Wondering if Skyrim is more GPU bound or CPU bound? Well, we have the answer for you in this article. A modern video game requires a modern CPU and a good GPU that are compatible with each other. A GPU’s performance is heavily dependent on the CPU. It is the CPU that determines the amount of input lag a user has to endure. So, if you have an overclocked and modern CPU with at least four cores, most video games you play will run smoothly on your machine. However, the GPU plays an integral part too. A GPU is responsible for rendering all the data that the CPU processes. You won’t be able to run most modern video games without a dedicated graphics card and at least 2GB VRAM. In the case of Skyrim, the game is both GPU and CPU intensive. But it really depends on how you play the game.
According to players, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim utilizes more CPU resources when a multiplayer mod is loaded onto it. In fact, adding a lot of mods to the game will affect the performance. Then again, it depends on the mod you’re adding. Some mods make the game more CPU intensive while others make it more GPU bound. You can check the same from the Task Manager app. While in-game, open the Task Manager and go to Processes to check the CPU and GPU usage. If the CPU is running at 100%, it is possible that the CPU is too weak to handle Skyrim. If Skyrim is not utilizing much of the CPU but using a lot of GPU, your rig may be good enough to handle the game.
What are the system requirements for Skyrim?
If you have added a graphically intensive mod to Skyrim, you’ll obviously require a good GPU to render the game. According to players, the base game is more CPU intensive, but that changes once extra mods are loaded up. The following is the recommended set of specs for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim-
CPU: A processor with four cores (Intel or AMD)
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 260, ATI Radeon 4890 or higher
System RAM: 4GB
VRAM: 1GB
As you can see, even the recommended specs for Skyrim seem very generous in 2022. So, it really depends on how you plan on playing the game. If you plan on using mods heavily, we suggest getting a powerful graphics card (example: GTX 10/16 series). And if you have the budget, a faster CPU will also make a lot of difference in Skyrim’s performance on your PC.
