Graphical mods and hardware question : IV - Oblivion

» Tue May 08, 2012 6:31 pm

I was considering going for the Sandy Bridge but thus far my CPU has done very well.

I had a E8400 3.3GHz before and with my mods setup in heavy locations (IC Market district for example, Anvil docks) FPS was dropping to 11. Replaced it with i5-2500K 4.5GHz and now it is 23 FPS. So going for Sandy Bridge instead of your current CPU will roughly double your FPS in CPU-intensive areas.
By heavy setup I mean full Better Cities + UL + NPC mods + OBGE + LODs + tons of texture replacers etc. I once checked video RAM consumption in Anvil and it was 1.3GB, so 2GB video ram card is a must if you are going for QTP, Darooz' or other hi-res texture mods. If not, then GTX 460 1GB + i5 CPU is an optimal config for you.

» Wed May 09, 2012 4:19 am

My budget for now is around $500. If I get a new CPU I -have- to get a new motherboard, mine is 775 socket, the sandy bridge will not work in it. Considering I'm playing on an 8400 gs right now, and the card is a worthless, fanless peice of crap, it can't even play WoW above "low" settings and it struggles with that, it definitely HAS to go. This is why the gpu is my priority, it's bottlenecking everything I do. I can blow $500 on a cpu and motherboard and still not be able to play Oblivion because of my awful graphics card or I can blow $260 on a new graphics card and get better performance in every graphical thing I do, even Oblivion would run a hell of a lot better. I know my CPU and my old mobo will bottleneck it, but it will still perform better than my old 8800 GTS did, and infinitely better than my current worthless card. I can replace the cpu and mobo fairly soon.

But I think I basically have the list I need:

New graphics card - I'm wanting to go with the gtx 560 ti 2 gb (probably 2), unless somebody has a better suggestion for a similar card
New processor - I'm thinking core i5 sandybridge 3.3 ghz
New motherboard so I can actually USE said processor

As for an above suggestion, research tells me the 560 ti 448 core are tested and FAILED 570s. If this is the case, I'll pass, I don't need a card that artifacts at the slightest overclock lol

» Wed May 09, 2012 7:46 am

Actually, the one with 448 cores should perform similar to GTX 570 but with failed shader core deactivated. It is cheaper than GTX570 but better performance than the GTX560 Ti. Got the info from here: http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-560-ti-448-core-review/.

» Wed May 09, 2012 2:29 am

$100 for MOBO, $200 for GPU, $200 for CPU. You could probably do it for $550. GPUs turn over faster than CPUs, so for long term planning I'd go with the MOBO+CPU upgrade...but both arguments work. I guess, once you've been playing with an 8400 ...the GPU situation probably feels more urgent, ha-ha. However, don't waste your money on more RAM. You'll be able to get faster RAM when you get your new MOBO. If you don't have a sound card, you could put $25 toward that to help your CPU out more. Otherwise, just save your money until you make the big upgrade.

Good luck with your upgrades!
--Tomlong75210

Edit: If you really want to spend your entire budget: GPU + Sound card + SSD. The SSD you can get for that money will fit Oblivion, Skryim and another couple games, probably.

» Tue May 08, 2012 5:52 pm

$229 for CPU (i5 2500K Sandybridge)

Suggestions for a cheap 1155 mobo?

$270 for GPU, gtx 560 ti (2 gb) and 448 core (1 gb) cost the same and 470s are out of stock (discontinued?). I could save about $50 and get the 1gb, that's still a lot of memory. Still open to suggestions for similarly performing cards for a better price, but keep in mind Oblivion isn't the only game I play, I need dx11 compatibility. My 8800 GTS was a great card (I highly recommend it to anybody on a very small budget), except it didn't handle dx11 at all, and had a rough time with heavy dx10. Lotro maxed out everything except dx10, wow maxed out everything except dx11 shadows. II can't buy another one, as far as I know they're discontinued, and besides I need something that can handle dx10 and dx11 reasonably.

Might get a cheapo sound card, I play on a basic wal-mart-special 2 speaker setup since my surround is in storage for an indefinite period of time and my subwoofer is dead anyway so I can't even set it up anyway.

SSD is a good idea, I didn't even think of that. I currently use two hard drives, one for my OS and basic software, and another one for games, videos, music, etc. Both are old and could probably use an upgrade as well, and an SSD for games ain't a bad idea.

Thanks again for all the help guys, I really appreciate it.

» Wed May 09, 2012 8:13 am

$229 for CPU (i5 2500K Sandybridge)

Suggestions for a cheap 1155 mobo?

$270 for GPU, gtx 560 ti (2 gb) and 448 core (1 gb) cost the same and 470s are out of stock (discontinued?). I could save about $50 and get the 1gb, that's still a lot of memory. Still open to suggestions for similarly performing cards for a better price, but keep in mind Oblivion isn't the only game I play, I need dx11 compatibility. My 8800 GTS was a great card (I highly recommend it to anybody on a very small budget), except it didn't handle dx11 at all, and had a rough time with heavy dx10. Lotro maxed out everything except dx10, wow maxed out everything except dx11 shadows. II can't buy another one, as far as I know they're discontinued, and besides I need something that can handle dx10 and dx11 reasonably.

Might get a cheapo sound card, I play on a basic wal-mart-special 2 speaker setup since my surround is in storage for an indefinite period of time and my subwoofer is dead anyway so I can't even set it up anyway.

SSD is a good idea, I didn't even think of that. I currently use two hard drives, one for my OS and basic software, and another one for games, videos, music, etc. Both are old and could probably use an upgrade as well, and an SSD for games ain't a bad idea.

Thanks again for all the help guys, I really appreciate it. :smile:

This is non-sense, in its most predictable shape.

What you are talking about in Oblivion mods section is way beyond any sense.
As the very qualified pre-posters stated, Oblivion was released 2006 and doesn't make use of any capabilities beyond DX9c.
Newer GFX are improving in minimizing structures, better transistors, and a gpu design which allows better processing.
Oblivion is not going to be a lot faster with a new gfx card above 200$, compared to a mid-range 460gtx with 1gb.
And Oblivion has issues using multiple cores. OSR helps a bit, it can be a headache to setup everything up orderly.

I cant see any sense in your post, not for Oblivion, but newer games of course.
Expect that your components won't improve Oblivion FPS worth 550$. If you are going to play different and new mainstream games regularly,
then this decision is not wrong. But if your just upgrading for Oblivion, its way beyond.

....Oblivion....ancient times....*sigh*

» Wed May 09, 2012 3:47 am

I cant see any sense in your post, not for Oblivion, but newer games of course.
Expect that your components won't improve Oblivion FPS worth 550$. If you are going to play different and new mainstream games regularly,
then this decision is not wrong. But if your just upgrading for Oblivion, its way beyond.

Actually they will improve FPS, and depending on mods and obge options, can improve by a lot. Try HBAO+FXAA3 with hi-res textures on GTX560 and it will stutter like hell, but GTX580 can provide quite a smooth gameplay with outstanding visual quality.
So the actual question - is it worth $500+ to get the best visual quality in Oblivion? For me the answer is yes, I upgraded my whole PC just because of TES mods since they are the only games I'm playing now. You certainly don't need such rig even for modern mainstream games, most of them are console ports.

» Tue May 08, 2012 7:07 pm

Gigabyte usually has nicely priced boards. Well, they usually offer boards for all markets, low, mid, high, etc. As for the sound card, you can go really cheap. Even an SB Audigy, which you can probably find for ~$20 would help. Don't spend more than ~$25 on that component. SSDs now are finally available, with good space, for almost $100. I think They're still a little pricier than that. You might be forced closer to $200.

Looks like you have lots of options for MOBOs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007627%20600093976&IsNodeId=1&name=LGA%201155

--Tomlong75210

Edit: Tom's Hardware Review $100-$150: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/budget-p55-motherboard,2436-16.html

I rarely stick to the exact recommendations, but I've been using Gigabyte MOBOs for about 6 years now.

» Tue May 08, 2012 6:33 pm

Actually they will improve FPS, and depending on mods and obge options, can improve by a lot. Try HBAO+FXAA3 with hi-res textures on GTX560 and it will stutter like hell, but GTX580 can provide quite a smooth gameplay with outstanding visual quality.
So the actual question - is it worth $500+ to get the best visual quality in Oblivion? For me the answer is yes, I upgraded my whole PC just because of TES mods since they are the only games I'm playing now. You certainly don't need such rig even for modern mainstream games, most of them are console ports.

This is ssentially how I feel.

I love Oblivion, and I love eye candy. The system I'm putting together for all of $500-700 will last me for quite a while to come, too, so all in all I'd say it is a good investment.

» Wed May 09, 2012 12:03 am

This is ssentially how I feel. :smile:

I love Oblivion, and I love eye candy. The system I'm putting together for all of $500-700 will last me for quite a while to come, too, so all in all I'd say it is a good investment.

That kind of upgrade should put you through Skyrim mods too, since the graphics technology hasn't advanced much.

--Tomlong75210

» Tue May 08, 2012 8:18 pm

Yeah skyrim is pretty much a console port, right? Shouldn't be much more taxing on a system than Oblivion, and probably has a more stable engine.

Anyway looks like the husband will give me the budget to build a new computer so I might not have to pick and choose what to get first. Yay!

Thanks for all the help everyone

» Wed May 09, 2012 6:58 am

... As for the sound card, you can go really cheap. Even an SB Audigy, which you can probably find for ~$20 would help. Don't spend more than ~$25 on that component. .....

Greetings.

A separate sound card is important even for today's computers?
Onboard ones slow down performance noticably - even with "quiet feet max" ?

Thanx Tomlong for Tescosi.

» Wed May 09, 2012 12:49 am

Greetings.

A separate sound card is important even for today's computers?
Onboard ones slow down performance noticably - even with "quiet feet max" ?

Thanx Tomlong for Tescosi.

Well, that's something I will say that I haven't noticed a difference with. I've got two computers with on-board sound and one with a dedicated sound card. I don't use quiet feet at all. Performance wise, I haven't noticed a single difference between my computers that don't have a dedicated sound card and the one that does. Though, other folks may see some difference, I don't have any in my monitoring. Even though my CPU isn't the most up to date, it's an ancient C2D 2.13 GHz, I don't have any issues with keeping a respectable framrate of around 50 - 60 with the occasional drop to 45 every now and then.

But of course, it could vary. I'm just mentioning my observations.

» Tue May 08, 2012 7:39 pm

Greetings.

A separate sound card is important even for today's computers?
Onboard ones slow down performance noticably - even with "quiet feet max" ?

Thanx Tomlong for Tescosi.

I think it has more to do with Oblivion's engine than "today's computers", so still yes, I think it would help. I have acceleration, 3D sounds, and all that stuff enabled. I also usually run over 150 mods, so... There's no way my setup will keep 50-60 fps, ha-ha. I hope Sandybridge will let me do that. With a new mobo and CPU, it might not help at all. As I said, get a cheap one, if any at all, but if you are going with the full hardware upgrade, CPU/MOBO/GPU, you could hold off. It would be nice if someone with a 2011 or 2010 MOBO could comment. I listen to music constantly, so I had other motivations for getting a sound card and haven't played without one, I don't think...at least, not since I've been using mods...

Happy gaming!
--Tomlong75210

» Wed May 09, 2012 5:46 am

Jasmer, to upgrade from an NV8400 card is definitely about time! :smile:

The 560Ti is very valid. What you could think about is whether getting a 1GB or 2 (or whatever GB) version of it. If your intention is to keep playing with resolution 1680 x 1050, the 1 GB is simply sufficient. The extra RAM will do exactly zero for you at this resolution and without any gimmickry like downsampling or extrafancy AA options. So maybe save the money there and invest it elsewhere (CPU heatsink.......). OTOH the price difference is not much (I believe), and 2 GB is any future beyond 1680x1050.

A new heatsink you can re-use when making the CPU and MB upgrade. Just make sure it has mounting for 775 sockets and the 1155 or whatever new. But that's fairly standard.

» Wed May 09, 2012 12:50 am

Hmm, good point. I may be playing on a 1920 x 1080 screen in the future, but there's nothing stopping me from just turning down some of my graphical options to compensate if that's the case and IF it's still hard on a 1gb card. Maybe I'll save myself a few bucks.

My husband's going to let me upgrade it all at once so I'll be getting a new gpu, motherboard, cpu, ram, case, and heatsink right off the bat. Later down the road I'll get an SSD for my games. Compared to HDDs at the moment the prices are well worth it.

I might go ahead and throw in a $30 sound card right off the bat as well.

You guys rock, thanks for all the help.

» Wed May 09, 2012 6:43 am

Good luck!

» Wed May 09, 2012 6:14 am

I don't want to hijack your thread, but I posted the exact same question in the hardware forum and got basically two one-line answers. Useless. I should have known that fellow modders would be a better source of help!

So... it seems like I have close to what's being suggested as a good rig, which I bought from my ultra-tech cousin when he upgraded.

This is pulled from CPU-Z, I'm not really a tech guy:
- i7 920 Bloomfield @ 2.67 GHz
- 6 gigs DDR3 ram @ 2.13 GHz
- 2x GTX260
- everything running at factory speeds, no overclocking

I've got a fairly mod-heavy setup, but nothing extreme.
Active Mod Files:

Spoiler

00  Oblivion.esm01  All Natural Base.esm  [Version 1.3.2]02  Francesco's Leveled Creatures-Items Mod.esm  [Version 4.5b]03  Francesco's Optional New Items Add-On.esm  [Version 4.5b]04  Cobl Main.esm  [Version 1.73]05  Qarls_Harvest.esm06  Harvest[Containers].esm07  Mart's Monster Mod.esm  [Version 3.7b3p3]08  TamrielTravellers.esm  [Version 1.39c]09  Armamentarium.esm  [Version 1.35]0A  Artifacts.esm  [Version 1.1]0B  Hemingweys Capes Improved.esm  [Version 3.0b]0C  Better Cities Resources.esm  [Version 5.1.1]0D  Fundament.esm  [Version ision]0E  CustomSpellIcons.esm0F  HorseCombatMaster.esm10  Unofficial Oblivion Patch.esp  [Version 3.4.1]11  UOPS Additional Changes.esp12  DLCShiveringIsles.esp**  MOBS SI.esp  [Version 2.0]13  Better Cities .esp14  FranOBSEConfig.esp  [Version 0.5]15  Atmospheric Loading Screens - Original Text.esp16  Natural_Habitat_by_Max_Tael.esp17  All Natural.esp  [Version 1.33]18  All Natural - SI.esp  [Version 1.3.2]++  All Natural - MMM Patch.esp  [Version 1.3]19  Enhanced Water v2.0 HDMI.esp1A  Storms & Sound.esp1B  All Natural - 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UL merged patch.esp8D  West Roads.esp8E  Sutch Village.esp  [Version 1.0.2]++  NRB4+RR Patch.esp  [Version 2.1]++  Better Cities - House price patch.esp  [Version 1.0]8F  Harvest [Flora].esp  [Version 3.0.0]++  Harvest [Flora] - Shivering Isles.esp  [Version 3.0.0]++  Visually Realistic Deadly Lava.esp90  Cultural Secrets.esp91  HUD Status Bars.esp  [Version 5.3.2]92  DS Less Predictable Respawn.esp  [Version 1.1]93  DS Portable Sorters.esp  [Version 1.3]94  DS Storage Sacks.esp  [Version 1.3]95  Dungeon Actors Have Torches 1.6 DT.esp96  Exterior Actors Have Torches 1.3 DT.esp97  Kyoma's Journal Mod.esp  [Version 3.2.1]98  Class Advantages.esp  [Version 1.01]99  P1DkeyChain.esp  [Version 5.00]9A  kuerteeGoldIsAnInventoryItem.esp++  Enhanced Vegetation [100%].esp9B  SPTDiverseGuards.esp9C  SPTDiverseGuardsMRAll.esp9D  Toggleable Quantity Prompt.esp  [Version 3.2.0]**  VTSoulgems.esp9E  Alternative Beginnings.esp  [Version 1.2.5]9F  BareNecessities.espA0  TFE.espA1  DS Summon Luggage.espA2  DS Realistic Enchanted Item Limits.esp  [Version 1.2]A3  RefScope.esp  [Version 2.1.2]A4  Fizzle.esp  [Version 3.0]A5  Poison Equipper.esp  [Version 2.0]A6  RshAlchemy.espA7  RshAlchemyRecipes.espA8  Morrowind Lockpicking.espA9  WR Villages Addon.espAA  Armorer's Advantage.espAB  Deadly Reflex 5 - Timed Block with no damage or durability changes.espAC  DeadlyReflex 5 - Combat Moves.espAD  Duke Patricks - Near Miss Magic And Arrows Alert The Target.esp  [Version 7.1]AE  Phitt's Phighting Phixes.espAF  Bundlement.esp  [Version ision]B0  CLS-OldFriends-OBSE.esp++  CLS-OldFriends-OBSE DS patch.espB1  nGCD.espB2  JCN_AV Uncap.esp  [Version 1.01]B3  Sneaking Detection Recalibrated.esp  [Version 4.0.3]B4  SDR Perks And Patches - Oblivion.esp  [Version 1.0.2]**  Cava Obscura - Cyrodiil.esp**  Cava Obscura - SI.esp**  Cava Obscura - Filter Patch For Mods.esp++  Item interchange - Placement.esp  [Version 0.78]++  Item interchange - Option, Ingredients in Bulk, reduced.esp  [Version 0.78]B5  Minionz.esp++  Minionz DS patch.espB6  bgBalancingEVCore.esp  [Version 10.52EV-D]B7  moDem's City Life.espB8  bgMagicEV.esp  [Version 1.7EV]++  bgMagicSpellTomes_for_WryeBash.esp  [Version 1.68EV]++  bgMagicItemSigil.esp  [Version 1.68EV]++  bgMagicEVStartspells.esp  [Version 1.68EV]++  bgMagicEVAddEnVar.esp  [Version 1.68EV]B9  bgMagicEVPaperChase.esp  [Version 1.68EV]++  bgBalancingEVOptionalClasses.esp  [Version 9.0EV-U]++  bgBalancingEVOptionalFangs.esp  [Version 10.0EV-D]++  bgBalancingEVOptionalMoreEyes.esp  [Version 10]**  bgBalancingEVOptionalNPCDiversity, TNR Merge Better Redguards.esp  [Version 10.0EV-D]BA  bgBalancingEVLAMEAddition.esp  [Version 10.51EV-D]++  bgBalancingEVLAMEGlue.esp  [Version 10.0EV-D1.62EV]**  bgBalancingEVOptionalNPCDiversityLAME.esp  [Version 10.5EV-D]BB  Birthsigns Expanded.esp  [Version 3.21.]BC  Better Cities Full.esp  [Version 5.1.1]BD  Better Imperial City.esp  [Version 5.1.1]++  Better Cities Full FPS Patch.esp  [Version 5.0.7]++  Better Cities - All Natural.esp  [Version 4.9.5]++  Better Cities - Unique Landscape Barrowfields.esp  [Version 4.9.5]BE  Better Cities - Unique Landscape Chorrol Hinterland.esp  [Version 5.1.0]BF  Better Clocks for Better Cities 2_0.esp++  TrailsOfCyrodiil-BC patch.esp  [Version 4.7.0]C0  Better Cities - Unique Landscape Cheydinhal Falls.esp  [Version 5.0.0]++  Better Cities - Unique Landscape Skingrad Outskirts.esp  [Version 5.1.0]++  Better Imperial City FPS Patch.esp  [Version 5.0.0]C1  Better Cities - COBL.esp  [Version 2.1]++  Better Cities - Unique Landscape Imperial Isle.esp  [Version 4.8.1]**  [GFX]_Initial_Glow-all.esp**  bgMagicEVShader.esp  [Version 1.7EV]++  bgMagicLightningbolt.espC2  DS Flaming Arrows.esp  [Version 1.2]C3  Shining Flame Atronachs.espC4  MiniMap.esp++  NRB4 Standard Road Record.esp++  Cobl Filter Late MERGE ONLY.esp  [Version 1.53]++  Harvest Containers Filter patch for mods.esp  [Version 1.00]**  All Natural - Indoor Weather Filter For Mods.esp  [Version 1.3.2]++  Storms & Sound - Filter Patch.esp++  DS Fishing - Filter Patch.esp++  DS Cyrodiilic Cooking - Merged Ingredients.esp++  Mart's Monster Mod DS base tweaks.espC5  DS Misc Tweaks.espC6  Bashed Patch Kalija.espC7  DynamicLeveledLists.esp

QTP3, RAEVWD, Better Cities, UL, MMM, Cobl, TNO and Tejon's mods. I've of course applied the LAA patch. I'm using OSR with whatever default settings it came with (see non-techie disclaimer, above). 1920 x 1080 HDR, no forced AA or anything. Everything at default for Oblivion in the nVidia control panel. If I run at any other non-native resolution on the LCD, it's blurry as all heck.

So why can I rarely get 30 fps? Its usually in the high teens outdoors, and more like 8-10 in some Better Cities even with the FPS patches. :banghead:

» Tue May 08, 2012 8:23 pm

@Tekuromoto: I have a very similar setup as yours, except I have a better graphics card (480 GTX) and a 80 GB SSD hard drive.

You really need to change the OSR settings to see any improvements. Consult the OSR thread, but basically you need to change the iheapthread to say 5 or 6 (different settings work best for different folks), toggle the ini option which uses that setting.

That said, I recently quit using QTP3Redimized, and use Lush and Gaudy Flora, along with corepc's texture pack. Massive improvement right there.

Also, do not use VWD for cities (that is a part of the Better Cities plugin) to improve FPS. SOme areas will be mostly laggy (Waterfront, Anvil Harbor, Market District) whatever you do, even after using the BC FPS patches. Reducing the # of NPCs will also help, so maybe modem's City life needs to go?

Also, use a program like Gamebooster to turn off background processes when you game, to allow more memory available to Oblivion. I use an SSD and that helps a ton!

Mostly if OSR is used properly, even with low FPS, you'd not see the stuttering type feeling usually associated with low FPS.

» Wed May 09, 2012 8:14 am

Thanks anithinks. I checked OSR and I do indeed have it at iheapthread 6. I don't get stuttering, it's just slow and smooth. I noticed it especially last night after roaming the wilderness (at a "modest" 20 fps or so average) for a couple of hours then heading into BC Cheydinhal - shcreeech down to 8-9 fps. Though in retrospect it didn't feel choppy, just like the speed was cranked down. I suppose that's what OSR's supposed to do, after all.

So given that this machine is 2 (3?) years old now, could I easily/cheaply reduce the CPU bottleneck? Doesn't seem like changing the GPUs will make any difference.

» Wed May 09, 2012 12:28 am

Tekuromoto, about CPU: You need a fast-clocked CPU for Oblivion, rather more that than many cores... don't know about the socket of your Bloomfiled CPU but it is working not very fast at 2.67. Probably would make sense only upgrading to a i5 or i7 Sandybridge with fast clock (I read i7 2600K is the one to get), but you may need a new MB for that too). Not sure if you really want to do that just to improve your OB game a little. Because otherwise modern, more optimized games and all non-game apps, your rig is still fine (except for that dual GPU setup which just consumes huge electricity even in idle for not much benefit. One single GTX570 card would probably be more cost-effective already. I would change that before changing the CPU actually)

You have a processor-intensive modlist... will never be really high-FPS outdoors. I'm sure indoors yours runs perfectly fine.

And I absolutely second anithinks about the SSD (see my sig): huge difference all around, not only in OB and gaming but all around, really good investment if you can spare a coin. Do get one at least of 64GB size, probably 128GB is the current price-performance sweet spot at this time.

Ask your cousin what he thinks of it all.

» Tue May 08, 2012 6:18 pm

Thanks anithinks. I checked OSR and I do indeed have it at iheapthread 6. I don't get stuttering, it's just slow and smooth. I noticed it especially last night after roaming the wilderness (at a "modest" 20 fps or so average) for a couple of hours then heading into BC Cheydinhal - shcreeech down to 8-9 fps. Though in retrospect it didn't feel choppy, just like the speed was cranked down. I suppose that's what OSR's supposed to do, after all.

So given that this machine is 2 (3?) years old now, could I easily/cheaply reduce the CPU bottleneck? Doesn't seem like changing the GPUs will make any difference.

That happens to my system too, and I have an i5-750 Lynnefield. BC Cheydinhal facing inward, toward the townspeople is a stutterfest, even if I'm getting 45+ outdoors. Whose running the exact same group of mods (or more graphics stuff heaped on) and getting 30FPS in BC Cheydinhal? Seriously, I'd like to know what kind of hardware you're running because knowing such specs exist would give me hope for the future (upgrades).

Happy gaming!
--Tomlong75210

» Tue May 08, 2012 4:26 pm

Yeah, at some point you have to accept that you cannot outrun Oblivion's engine. It'll catch up to you eventually no matter what your system specs. Certain plugins, mesh optimizations, texture tweaks, and .ini settings can definitely help, as can fixing computer bottlenecks, but Oblivion's engine itself is in dire need of optimizing and that's something no hardware or mod will touch. Stutter is part of Oblivion, even in vanilla on a high end system it's "inexplicably" there.