So, about those computer specs...

[BootySweat]

This one looks like a good choice - link

It has the 2nd generation core i3 with the built in Intel HD Graphics. Skyrim-usable? I would think. At least it'll be able to play oblivion.

3.1 GHZ
4GB RAM
1TB HD

Pretty much the same specs. A tiny bit lower. But hey, the faster processor will be worth it for the high-end games. And it's pretty cheap, I expected a computer to be around $900 to be able to play skyrim. Still going to do some shopping, but this is a good start i think.

Be sure to buy that one without an operating system. Acer grants you a lot of unnecessary bonus programs... so does HP...

I would think this one would be able to run Skyrim very well, but it's ridicoulsly expensive (if you don't think of the hardware, but just think of it as a regular computer) and looks very LOL

- I just discovered that 1899.99 isn't as much as I thought and if what I just discovered is right I'd actually say it isn't that expensive... anyway...

that Acer seems overpriced to me

For around $800 you can build your own desktop buying the components on newegg including an i7-2600k that will smoke that Acer's i7-960, as well as a decent graphics card that can handle most games at 1080p

For $1000 -1200 or so, you can do the same but with a GPU comparable to the GTX 570 on that Acer

Spending $1500 or more on a desktop should include a top of the line SSD IMHO

[the Savage Hippie]

This one looks like a good choice - link

It has the 2nd generation core i3 with the built in Intel HD Graphics. Skyrim-usable? I would think. At least it'll be able to play oblivion.

3.1 GHZ
4GB RAM
1TB HD

Pretty much the same specs. A tiny bit lower. But hey, the faster processor will be worth it for the high-end games. And it's pretty cheap, I expected a computer to be around $900 to be able to play skyrim. Still going to do some shopping, but this is a good start i think.

Be sure to buy that one without an operating system. Acer grants you a lot of unnecessary bonus programs... so does HP...

I would think this one would be able to run Skyrim very well, but it's ridicoulsly expensive (if you don't think of the hardware, but just think of it as a regular computer) and looks very LOL

- I just discovered that 1899.99 isn't as much as I thought and if what I just discovered is right I'd actually say it isn't that expensive... anyway...

that Acer seems overpriced to me

For around $800 you can build your own desktop buying the components on newegg including an i7-2600k that will smoke that Acer's i7-960, as well as a decent graphics card that can handle most games at 1080p

For $1000 -1200 or so, you can do the same but with a GPU comparable to the GTX 570 on that Acer

Spending $1500 or more on a desktop should include a top of the line SSD IMHO

I know custom made is always the cheaper choice, but your computer won't look like something out of Fallout 3! :p
Besides I'd think that for a non-build-it-yourself PC a machine with that hardware would cost around that in Denmark (where I live and thus compare prices to)

[BootySweat]

I know custom made is always the cheaper choice, but your computer won't look like something out of Fallout 3! :p
Besides I'd think that for a non-build-it-yourself PC a machine with that hardware would cost around that in Denmark (where I live and thus compare prices to)

Even if you go pre-built, the i7-960 is overpriced in general (costs more than 2600k but is slower) and the CPU has less impact on framerate than the GPU.

It would be much cheaper to buy a pre-built machine with i5-2500k (or i7-2600k if you want to spend a bit more), as well as 450w or 500w PSU and a motherboard/case with 16x PCI-e slot and headroom for a decent graphics card.

Then replace whatever card comes with the machine with something like a GTX 560 or AMD 6850/6870.

the total price should still be much cheaper than $1900 and it will smoke just about any game at 1080p

[Velothi]

How would a NVIDIA Geforce 9300GE fare for Skyrim?

[BootySweat]

How would a NVIDIA Geforce 9300GE fare for Skyrim?

what resolution is your monitor?

if you can play other 2010-2011 games, Skyrim will probably run about the same, although you won't benefit from Skyrim's DX11 optimization features.

[Velothi]

I honestly wouldn't know.

I know I couldn't play Alice Madness Returns, but then I have a Windows Vista so my limitations are vast.

[lostlast]

I honestly wouldn't know.

I know I couldn't play Alice Madness Returns, but then I have a Windows Vista so my limitations are vast.

Snap!

[PinballWizard]

Everything is working now, but wheewwww what a setup I went through.

First of all, all the hardware works great! Installed the new graphics card no problem, first time swapping out a PSU and that was neat, but also pretty crazy.

Then, the issue with operating systems happened.

I ended up in DOS and couldn't get out. I had absolutely no OS at all on my PC. Just a blinking underscore and a blank screen. What happened was I installed ubuntu on my PC, used dual boot. Then I screwed up a few things with mods in oblivion, decided to reinstall the game. Then, Windows kept giving me errors talking about data corruption and it couldn't load the files from the disc. I thought "well I guess I'll just reinstall windows, i don't have any data on this partition anyways". Well, acer doesn't send W7 installation discs out (!!!$##@), so I popped in an Acer recovery disc I made after booting up for the first time. Well, my system didn't like that one bit. It said "no such partition exists" when I booted into the disc. I rebooted, this time with no CD in the slot, same error. I was stuck here for a while, I think I used a manufacturer's method of booting into a recovery partition, but that didn't work either. Kept taking me back to DOS. Booted into an ubuntu installation disc, wiped my harddrive clean, downloaded a windows 7 iso file (a LEGAL one), wrote it to a DVD-R, booted into that, punched in my serial number, wiped my HDD again, back to just W7. Then oblivion started giving me more installation errors. Finally, I got it installed after trying it a few times. Then, I messed up my sound files with a mod, took everything off, tried to reinstall, similar thing happened. Only this time after installing, oblivion would just crash after it went through the launcher (this was without mods). Just reinstalled windows a third time, installed it, works perfectly now, no errors in installation.

I think I'm clear now, but it seems like every time I reinstall oblivion, it wrecks my system. Also, idk if this is related, but it's the 5th anniversary edition. Also, I think it might have something to do with DirectX, since oblivion asks you to install it after installing your game.

I'm in the clear now though I think.

[slack90]

How would a NVIDIA Geforce 9300GE fare for Skyrim?

The estimated system requriements for skyrim are:

* CPU: Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz or Althon X2 2.0 GHz
* RAM: 3 GB
* HDD: 15 GB
* Graphics: 512 MB card
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9.0c

I know a lot of games do a hardware check before they will even start up to prevent a system crash due to inadequate HW, although i suspect the official system req's might be a little lower than the estimated.

The card has: 256mb ddr2 with a 64 bit interface meaning (it was renamed to an 8400gs, and the minimum card is a 8800 gt which is a big gap) so no, it probably wont play it.

For the price of skyrim you could get a new card that will run it fine.

[-Dovahkiin-]

I could recommend i really good site that lets you create your own rig out and its extremely reasonable, you can get a soild gaming desktop that can rival a alienware for half the price, only thing is the sites based in the UK and the price tag your looking at for one of these beasts is about £1100

[codester]

So how about this?

Intel Core 2 Duo @ 1.86
3G RAM
GTX 260 - 896M

Medium to high settings?

[S13Kuro]

Is that the absolute bog standard minimum for running Skyrim? Coz I'd have thought it'd be higher. We're pretty much 2 gens ahead of that now. Spose running at high settings is another issue altogether tho

[Qwackie]

Hm...
Do you think I need a sound card for Skyrim? Because I have no sound card, my little Dell tower can't fit one. I have a Radeon HD 5400 that could run a modded Oblivion on the highest settings, so there's no problem with the graphics.
However, Oblivion's sound messes up quite a bit. Sometimes it's just static, other times it's like the sound is off.
If it doesn't work... I'm gonna kill someone. Or just roleplay a deaf character.

[S13Kuro]

Apparently the sound card just needs to be direct x 9 compatible.

[Qwackie]

Apparently the sound card just needs to be direct x 9 compatible.

But I don't have a sound card... D:

[slack90]

Apparently the sound card just needs to be direct x 9 compatible.

But I don't have a sound card... D:

then the audio on your motherboard needs to be.