Can I run The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition?
To run The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition at about 60 FPS on 1080p High you need roughly a GTX 780 Ti with a Ryzen 5 2400G and 8 GB RAM; the minimum is an RX 550. Check your own PC below: estimated FPS at every setting, the official requirements and what to upgrade.
Updated
- Graphics for 60 FPS (est.)
- GTX 780 Ti
- Processor for 60 FPS (est.)
- Ryzen 5 2400G
- Graphics for 30 FPS, Low (est.)
- RX 550
- RAM
- 8 GB
Your PCExample PC
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Runs great: about 96 FPS in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition at 1080p High (estimated).
Expect about 96 FPS in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition at 1080p High (estimated). Best smooth setting for your PC: Ultra settings at 1440p (74 FPS).
Estimated FPS at every setting
Average FPS on your PC. The ringed box marked "best" is the best setting that holds 60 FPS (smooth); the dashed box is the result above.
4K results for cards with 8 GB or less VRAM are often limited by video memory.
Smooth 60+ FPS · Playable 30–59 · Choppy under 30 · What is a good FPS?
Your parts vs this game
What to do next
Upgrade advice
No upgrade needed. Your PC handles The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition comfortably, so try higher settings or 1440p for better visuals.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition at a glance
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is an open world RPG game from 2016. The recommended graphics listed by the Steam store page: NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB /AMD R9 290 4GB. It asks for 8 GB of RAM (minimum 8 GB).
Our estimate: you need about a GTX 780 Ti for a steady 60 FPS at 1080p High, while an RX 550 can hold around 30 FPS on Low. The game is fairly light on the processor; a Ryzen 5 2400G or better keeps up with 60 FPS. On basic Intel UHD 630 graphics expect only about 20 FPS on Low, so a dedicated graphics card makes a big difference.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition system requirements
| Part | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Version) | Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Version) |
| Processor | Intel i5-750/AMD Phenom II X4-945 | Intel i5-2400/AMD FX-8320 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 470 1GB /AMD HD 7870 2GB | NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB /AMD R9 290 4GB |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 12 GB | 12 GB |
Parts named above: GTX 780, R9 290.
Our estimate for a steady 60 FPS at 1080p High: GTX 780 Ti graphics, Ryzen 5 2400G processor and 8 GB RAM.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition FPS by graphics card
Estimated average FPS with a Ryzen 5 5600 and 16 GB RAM. Highlighted: the card our model needs for 60 FPS on High (GTX 780 Ti). Cells that stop at 118 FPS are held back by the Ryzen 5 5600, not the graphics card.
| Graphics card | 1080p Low | 1080p High | 1440p High | 4K High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UHD 630 | 20 | 11 | 7 | Not recommended |
| GTX 1050 Ti | 104 | 59 | 39 | Not recommended |
| GTX 780 Ti | 107 | 61 | 40 | Not recommended |
| Radeon 780M | 110 | 63 | 41 | Not recommended |
| GTX 1650 | 118 | 71 | 47 | Not recommended |
| GTX 1060 6GB | 118 | 104 | 69 | 25 |
| GTX 1660 Super | 118 | 118 | 99 | 37 |
| RTX 2060 | 118 | 118 | 118 | 42 |
| RX 6600 | 118 | 118 | 118 | 45 |
| RTX 3060 | 118 | 118 | 118 | 62 |
| RX 7600 | 118 | 118 | 118 | 60 |
| RTX 4060 | 118 | 118 | 118 | 66 |
| RTX 3070 | 118 | 118 | 118 | 92 |
| RTX 4070 Super | 118 | 118 | 118 | 118 |
| RX 7900 XTX | 118 | 118 | 118 | 118 |
| RTX 4090 | 118 | 118 | 118 | 118 |
Smooth 60+ FPS · Playable 30–59 · Choppy under 30 · What is a good FPS?
4K is marked not recommended for integrated graphics and cards with 4 GB of video memory or less. 4K results for cards with 8 GB or less VRAM are often limited by video memory.
Estimated FPS. Numbers come from the FPSVibe model, not measured benchmarks. How we estimate
Best The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition settings for your PC
- Budget PC (GTX 1650 + Ryzen 5 5600): Medium settings at 1440p for about 63 FPS. 1080p High: about 71 FPS.
- Mid-range PC (RTX 3060 + Ryzen 5 5600): High settings at 4K for about 62 FPS. 1080p High: about 118 FPS.
- High-end PC (RTX 4070 Super + Ryzen 5 5600): Ultra settings at 4K for about 103 FPS. 1080p High: about 118 FPS.
Not sure what's in your PC? Use Detect my PC in the tool above, or open the FPS calculator.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition FAQs
Can I run The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition on a GTX 1650?
Estimated: about 118 FPS on Low and 71 FPS on High at 1080p with a Ryzen 5 5600 and 16 GB RAM. That's smooth even with some settings turned up.
What graphics card do I need for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition at 60 FPS?
Our model puts a GTX 780 Ti or faster at about 60 FPS on 1080p High (estimate). For 30 FPS on Low, an RX 550 is enough.
How much RAM does The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition need?
Minimum 8 GB, recommended 8 GB (official). Below 8 GB, expect a noticeable FPS drop and stutter in our model.
Can The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition run on integrated graphics?
Estimated on Low at 1080p: about 110 FPS on Radeon 780M (recent AMD laptops and handhelds) and 20 FPS on Intel UHD 630. Newer integrated graphics can handle it.
How much storage does The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition need?
About 12 GB of free space, according to its Steam store page.