Skyrim breached 2Gb vram@1080p.

[tommybhoy]

Been playing around with Skyrim mods and all was good until I installed the Texture Pack Combiner, some stuttering started.

Low and behold I fired up Afterburner and was shocked to see my Vram usage sitting @3995Mb@1080p which of course is 1997Mb each gpu.

The cards in question are 6950>70 CrossFire running 950MHz/1300MHz, these are plenty fast at anything I have thrown at them@1080p, including Skyrim until the texture pack combiner was installed.

I swapped in a 7970 Wind Force and fired up Skyrim again, no stuttering but the vram is now hitting ~2750Mb.

As imo, the 7970 I used is slower than my CrossFire setup@1080p, it's definitely not gpu grunt at fault, they ran out of Vram!

At this point I should add that this is all being done in 3D via Tridef.


Mods used along with the Texture Combiner(and required files) are:

In game settings:

Not advocating/advising anyone rips out gpu's to replace a 2Gb gpu at all for 1080p gaming, the aim of the post is to be informative and let anyone know that a modded Skyrim can breach 2Gb vram@1080p.

Texture Combiner available here:

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/20801/#content

 

[tommybhoy]

^
AA is off as I'm running 3D, haven't tried it with it on but your usually advised to leave it off for 3D.






***Just added to my op settings used and that I'm using 3D.***

 

[tommybhoy]

The usage when he switched to the 3GB 7970 is caching VRAM. It is still only using 1997MB but stores VRAM.

Good info Tommy

Dubious about the caching now though gregster, how much of the ~750MB extra usage is actually caching I don't have a clue, but as the 2GB stuttered and the 3Gb didn't, it's definitely using more than 2GB as the stutter is gone.

 

[tommybhoy]

Well if i do jump on the 8xxxx, if it still comes in 3GB/6GB then it would have to be the 6GB.

At your res and if you are holding onto them for a few years and considering the next gen consoles should be about due, I would say that's your best bet.

Would be great if you could run some tests with the 2 setups with your modded skyrim and run the fraps fps recorder at the same time (which logs the min,max and avg fps)

I presume the 3d increases vram usage?

I think I will be DSR'ing the WF due to coil whine, if I do, I'l collect data from the 6950's too, but I'm afraid I'm not juggling £800+(out of my pocket) worth of gpu's in and out my case for something to break.

I'll find out about the 3D vram usage for you though.

 

[tommybhoy]

Usual mixture of acknowledgement/disbelief, no surprise there.

2Gb is more than enough@1080p so far, as I said turn the settings down if/when needed.

I(unknowingly) took it over my gpus vram limit, in all likelihood, I shall tweak the mods to reduce the usage back under 2Gb as I'm not convinced I'm keeping the 7970.

A mixture of unoptimised/large textures is what's taking it above 2Gb, it doesn't require anywhere near that amount of vram when you install vanilla Skyrim so it's in the users hands to where the vram use totals out.

I can get 2GB of VRAM usage on my GTX680 playing Minecraft.

You should put up a thread with screens and inform others of your findings.

It ain't.

If all you play is Skyrim heavily modded and you're looney or money isn't an object then sure pay the extra.

If you're getting into a scenario of paying more than the games worth in hardware just for that game (and the game is modded to the ****) then that just isn't worth it in my eyes.

As a factual statement which is what Tommy's research is then it is extremely useful to know.

+1

You would have to be mental if you were to chuck a perfectly good 2Gb 67/80 or 69 series CrossFire etc, away just for 1 game.

The only way whatsoever could I advise anyone looking for an upgrade to get a 4Gb 67/80@1080p over a 2Gb version, would be if you fall into the bracket of a user that only upgrades every 2-3years, even at that, you might not get your moneys worth out of the extra 2Gb.


You don't get vanilla titles that have the size of textures that's sitting in my Skyrim, period.

2Gb is more than enough@1080p so far, as I said turn the settings down if/when needed.

A mixture of unoptimised/large textures is the cause of why it's going above 2Gb, it doesn't require anywhere near that amount of vram when you install vanilla Skyrim so it's in the users hands to where the vram use totals out.

As andy pointed out, the aim of the post was to inform that you can breach 2Gb in Skyrim, remember folks the thread is called:

Skyrim breached 2Gb vram@1080p

Not:

Chuck your 2Gb gpu in the bin because it runs out of vram@1080p

 

[tommybhoy]

You work for the newspapers lambchop?

Or do you just enjoy pedantic posting?

No point in 'quoting' what makes you look correct, quote it all and tell me it's wrong:

You don't get vanilla titles that have the size of textures that's sitting in my Skyrim, period.

2Gb is more than enough@1080p so far, as I said turn the settings down if/when needed.

A mixture of unoptimised/large textures is the cause of why it's going above 2Gb, it doesn't require anywhere near that amount of vram when you install vanilla Skyrim so it's in the users hands to where the vram use totals out.

As andy pointed out, the aim of the post was to inform that you can breach 2Gb in Skyrim, remember folks the thread is called:

Skyrim breached 2Gb vram@1080p

Not:

Chuck your 2Gb gpu in the bin because it runs out of vram@1080p

Which is wrong. Skyrim doesnt breach 2GB VRAM. Your heavily modified version does.

The game that breached 2Gb vram@1080p is indeed called Skyrim, there is no hiding of the fact anywhere in the thread that it's a vanilla Skyrim.

 

[tommybhoy]

Any specific reason other than being a brand name? (and maybe the warranty)

EvgaNick(Evga rep/staff) patrols the forum and helps sort out customers woes(that would be reason enough for myself as I never see any other gfx reps here).

Evga allows removal of the heatsinks without voiding your warranty.

Transferable warranty.