Skyrim can become GPU bound following extensive modding.
Skyrim can become GPU bound following extensive modding.
The game is traditionally CPU-heavy, but adding graphics mods can shift the load to the GPU. VRAM usage rises significantly, so a fully modded setup would likely offer similar performance regardless of whether you have a 4670 or a 4670k with an overclock.
With lots of texture packs and a great ENB, performance really takes a hit on your GPU.
It features 4k textures, ENB, extra foliage, detailed foliage, increased render distance, and FXAA injector. While it looks great, it can put a strain on your GPU.
An i5 processor will need more VRAM before you consider boosting its speed for better results.
I’d stick to a solid i5 with overclocking—many background effects in Skyrim rely on the CPU (such as shadows), but ENB really works hard on your GPU if you want it to. The settings you can adjust for Ambient Occlusion scaling are virtually unlimited, and high-resolution texture packs can significantly increase your VRAM usage. I’ve reached the 6GB limit on my Titans at 3440x1440 with a lot of textures.