Note, no game in the world needs more than 4GB. Use that extra 40 euro/dollars to buy a faster videocard.

nVidia or AMD videocards is a matter of preference.
Don't buy the top-end. Buy something just below the top-end.
AMD 6950 or 6970 are nice videocards. nVidia gtx560ti is nice too. (The gtx560ti would be my choice).

SSD is nice for the general feel of your system. But it won't improve your gaming experience. Even load times will hardly be affected.
Still, if you have the cash, it's nice to put your OS (and maybe a few games) on a 90GB SSD.
But again, if you don't have the cash to do that, it's of lesser priority. Your first priority are the 2500K, a matching mobo, and a good videocard.

With i5-2500K and gtx560ti you will be able to play all maxed out 1920x1200, with 4xAA or more at 60 fps most of the time.
Heck, with my E8500 and gtx260, I can play maxed out with 4xAA at 25-60 fps.

if your buying a computer for this game..

make sure you have at least the following:

8gb of ram.... and make sure it's the largest modules you can buy per (currently 2x4gb is the way to go, NEVER buy 4x2gb.... that's bad bad bad)

1.5-2gb or more (more preferable if available) of VRAM.. or video cards ram.... many modern cards are 1gb give or take... which are sufficient, but 1.5-2gb is going to last significantly longer, nothing kills performance faster than running out of vram.. specially when texture mods really start showing up, or if a HD Texture pack is ever released. Even with default textures in this game, vram is almost in completely short supply if your running 1gb.

MUST be a quad core processor, don't cheap out on an i3 or triple core amd solution, If possible, make the move to a 6 core cpu.. it'll last longer.... but 4 cores is plenty for todays standards.

Motherboards are quite difficult to pick.. but just make sure it has native SATA III support as well as a realtek HD audio on it. Life will be much easier with realtek onboard unless of course your trying to use another audio card of some sort.

One of the most critical parts of the machine is a power supply... and it's frequently neglected by most purchasers.... invest in a good one.. like a highend coolermaster or Corsair.. and don't skimp on wattage..... but don't go out of control either. 750 watt give or take, versions of the coolermaster/corsair psus should do you very very well.

Lastly, the biggest bottleneck in a computer system is it's hardrive .... moving to a solid state drive is a great improvement. While i would prefer to recommend intel's Solid state drives in flavors no smaller than 240gb as 120gb gets a little tight to work by todays standards....... trust me when i say that SSD is most definitely the way to go. Research whatever model you want VERY well.. and stick to the SATA III drives.

I would also like to add one thing, that Gryz's post reminded me of in regards to the motherbaord



Lets assume you may want to OC in the future, the K series is a good choice. (as already mentioned)


But, in regards to the Motherboard, something to consider.
Memory Controlers, PCI Express lanes, etc have moved onto the CPU itself. Used to, these were parts of the motherboard, and a high end motherboad was best for good overclocking, and overall performance.



Thats not really these case anymore since most everything is on the CPU & results will be highly dependant on the CPU itself -- although the motherboard does matter to a degree, its just not to the extent it once was.


So, I completely agree.
Whether you plan to OC or not, just find yourself a decent motherboard, that offers the features you need and is appealing to YOU.
For example, no point getting one with 5 PCI Express Slots and a NF200 chip, if you have no intentions of running more than 1, possibly 2 Graphics cards. Its overkill if you have no intentions of a Tri-SLi setup, and run just as well as most other boards.


ASUS, eVGA, Gigabyte would be my recomendation, though eVGA SLI line is my personal preference for P67/z68.
They offer less feature than most others, (such as extra SATA ports)
But I have them to be very solid and suit MY needs perfectly. Not everyone will agree though, or may need those extra features other boards offer.


And 1 other thing.

One major thing, do NOT skimp on your power supply, or go way overboard on Wattage.
Get a good quality one, as this is the lifes blood of the system.

Corsair, Seasonic, or Antec would be a excellent place to look..

A good 650W will be far more power than needed for a single GPU setup, And a good 750 (like a Seasonic x750 or AX750 form Corsair) will be plenty for 570s in SLI.

Wattages do not tell the whole story here.
For example, for SLI 570s the Seasonic x750 is perfectly fine. But a Diablotech .... best look at around 1200W for those.

If you'll just run a single GPU, look towards the 650W units. They will serve you well and have plenty of headroom for any single GPU setup, and will handle any OC you can throw at it.

avoid dell/alienware like he plague if you have any intention of getting a decent machine..

if your considering a laptop, take a look at ASUS

If your asking about parts... get a qualified custom computer place to build it.. or better yet.... it's not at all difficult to build it yourself.. (AND considerably cheaper)


$2000 budget is pretty massive.

This basically can guarantee you to even perhaps considering jump on the Intel 2011 Socket boards and cpu's.

Getting a 2011 socket motherboard is about $300
the cheapest CPU is about $450ish (which i'll add is incredibly powerful even in coparison to the i7 1155 cpu's that have been available.... it's in no way an a slow cpu... the 2011 socket is specifically for the hardcoe gamer/highend uses, no i5/i3 for it)
Pair that up with 4x4gb ram modules which should set you back about 150 bucks which will give you Quad Channel mode
Throw in a Corsair 750/850watt PSU which will run around the 100 bucks
a 6950 2gb for approximately 300 bucks
1 SSD (vertex 3) 120gb for $200
1 2TB WD caviar black 64mb for data storage. for about 75
Colermaster 690 II Advance Case to jam everything into $80
Pioneer/Asus Blu-ray reader + DVD/CD reader/writer combo drive $80
Nice keyboard and mouse of your choosing which will run in the 50-100 dollar range

If you need a copy of windows 7 64 (would sugget Professional if you plan on increasing your RAM at some point beyond 16gb, but HP supper 16gb just fine)
You can get hp for about $100 or pro for 120ish OEM copies that are made by microsoft.. don't spend money the RETAIL version.... no sense in spending that kind of money.

Then just attach it to your tv via HDMI...

so

$300
$450
$150
$100
$300
$200
$75
$80
$80
$100_____
$1875

That figure is calculated without windows 7 x64 added.

That gives you a little bit of a float to work with depending on where you are and what your prices may be.

As for a place to buy a pre-made computer. I wouldn't go Alienware, overpriced in my opinion. If you MUST go with a pre-build, do something like iBuyPower. I still prefer putting my own components together.

$2000 can get you a LOT in terms of gaming hardware (more than enough for Skyrim)

If your a cheap bastard you don't actually need a new computer to run skyrim.

I'm on a dual core e8400 3GHZ CPU and a 512MB video card and I get 40-60 fps.

I have all settings on max except for shadows. The key for me was to overclock my CPU from 3 to 3.6 GHZ which made it run much better.

I'm running the game on an ssd and it takes me 6-7 seconds to go from an outside cell into whiterun. The ssd is only running at 250mb/s because I don't have a sata 6gb/s mobo. Anyone else care to post their times? (when I try a second time I get an even 6 seconds due to ram caching)

Only a fool would buy a pre-built desktop PC from Dell / HP / Alienware / e.t.c.. Not only do they come with crappy bloatware that just causes problems, but they cost twice as much than if you were to just buy the same parts separately and put it together yourself. And putting it together is just a matter of screwing and plugging some stuff in.

I've never timed it (now I'm curious). I'd guess it's 10-15 seconds or so. Personally a few seconds off load times isn't worth double the $ for a fraction of the storage. But, I suppose if you have the cash laying around...

Don't get me wrong, SSD is definitely fast. Still cost too much at the moment in my opinion.

+1


I have all my MMO’s on my Force 120 SSD and it makes a huge difference with stutter (or lack there of ). In large open MMO’s or sandbox games where it has a lot of small (4k ) reads, an SSD is 10x faster at loading those than a platter HD. Basically it makes it smooth as silk with any spawn type situation.

Also in games that instance your missions like COH where you have to constantly go in and out of doors, SSD’s are huge speed boost. On my WD HD I have 20 to 30 second load times, on my SSD it is 5 to 10 seconds.

Thanks for all the great advice! It helps a lot on zeroing in on parts.

By the way, my current PC is a Digital Storm laptop that's about 4 yrs old. It runs Oblivion with no problem, though I had to turn most of the graphics options down or off to run Nehrim. Unfortunately, I've had a lot of problems with the screen pretty much since year one (white flickering lines which appear and disappear depending on the angle of the screen). I wouldn't buy another computer from them (especially because of some bait and switch tactics that they use).

Do you people think that I can get a decent gaming pc with a budget of 1000 ? (must buy all the components)

Define "decent"? $1000 can (in my opinion) get you a pretty decent computer. My brother got one for like $600 I think? he runs Skyrim on High no problem.

decent for me means able to run witcher 2 smoothly and that could last for nearly 2 years without major upgrades

www.ironsidecomputers.com

I can run Skyrim with maxed settings and it's silky smooth.

$1500 w/Screen

Quad-Core i5@3.2GHz, 8GB RAM, 2-500GB HD's, Radeon 6870, Soundblaster Ti

www.newegg.com

Logitech 2.1 THX, Logitech Illuminated Keyboard, Logitech G700 Mouse, Viewsonic 27" LCD

Absolutely amazing system that can run all games maxed with room to spare. You won't be disappointed and it's $100's less than an Alienware.

With a screen, keyboard/mouse, and Windows 7 it would be close (more like 1200-1300). But just a Tower + innards $1000 would be no problem. Though, with the flooding in Thailand, expect to pay an arm and a leg for a HDD