The OFFICIAL Anandtech Forums TeS V: Skyrim Thread

[terry107]

So you're saying a 2gb 6950 recommended to me over in general hardware for my new build is overkill?

I'm playing on ultra with a 6950 and the rig in my sig. With all draw distances maxed and 4xEQ/8x AA/AF enabled through CCC, I average 30-40 fps.

 

[HybridSquirrel]

Where did the quest bug out on you?

Spoiler

Before or after you cured Kodlak? If you've already cured Kodlak, but you can't get the fire to activate for yourself (even though you have another witch head), try dropping the head on the ground next to the fire, then sleeping 24 hours, picking the head up again, and then activating the fire. Supposedly works according to comments elsewhere. I couldn't activate the fire again after curing Kodlak, but I haven't tried this supposed "fix" yet because I wanted to get the Purity quests from Farkas and Vilkas before I cure myself. Let us know if it works?

i've tried that, i've also tried setting the quest stage to various different stages.

Spoiler

it bugs after I cured Kodlak, I did it a while back but am sick of being a werewolf now since I never use it at all. I think its pretty under powered. I will try to get the purity quests, I heard they help but they've just been giving me crap quests so far. Like, go punch this guy in the face type.

 

[cytoSiN]

i've tried that, i've also tried setting the quest stage to various different stages.

Spoiler

it bugs after I cured Kodlak, I did it a while back but am sick of being a werewolf now since I never use it at all. I think its pretty under powered. I will try to get the purity quests, I heard they help but they've just been giving me crap quests so far. Like, go punch this guy in the face type.

Spoiler

Yeah unfortunately it takes a long time before each guy will give you his specific quest. I think I did at least 4-5 stupid quests for each before I got what I was after. Keep in mind that lycanthropy makes you 100% resistant to disease and allows you to sprint endlessly while transformed (no stamina loss), both of which are actually pretty useful, in case you end up being uncurable and have to make the best of it on this play through? To be honest, my biggest gripe is that I have to re-equip everything after it wears off.

I can't wait for an equipment manager to come out after they release the CK! One click for combat outfit, one click for smithing, alchmey, bartering, whatever. It pains me to admit that WoW built this in as a default feature long before Bethesda figured it out...we don't even get a paper doll!

 

[Merad]

Skyrim is most definitely not limited to 2 cores.

Everything I've read says it is. ????

i've never seen it run more then two.

I can glance at CPU usage on my 2nd monitor at any time while playing. It's always balance essentially evenly across 4 cores.

 

[s1njin]

I can glance at CPU usage on my 2nd monitor at any time while playing. It's always balance essentially evenly across 4 cores.

This is VERY interesting to me. Could this be way some of you are CTD and others are relatively stable? Is it possible something is going on here?

 

[ManBearPig]

Wouldn't the PC version look a ton better on my tv since it has AA, better draw distance, smoother, etc? I sit close...bit closer than 8'.

 

[Anteaus]

Wouldn't the PC version look a ton better on my tv since it has AA, better draw distance, smoother, etc? I sit close...bit closer than 8'.

How big is your tv? The game itself would look better, but you have to give consideration to pixel density which definitely effects overall image quality. Large televisions have a much lower pixel density than a smaller one at the same resolution.

 

[waggy]

Wouldn't the PC version look a ton better on my tv since it has AA, better draw distance, smoother, etc? I sit close...bit closer than 8'.

hmm playing on my 65" tv..yeah that would be great.



also i can't find more diadra hearts to make armor! I have helm, chest and 2h sword.

 

[terry107]

also i can't find more diadra hearts to make armor! I have helm, chest and 2h sword.

I remember reading somewhere that there is a vendor (maybe in the mage school?) who regularly sells them.

 

[Majic 7]

I can glance at CPU usage on my 2nd monitor at any time while playing. It's always balance essentially evenly across 4 cores.

Same here.

 

[s1njin]

I can glance at CPU usage on my 2nd monitor at any time while playing. It's always balance essentially evenly across 4 cores.

Same here.

So two of you are using all 4 cores, where the general gist seems to concur its a 2 core game.

I wonder if the CTDs are tied to the amount of cores that are in use. Maybe 2 Core systems get over-burdened? Or some 4 core systems are only using 2 and thus become over-burdened?

Have you 4 core guys had many CTDs?

This is such a big difference I have a hard time believing there is no CTD relation. I mean, obviously there is going to be a performance difference as well ....

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

Does anybody know what the patch that was released yesterday does?

Windows will sometimes juggle processes around to even out the load, it may appear that it is using all four cores but if you look at the usage it will never go above 50%, it may go higher due to overhead or lower in a GPU intensive area.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

I remember reading somewhere that there is a vendor (maybe in the mage school?) who regularly sells them.

In the college of Winterhold there is a mage in the second floor of the dormitories that sells two daedra hearts as his regular stock.

 

[Merad]

Have you 4 core guys had many CTDs?

Until yesterday I had 50 hours of playtime crash free.

This morning, I've crashed twice in 2 hours. Sad panda. In addition to the exe update through Steam yesterday I also installed some texture mods last night. Removing them now to see if it makes a difference.

 

[Majic 7]

I've only had exits to desktop. One on entering a door to next part of a dungeon, cell load I think, and a few opening barrels. Haven't had a one since changing my USB headset. I changed sound to 44100 on my realtek onboard audio but that should be by-passed using the Platronic headset, it has it's own drivers and audio system. Tried a Logitec USB headset first but still had the exits with it. The Platronic just works for some reason. Pretty sure my problems were sound related. Not new for Bethesda. Though Merad disagrees there are many who swear that using the LAA mod cured their CTDs and when the update disabled the LAA mod the CTDs returned. Just saw his last post. Many use the LAA to be able to use texture mods without crashing.http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/201...otgun/steam+(Rock,+Paper,+Shotgun:+Steam+RSS)

 

[Qbah]

I reverted to the previous version of the TESV.exe file (thank god for Restore Points in Win7!), disabled auto update for Skyrim in Steam, enabled LAA - no more CTDs. I would ALWAYS get one within 2 hours of playing. Loaded a few texture mods too.I don't care what others say - I got CTDs constantly without LAA, I don't get them now.

 

[Rhezuss]

Almost 50 hours of play and no crashes at all, no CTD, only some textures not loading mostly on water and some shimmering textures here and there, nothing major. Happened 3 times so far in separate sessions.

Great game so far with lots of nice side quests. But I feel it's getting a little repetitive, like all Beth games. But Skyrim is really fun and so far i'm still having lots to do to keep my mind from boredom.

 

[cytoSiN]

In the college of Winterhold there is a mage in the second floor of the dormitories that sells two daedra hearts as his regular stock.

This is good info! Thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[sigurros81]

Almost 50 hours of play and no crashes at all, no CTD, only some textures not loading mostly on water and some shimmering textures here and there, nothing major. Happened 3 times so far in separate sessions.

Great game so far with lots of nice side quests. But I feel it's getting a little repetitive, like all Beth games. But Skyrim is really fun and so far i'm still having lots to do to keep my mind from boredom.

Agreed, getting kind of burned out with the miscellaneous side quests, they're all pretty much the same after a while. Been trying to hold off on the main quests but I'm trying to scout Skyrim for side quests to do. There is a quest in Windhelm that sounds really fun if I could get it to start, having to do with murders and a serial killer on the loose, too bad it's broken for me.

 

[cytoSiN]

Agreed, getting kind of burned out with the miscellaneous side quests, they're all pretty much the same after a while. Been trying to hold off on the main quests but I'm trying to scout Skyrim for side quests to do. There is a quest in Windhelm that sounds really fun if I could get it to start, having to do with murders and a serial killer on the loose, too bad it's broken for me.

Just think, another 20-50 hours, when you might start getting actually "bored," the CK will be released, and the modders will quadruple the content for us in a few short weeks. Viva la mod!

 

[RavenSEAL]

I reverted to the previous version of the TESV.exe file (thank god for Restore Points in Win7!), disabled auto update for Skyrim in Steam, enabled LAA - no more CTDs. I would ALWAYS get one within 2 hours of playing. Loaded a few texture mods too.I don't care what others say - I got CTDs constantly without LAA, I don't get them now.

Or you could have used the one I linked? :sneaky:

 

[ManBearPig]

Any tips on raising enchanting reall fast?

Btw, excited to join the ranks of PC gamers again!

 

[RavenSEAL]

Any tips on raising enchanting reall fast?

Btw, excited to join the ranks of PC gamers again!

Welcome back to the dark side, the bacon is to your left!

 

[cytoSiN]

Any tips on raising enchanting reall fast?

There are lots of guides online if you google, but basically, my method was to put soul trap (1 sec) on my bow, grab (buy, steal, or loot) lots of soul shards (petty works just as well as grand for lvling enchanting in my experience, even though the gear you make will be less valuable), fill em up by sniping creatures around Whiterun (everything from Rabbits to bears and trolls), then enchant everything I looted/crafted before I sold it to vendors. You can level smithing at the same time if you make lots of leather goods or daggers, and then enchant them all before selling them to the vendors.

Note: I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you're already relatively high level, since you'll level up too fast, and your main combat skills will be gimped by comparison.

 

[Alienwho]

Skyrim is utilizing 4 cores for me very evenly.

For those of you with crash problems, I did a little testing last night. I have an i7 920 OC'd to 3.66 very stable. Never had any crashing issues before but Skyrim was crashing for me every couple of hours and usually they were very hard crashes, total freeze and hard boot required.

I took off my OC and went back to stock 2.66 and have played 5 or 6 hours crash free since then. The downside is that everything is noticeably slower. Before my load times were practically instant, now there is a tangible delay. Also my quick saves wouldn't even stutter the game, it just saved without interrupting gameplay. Now every quick save causes a 1.5 second delay. It also feels like my average FPS has gone down 5 or 10.

My computer was not over heating when it crashed. CPU temps are staying at 50 C during gameplay whether I'm at stock or 3.66Ghz. Something about the timings or something else must be crashing it.