Stutter with 1.5GB of VRAM (2x GTX580s)

[nickrorschach]

Hi guys,

 

I followed the S.T.E.P instructions and picked myself up an in game lag\stutter when moving around. I thik my problem is that I installed the texture mods without actually understanding how much of an impact they could have on VRAM. I now face the horrible realisation that my expensive SLI GTX580s are no longer capable of running something totally maxed out :)

 

When I first started experimenting with the game, trying to pin down the cause of the stutter, it didn’t occur to me for one second it would be a hardware limitation... It took me stripping Skyrim\STEP down to hardly any mods before I noticed it…With some monitoring, GPU-Z showed me I was maxed out at 1.5GB VRAM - so problem solved, I guess.

 

What I would like to ask is this - with STEP stripped back to just the official HD texture pack and the Realistic Overhaul I was still reaching the limits of my VRAM in outside areas and stuttering. I did not install the Hi-Res DLC Optimized pack during my last round of testing – but would this actually make any huge difference to the stutter? Just the offical HD texture pack and nothing else = 1.1ish GB used and smooth as butter. I figure before I do any more playing around it is better to ask outright, can people with 1.5GB of VRAM install the core modules listed in STEP without getting a stutter? 

 

Is it possible I have missed something else? 

 

My machine is very well optimized, I run Skyrim from an SSD, have no page file on my gaming machine, 8GB of RAM and a 64bit O/S - I dont think the problem is related to anything other than VMRAM.

 

Thanks

[stoppingby4now]

For major texture packs (Skyrim HD, SRO) install the low res version (1k). That should easily get you in the ballpark.

[Vypir]

When I first installed the official Hi-Res DLC, I started to get stuttering after varying amounts of gameplay, so that was definitely a contributor.  When I switched to DLC Optimized, it went back to being smooth.

 

I use Hi-Res DLC Optimized - Hybrid + Vanilla normal maps.

 

I'm using a GTX 460 768, so I need to be careful about VRAM usage.

[stoppingby4now]

When I first installed the official Hi-Res DLC, I started to get stuttering after varying amounts of gameplay, so that was definitely a contributor.  When I switched to DLC Optimized, it went back to being smooth.

 

I use Hi-Res DLC Optimized - Hybrid + Vanilla normal maps.

 

I'm using a GTX 460 768, so I need to be careful about VRAM usage.

Yeah, 768 MB will be making you VRAM hungry for sure. Do you currently have all of STEP installed, or have you left some texture mods out?

[Vypir]

I have most of my specs listed in the spoiler of this post.  I have not installed all of STEP, as much of it just doesn't appeal to me.  However, I do use several other graphical improvement mods such as RCRN, SMIM, and some high-res texture stuff that affects nordic ruins, dungeons, armors, and NPC quality.

 

I don't think I have any terrain mods. Tried one a while back and got stuttering. Haven't tried vegetation mods either; I don't mind the vanilla plants.

 

Overall, I've probably followed the 80/20 rule.  20% of the mods resulting in 80% of the "STEP experience."  I have a family with kids, so my free time is precious and I want to actually play the game instead of modding it all the time.

 

Right now, the only AA that I use is Nvidia FXAA.  I'll be switching to SMAA whenever RCRN supports it.  I believe the lack of other forms of AA really helps to keep the VRAM usage down.  Some of them are memory hogs.

[Nachtfrost]

I figure before I do any more playing around it is better to ask outright, can people with 1.5GB of VRAM install the core modules listed in STEP without getting a stutter? 

  To make it quick, no. I have a GTX580 myself and had exactly the same problem like you have now. The thing is that most of the non-CORE mods are not much of an impact VRAM-wise.

  There are actually only very few mods that have a real VRAM impact for people with 1,5gb cards (e.g. SRO, Skyrim 2k HD, Flora Overhaul and such)

  The way I modded my Skyrim with STEP is very complicated because I mixed a lot of high and low res textures (you have too look carefully for every filename!). 

But if you're willing to try, this is what makes my game run smooth. (copied from another thread)

Ok, here is what I did. I used the Texture Optimizer program to compress the textures to "resize if >1024". After that my VRAM usage was reduced to ~1100-1200mb (~-300mb). But I definitely saw a difference concerning some textures.

 

So I added back higher textures of following mods which I can only recommend for people with 1,5 gb cards.

 

Enhanced Blood Textures (don't use Crimson Tide, I just am a bit bloodthirsty, I'm not sure the difference is so high between high and low-res)

Re-Defined Dungeons (just because VRAM usage in dungeons isn't very high I guess)

Skyrim Flora Overhaul (I did this because it made a huge difference in-game in my opinion. The vegetation looks by far nicer with the high-res textures)

Trees HDSkyrim Variation (same as Flora Overhaul)

AOF Detailed Mountains (also a big improvement in my opinion)

Enhanced Distant Terrain HD (not a big difference but also very performance friendly I think)

 

Conclusion: In my opinion the landscape changing mods are the most necessary ones in regard of visual enhancement. I did not install again the That's ice mod because it shouldn't have been changed by the compression and the WATER mod just looked good as it was. Running through cities/villages, I think that even with 1k-textures they still look pretty nice and don't need high priority enhancement. I must admit that I did not do in-depth benchmarking and such but I could play the game with <1400 mb VRAM usage. Clutter and armor stuff also does not have such high priority and looking at armor pieces in my inventar, it didn't seem to have changed much.

Ok, I did some more testing, running around the whole world of Skyrim for about two hours. (I covered Whiterun, Riverwood, Falkreath, Riften, Markarth, Solitude, Morthal, Dawnstar, Winterhold, Windhelm, plains west of whiterun, surroundings of Riverwood, surroundings of Falkreath, the Reach, Hjaalmarch, the northern coast and the woods north of Riften, I also made quite a few fast travels)

 

I disabled SSAA and use only 4xMSAA now so I could use the gained VRAM for other enhancement. As soon as I noticed that especially the snow-related textures look pretty bad in low-res (I admit that some of these textures don't look gorgeous in high-res either) I took the 2k SRO landscape files again.

 

Now, for exterior spaces I have a VRAM usage of ~1000-1350mb. (lower amounts at the northern coast and in cities, higher amouts at places with much vegetation)

There is one exception and may I ask if someone knows if this is a corrupted spot or something. Near the Guardian Stones, my VRAM hit the 1500mb mark. It was just a very tiny area and I can't explain why it would be so much higher. There definitely is a high view distance from the Guardian stones and there is quite a lot of trees and the lake textures but there were other areas like this where my VRAM usage was perfectly fine.

 

Interior spaces are no problem at all and this is where a new question arises. The big cities in Skyrim are as we know constructed in seperate world spaces. This explains why the VRAM usage is (similar to dungeons) not that high. I was deliberating to use high-res version of the SRO architecture folder as well (although probably not necessary because it looks very nice in low-res as I said already)

So, is the architecture folder also changing the textures of the city when you look at them from outside? (except city walls and stuff like that, of course)

And concernig the farmhouse textures which are in the open world space, do you think that this will be a huge VRAM impact?

 

I post this question for people who know a bit more about modding and such because I find it very hard to grasp the VRAM usage because of the many VRAM-jumps between different regions of Skyrim.

And I'm using quality Ambient Occlusion via nVidia Inspector. My VRAM usage sometimes goes a bit over 1,5gb but I didn't encounter noticable lags, even when playing for many hours.

[LeetMiniWheat]

BTW if you're running out of VRAM try this.

 

right click TESV.exe in the Skyrim folder, select properties, then go to "Compatibility" tab and tick these boxes:

Disable visual themes

Disable desktop composition

 

this will disable windows Aero whenever you launch the game (even from SKSE) and will free up about 100MB-200MB of VRAM usually

 

 

This should probably even be in the S.T.E.P. guide itself, but only optimal for fullscreen users, whereas in window mode vsync isn't possible with aero disabled.

[torminater]

Errrr what? Aero has vsync and non-Aero doesn't? I have vsync for Skyrim enabled and Aero completely disabled. Is this now working or not???

[LeetMiniWheat]

Errrr what? Aero has vsync and non-Aero doesn't? I have vsync for Skyrim enabled and Aero completely disabled. Is this now working or not???

sorry for confusion, I edited my above post.

 

if you're fullscreen it's nothing to worry about, the game will obey the vsync setting.

 

but in WINDOW MODE, the game window inherits the vsync setting of the desktop since the window runs on top of the desktop. can't have ONLY one window vsync and the rest non-vsync, or vice versa. and as far as I can tell, non-aero desktop can't be vsync at all. whereas aero desktop CAN be vsync if you have it forced in nvidia CP or AMD CCC

 

So... if you're wondering why I mentioned this, it's because my above tweak temporarily disables aero when the game is running. and I'm not sure if window mode is even possible without an extra mod (like fullscreen window mode, which would inherit the desktop settings still)