bighairycamel
Maybe this has already been mentioned, but I've heard that this game's framerate is so CPU dependent because shadows are passed to the CPU for rendering.

  It's a CPU related issue and yes probably related to shadows. The CPU doesn't max out due to bad optimization (not even a single core), but the fps get limited. This doesn't happen all the time, but mostly when looking at specific screens (that usually have a lot of shadows rendered). Reducing the distance shadows are drawn affects performance at such screen, so it must be related to shadows. Still, extensive testing needs to be done for 100% safe conclusions.
 
Every 100mhz will give you about 1fps in such screens. Depending on shadow draw distance, I get 39 to 31fps with a i7 at 4.0Ghz on such a screen (while I have 60fps usually). So, I'd need a 6.0+ Ghz CPU to get 60fps lock on such screens. CPU load is depending on how many cores one is using. With 8 cores (HT on) the maximum load is like 40%, with 4 cores (HT off) it goes as high as 80% but usually it rests at 70%. The performance is exactly the same with HT on or off, at least for me. So, as usual, bad optimization. Unless we see some new serious efforts from serious companies for new engines, and I mean really new engines, that will be designed for PCs and in a way to take advantage of PC's CPU systems and multiple cores, then we won't see any real breakthrough. If we keep getting ****ty ports, why should we keep pating for them? Anyway... a great game on overall, but a disappointment concerning the engine and performance.

Decided to give a few mods a try seeings how alot of people were talking about them and damn, i'm impressed! In less then a week since the games launch, talented people are already making this game look, run and play better! Here are my results of the top 3 popular mods.  The following pictures were taken at 1920x1200 resolution with 16xAF but no AA or FXAA or ambience occulasion .


Default Skyrim NPCgame faces

Note how "blocky" the nose and lips are as well as lack of detail in the facial skin









After "No More Blocky Faces" and "Detailed Faces v2" mods

http://www.skyrimnexus.co.downloads/file.php?id=30

http://www.skyrimnexus.co.downloads/file.php?id=26

I couldn't believe the difference myself until I actually saw it myself!










Since I started the game, I felt that the blood textures just didn't look right or "real" enough IMO

Default Skyrim Blood






I was pleased to find someone had felt the same way and made a Blood mod! This make it alot more real and gory looking to me

Enhanced Blood Textures
http://www.skyrimnexus.co.downloads/file.php?id=60

Just wanted to post about a new high res snow texture mod that's out!
 
Old Snow:
 

New Snow:

 
Much cleaner looking (as it should be imo). Also a higher res, which is always nice to have. Oh, I also have a nice snowflake mod on as well.
 
Snow Texture
Snow Flake Mod

IMO,  you can't make out individiual snowflake shapes as they fall in real life, so don't see the point making it like that in the the game

_Nite_

Bowenac

I made a little tool if anyone wants to use it. Let me know if you have any problems or would like anything added. Some things like fov, and skip intro are not working not sure what the deal is with those.

http://www.adamcbowen.com/Apps/Skyrim/Setup.zip

disabling the bethesda intro is easy, go into the Data/Video Folder of the game files and rename BGS_Logo.bik to BGS_Logo .bik

basicly just add a space in the file name and the game won't find it. It works.

 
Thank you sir I added that to my app... thanks a lot.

only does the bluring thing in snowstorms,  If you cast Clearskies shout it will get rid of it
 

The 640gt and the 3.4  on the cpu are probably the issue. Just a guess though.......... If you compare the 640 to even a gtx 480 you are at half the performance and also the game does seem to respond well to a nice cpu oc of around 4ghz or better I think the chip you have is a very capable chip in the ocing area although I have no personal experience with that setup waiting for next gen till I upgrade. If you get a weird stutter that lingers every now and then like most do no matter what system they have I just tab out to desktop real quick then back in to straighten it out. I think there is a console command for that issue although I cant recall what it is I just saw it skimming the web of information.