Notebookcheck

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Benchmarks

Editorial Team, 11/15/2011

In the following article we will present you benchmarks of the huge role playing game The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.

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How We Test

We benchmark the beginning sequence of the single player campaign. The recording with Fraps starts as soon as the Skyrim text disappears (do not move the mouse) and stops as soon as you drove through the gate.

1920x1080 Ultra Preset
1920x1080 Ultra Preset
1366x768 High Preset
1366x768 High Preset
1366x768 Medium Preset
1366x768 Medium Preset
1280x720 Low Preset
1280x720 Low Preset

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Analysis of the Benchmarks

Elder Scrolls 5 is quite demanding and needs a high end laptop graphics card for full detail settings. Fast desktop graphics cards as the HD 6870 are able to render more than 40 fps on average.

Reducing details allows mid range laptop graphics cards to achieve fluent framerates. However, the popular GeForce GT 540M for example is only able to render low-medium details fluently. Integrated graphics cards from Intel like the HD Graphics 3000 wont achieve playable framerates (altough you can adjust the settings a bit below the "low preset" for better performance).

 

Framerate of the benchmark sequence (i5-2400, HD 5850).
Framerate of the benchmark sequence (i5-2400, HD 5850).
9 minute of actual gameplay (village, cage, open area)
9 minute of actual gameplay (village, cage, open area)

An overview of the games we have tested can be found here.

Show Restrictions
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Pos      Model                                     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
low
1280x720
Low Preset
med.
1366x768
Medium Preset
4xAA		high
1366x768
High Preset
8xAF 8xAA		ultra
1920x1080
Ultra Preset
16xAF 8xAA
 37NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M SLI
101.8
87.3
 42AMD Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
79
71.6
 43NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M SLI
127.7
87.2
 44AMD Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire
84.7
75.1
64.2
 55NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680
79
 56AMD Radeon HD 7970
100.4
80.3
62.3
 69NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M
176.2
165.2
95.1
64.3
 72NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti
90
65
 74NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M
942
67.154
 80AMD Radeon HD 7870
90.4
80.4
55.7
 85AMD Radeon HD 8970M
90.4
48.82
 89NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M SLI
94.9
64.7
 91NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M
88
83.33
54.25
 94AMD Radeon HD 7970M
97
88.3
872
57.054
 101NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX SLI
88.3
63.4
 113NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M
97.32
763
493
 115NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M
84.5
49.6
 121NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX
95.4
74
44
 122NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M SLI
92.4
81.6
58.9
Pos      Model                                     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
lowmed.highultra
 126AMD Radeon R9 M385X
57.3
49.8
43.2
35.5
 127NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M
107.3
81.2
66.82
35.252
 133AMD Radeon HD 6870
71
66
53
43
 134NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470
63
44
 135NVIDIA GeForce 945M
50
48
40
 136NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M
85.94
63.15
35.74
 143ATI Radeon HD 5850
64.4
60.5
51.1
40.8
 144NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M
89.452
91.93
71.43
413
 145NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
61.1
56.1
47.1
32.9
 146AMD Radeon HD 6990M
56.1
52.3
43.7
34.3
 150AMD Radeon HD 7770
88.2
63.7
36.1
 151NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI
90.4
73.4
45.4
 161NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX
81.8
58.652
33.052
 163NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M
78
57
33
 165NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M
97
76.652
58.654
32.84
 169AMD Radeon HD 6970M
51.5
48.4
40.8
30.6
 171AMD Radeon HD 8870M
74.9
662
52.12
31.72
 174NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570M
66.32
62.052
47.252
25.752
 184NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M
74.862
60.674
48.556
28.25
 186AMD Radeon HD 8850M
48.8
37.5
23.6
Pos      Model                                     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
lowmed.highultra
 188AMD Radeon R9 M265X
94.8
69.52
47.052
26.22
 197NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M
72.82
49.23
37.054
20.854
 202NVIDIA GeForce 940M
413
383
333
173
 212NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
753
56.83
41.96
24.15
 214NVIDIA GeForce 840M
70.7
44.5
32.7
17.3
 216NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
62.242
47.763
34.183
19.123
 218NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M
59
55.4
40.8
21.3
 220AMD Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
68
45.4
33.1
18.9
 221Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200
70
36.6
21.4
12.1
 223NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M
529
36.689
27.629
13.894
 227NVIDIA GeForce 830M
64.952
41.92
31.42
17.12
 233NVIDIA Quadro K2000M
46
33
17
 234NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
42
22
 236NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M
42.32
31.722
21.222
12.22
 238NVIDIA GeForce 825M
57.2
38.3
27.1
 249AMD Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8750M Dual Graphics
36.7
28
 250NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M
49.52
37.862
28.742
15.892
 251NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M
62.9
45.9
34.1
18.7
 254AMD Radeon HD 8750M
62.852
42.652
30.42
18.1
 256AMD Radeon R7 M270
67.1
43.3
31.6
19.1
Pos      Model                                     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
lowmed.highultra
 257AMD Radeon R7 M265
55.14
38.51
28.67
16.65
 261NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M
57.67
42.37
31.37
17.156
 262AMD Radeon R7 (Kaveri)
36
29.1
21.4
 265AMD Radeon HD 7730M
63
42
16
 269*AMD Radeon R7 (Carrizo)
32.6
24.2
16.7
9.1
 280NVIDIA GeForce 920M
54.82
35.552
23.42
13.952
 282Intel HD Graphics 630
61.7
32.7
20
 287AMD Radeon R7 M260
44.652
33.752
23.452
16
 288AMD Radeon R5 (Bristol Ridge)
36.2
25.9
18.8
 289AMD Radeon R5 (Stoney Ridge)
32.7
22.2
15.4
 299AMD Radeon HD 8670D
64
39.8
30.1
15.9
 300AMD Radeon HD 7690M XT
66.62
44.7
30
18
 301AMD FirePro M5950
43.5
30.9
16
 302NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE
475
34.655
26.325
14.493
 303AMD Radeon R6 (Kaveri)
32.4
27.1
18.4
 305AMD Radeon HD 8730M
58
44
30
 306AMD Radeon HD 6770M
59
41.42
29.72
152
 307NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M
45.815
32.655
23.795
12.833
 308NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M
44.52
35.52
25.52
13.4
 321AMD Radeon HD 7690M
45
38
28
15
Pos      Model                                     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
lowmed.highultra
 324AMD Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8670M Dual Graphics
39.7
26.3
18.4
 325AMD Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8570M Dual Graphics
27.7
23.4
17.8
11.5
 326AMD Radeon HD 7660G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
373
28.23
213
10.13
 327AMD Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8670M Dual Graphics
36.1
23.1
16
 328AMD Radeon HD 8670M
39.8
26.2
17.4
 329AMD Radeon R6 M255DX
37.3
26.4
17.3
 342*AMD Radeon HD 6740G2
26.4
24.9
19.9
 348AMD Radeon HD 8650G
382
27.82
20.452
11.9
 349AMD Radeon HD 7640G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
35.1
30.8
25.1
 350*AMD Radeon HD 6620G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
40.2
32.9
23
 351AMD Radeon HD 7520G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
37.12
31.72
22.452
12
 352AMD Radeon HD 7670M
49.67
357
23.47
123
 353NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M
4312
3113
2313
13.074
 358AMD Radeon R5 M330
41.7
27.6
18.2
 359AMD Radeon R5 M255
31.9
23.4
13.9
 362NVIDIA GeForce 820M
47.12
31.752
22.552
 364Intel Iris Graphics 6100
41.4
23.9
15.2
8.3
 365NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M
46.33
323
22.93
 367AMD Radeon R5 M240
35.5
28.9
19.6
 369AMD Radeon R5 M230
38
25.2
17.1
Pos      Model                                     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
lowmed.highultra
 374AMD Radeon HD 8450G + Radeon HD 8570M Dual Graphics
18.4
15.8
 378AMD Radeon HD 8550M
20.9
19
15.9
 379Intel Iris Graphics 5100
38.2
19.1
11.7
6.3
 380NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
41.152
28.452
192
12
 381*AMD Radeon HD 8610G
24.7
16.9
10.5
 383AMD Radeon HD 6650M
26.7
24.8
20.1
11.1
 384Intel HD Graphics 4600
335
15.55
10.724
5.652
 386Intel HD Graphics 5500
28.354
14.44
8.53
4.43
 392AMD Radeon R5 (Kaveri)
27.4
18.5
12.9
 394NVIDIA NVS 5400M
53
36
28
14
 395NVIDIA GeForce 710M
40.2
28.5
 396AMD Radeon HD 7660G