The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PC System Requirements

Skyrim PC System Requirements: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PC System Requirements

Introduction

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released November 11, 2011 for the PC and was developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Skyrim is the fifth instalment in the Elder Scrolls video game series coming after its predecessor Oblivion.

The story involves the ultimate goal of defeating Alduin who is the first born of Tamriel’s primary deity Akatosh; since Alduin is prophesied to destroy the world…  If you would like to read more about Skyrim, I have found the Skyrim article in pretty detailed wiki at The Elder Scrolls Wiki to be very descriptive.

So now on to why you are most likely here…the hardware requirements needed for Skyrim:

Skyrim: Minimum System Requirements

Operating System: Windows 7 / Vista / XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
PC Processor: Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent processor
RAM: 2GB Memory
Hard Drive: 6GB of Space
Graphics Card: Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512 MB of RAM
Internet Connection: Internet access for Steam activation

Skyrim: Recommended System Requirements

Operating System: Windows 7 / Vista / XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
PC Processor: Quad Core Intel or AMD CPU
RAM: 4GB Memory
Hard Drive: 6GB of Space
Graphics Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with 1 GB of RAM (NVIDIA GeForce GTX  260 or higher (ex. GTX550Ti) or ATI Radeon 4890 or higher)
Internet Connection: Internet access for Steam activation

Overall, the system requirements are not too intensive for the fifth game in the Elder Scrolls series. To be honest, I am actually pretty surprised the game only takes up to 6GB of hard drive space; although the game seems to be highly optimized as seen in this article here at pureoverclock forums.

Many gamers had been puzzled by Skyrim only taking 6GB of hard drive space, however Pete Hines, VP of PR and Marketing at Bethseda had said it is because of the new engine being used. This makes for much better compression (art/voice/data) which in turns speeds everything up.

If your hardware matches the requirements, then enjoy playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim!

Comments 9

  1. Hey Corey,

    I think I am missing something… When looking at the Z68 motherboards I can’t find a huge difference when I compare it to the P67 deluxe. This is my first build but, maybe you could shed some light on what I am not picking up on? In addition could you recommend a manufacturer, please?

    1. Post
      Author

      Hey John,

      Yes you are right that looking at the physical differences in a Z68 when compared to a P67 the motherboards do not differ directly. However, the differences come when you compare the inherit qualities and differences of the P67, and Z68 chipsets themselves.

      Basically, when the Sandy Bridge Processors came out (Such as the Intel 2500K you intend to purchase) there were only two motherboard chipsets; the P67 and the H67. The P67 allowed one to over-clock the CPU while the H67 took advantage of the Sandy Bridge CPU’s integrated graphics. What this meant was if you were an enthusiast wanting to get all you can in terms of speed and capability out of your PC then you would go for the P67, while if you wanted to utilize the integrated graphics then the H67.

      Soon after the Z68 chipset came out which was actually an integration of both the P67 and the H67 chipsets. This meant that it could do everything both of the previous chipsets did, as well as a few other additions like Quick Sync and SSD caching. For more technical info: Hot Hardware Article

      All in all, you may not notice any difference purchasing your P67 motherboard and you can still purchase it, but purchasing a Z68 ensures you include a full rounded motherboard with your build.

      As for a suggestion for a good Z68 check the ASRock Z68 Extreme4 and you can read a full review and comparison of it in this Toms Hardware Z68 Express Roundup article.

      Let me know if this helps you any.
      Corey

      1. Corey,

        Thanks for the links. They were very helpful. I went ahead and ordered the following:

        ASUS P8Z68 DELUXE/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

        OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-60G 2.5″ 60GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

        In addition to the hardware you were kind enough to look at for me. I really appreciate your feedback! I stoked to start this build! I am probably going to order another NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 570 for SLI soon. I have a couple of build guides bookmarked for reference, but would you mind if I sent a distress signal if I get in over my head?

        1. Post
          Author
  2. Hi Corey,

    I am prepping for my first budget gaming computer build and was womdering if you could look over my build components? Are the components that you think I should swap out for any reason?

    ASUS P8P67 DELUXE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

    Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5″ Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

    SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC064D/AM 2.5″ 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) Desktop Upgrade Kit

    EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support …

    CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power …

    Fractal Design Arc Midi Black High Performance PC Computer Case w/ USB 3.0 and 3 x Fractal High Performance 140mm fans

    Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 …

    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit – OEM

    CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B

    MSI 22X Internal Burner Black IDE Model DH-22AP

    1. Post
      Author

      Hey John,

      Looks like a great build. If I were to suggest any changes I would try and swap the Samsung SSD you chose for the:

      OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-60G 2.5″ 60GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

      This is only my opinion though, and this could save you almost $60. Saving $60 can be significant in that you can splurge more on a larger hard drive or save it.

      Secondly, you did choose a P67 motherboard, is there any reason for this? You may want to think about looking at some Z68 motherboards sine your price range for a motherboard does seem to be on the higher end.

      The build does look great though, and I wish you good luck with it! What games are you thinking of playing specifically right now?

      1. I chose the P67 deluxe just because I did not know that the Z68 motherboards offered the additional sync features. I would defininetly love to play Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Do you you think this build has enough power to play the Witcher 2 and Battlefield 3? Do you think a 650 watt PSU is enough? Thanks for your help!

        1. Post
          Author

          Hey John,

          You will most definitely be able to play both Battlefield 3 and Witcher 2 and at higher settings. Also, 650Watts is perfect and you chose a quality PSU so no worries there!

      2. Hey Corey,

        I think I am missing something… When looking at the Z68 motherboards I can’t find a huge difference when I compare it to the P67 deluxe. This is my first build but, maybe you could shed some light on what I am not picking up on? In addition could you recommend a manufacturer, please?

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