Guide:ENBSeries: Difference between revisions
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== Performance Tips == | == Performance Tips == | ||
While ENB | While ENB greatly enhance the visual of Skyrim, these additional effects also take a toll on performance. How much of an FPS decrease users experience depends on their system hardware, INI settings, texture mod resolutions, and a host of other variables. This is why it's virtually impossible to estimate how much any ENB will affect a user's personal system. That being said, there are some things users can do to improve their performance. | ||
First and foremost it | First and foremost it's important for users to keep their systems in top gaming condition. Like anything else, "''if you take care of it, then it will take care of you''". Some simple ways to do this: | ||
* | * Defragment the hard drives which games are installed on. Do not defrag solid state drives (SSDs)! These should '''NEVER''' be defragmented and doing so could reduce their lifespan. However, defragging hard disk drives (HDDs) will not only help improve performance while gaming, but can also decrease load times in games and other applications as well. Although Windows comes with a simple defragging program, STEP recommends either [http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag/ Auslogics Disk Defrag] or [http://www.puransoftware.com/Puran-Defrag-Download.html Puran Defrag Free Edition]. If using Auslogics, use the "''Defrag & Optimize''" option since this will also move the most frequently accessed files closer to the front of the drive. Defragment hard drives at least once a month or any time the fragmentation is 10% or over. | ||
* Disable all unnecessary programs running in the background while gaming | * Disable all unnecessary programs running in the background while gaming, to free up more resources. Anti-virus programs are especially resource intensive and aren't needed while playing games. Some anti-virus software have a "''Gaming Mode''" or something similar for while users are doing resource intensive tasks; check the options menu. {{fc|white|'''''If the anti-virus is disabled while gaming remember to enable it again when finished!'''''}} | ||
* Keep Steam in [https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3160-agcb-2555 offline mode]. This is just one more thing depleting | * Keep Steam in [https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3160-agcb-2555 offline mode]. This is just one more thing depleting resources that really isn't needed. | ||
* | * GPU settings play a tremendous role in determining quality and performance. Striking the right balance in these settings is essential in achieving a beautiful game with smooth, playable frame rates. Use the guides provided in the STEP guide as a starting point. Adjust and test the settings until the right balance with smooth game-play is achieved. The thing to remember here is to be realistic with what the hardware is capable of. | ||
* Be realistic with | * Be realistic with the INI settings, as well. Over-tweaking can and will cause performance issues if the system is not capable of handling the additional strain. | ||
* High resolution texture mods also affect | * High resolution texture and mesh mods also affect performance. Careful consideration should be used when adding higher resolution textures and meshes with ENB enabled. Experimentation and testing might be required to find the right balance of quality and performance that best fits the system hardware capabilities. | ||
* Some of the more FPS-intensive effects can also be disabled in the | * Some of the more FPS-intensive ENB effects can also be disabled in the ENB ''.ini'' files to improve performance at the cost of some quality. Instructions on how to disable these effects can be found in the INI sections of this Guide. Changing to the performance version of some ENBs (where available) will essentially do the same thing so users are encouraged to explore that route before disabling ENB effects. | ||
If after following these performance tips | If after following these performance tips users are still unable to achieve playable frame rates, the system hardware may not be capable of running ENBSeries or the chosen preset might be too intensive to for it. At this point users may want to consider either using other presets which may not be as demanding on hardware, upgrading their hardware, or not using ENBSeries altogether. One preset which will provide a fantasy look with minimal performance loss is, [http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/53388/ Minimal ENB Preformance Edition] by ewi65. | ||
== Shadow Striping == | == Shadow Striping == |
Revision as of 18:09, September 21, 2014
A comprehensive guide for properly installing and editing ENBs for n00bs and gurus alike -- by the S.T.E.P. Team