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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
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
 43NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M SLI
101.8
87.3
 48AMD Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
79
71.6
 49NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M SLI
127.7
87.2
 50AMD Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire
84.7
75.1
64.2
 61NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680
79
 62AMD Radeon HD 7970
100.4
80.3
62.3
 75NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M
176.2
165.2
95.1
64.3
 78NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti
90
65
 80NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M
942
67.154
 86AMD Radeon HD 7870
90.4
80.4
55.7
 91AMD Radeon HD 8970M
90.4
48.82
 95NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M SLI
94.9
64.7
 97NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M
88
83.33
54.25
 100AMD Radeon HD 7970M
97
88.3
872
57.054
 107NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX SLI
88.3
63.4
 119NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M
97.32
763
493
 121NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M
84.5
49.6
 127NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX
95.4
74
44
 128NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M SLI
92.4
81.6
58.9
Pos      Model                                     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
lowmed.highultra
 132AMD Radeon R9 M385X
57.3
49.8
43.2
35.5
 133NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M
107.3
81.2
66.82
35.252
 139AMD Radeon HD 6870
71
66
53
43
 140NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470
63
44
 141NVIDIA GeForce 945M
50
48
40
 142NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M
85.94
63.15
35.74
 149ATI Radeon HD 5850
64.4
60.5
51.1
40.8
 150NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M
89.452
91.93
71.43
413
 151NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
61.1
56.1
47.1
32.9
 152AMD Radeon HD 6990M
56.1
52.3
43.7
34.3
 156AMD Radeon HD 7770
88.2
63.7
36.1
 157NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI
90.4
73.4
45.4
 167NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX
81.8
58.652
33.052
 169NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M
78
57
33
 171NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M
97
76.652
58.654
32.84
 175AMD Radeon HD 6970M
51.5
48.4
40.8
30.6
 177AMD Radeon HD 8870M
74.9
662
52.12
31.72
 180NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570M
66.32
62.052
47.252
25.752
 190NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M
74.862
60.674
48.556
28.25
 192AMD Radeon HD 8850M
48.8
37.5
23.6
Pos      Model                                     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
lowmed.highultra
 194AMD Radeon R9 M265X
94.8
69.52
47.052
26.22
 204NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M
72.82
49.23
37.054
20.854
 209NVIDIA GeForce 940M
413
383
333
173
 219NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
753
56.83
41.96
24.15
 221NVIDIA GeForce 840M
70.7
44.5
32.7
17.3
 223NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
62.242
47.763
34.183
19.123
 225NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M
59
55.4
40.8
21.3
 226*AMD Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge)
28
19
13
 227AMD Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
68
45.4
33.1
18.9
 228Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200
70
36.6
21.4
12.1
 230NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M
529
36.689
27.629
13.894
 234NVIDIA GeForce 830M
64.952
41.92
31.42
17.12
 240NVIDIA Quadro K2000M
46
33
17
 241NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
42
22
 243NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M
42.32
31.722
21.222
12.22
 245NVIDIA GeForce 825M
57.2
38.3
27.1
 256AMD Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8750M Dual Graphics
36.7
28
 257NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M
49.52
37.862
28.742
15.892
 258NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M
62.9
45.9
34.1
18.7
 261AMD Radeon HD 8750M
62.852
42.652
30.42
18.1
Pos      Model                                     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
lowmed.highultra
 263AMD Radeon R7 M270
67.1
43.3
31.6
19.1
 264AMD Radeon R7 M265
55.14
38.51
28.67
16.65
 268NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M
57.67
42.37
31.37
17.156
 269AMD Radeon R7 (Kaveri)
36
29.1
21.4
 272AMD Radeon HD 7730M
63
42
16
 276*AMD Radeon R7 (Carrizo)
32.6
24.2
16.7
9.1
 287NVIDIA GeForce 920M
54.82
35.552
23.42
13.952
 289Intel HD Graphics 630
61.7
32.7
20
 294AMD Radeon R7 M260
44.652
33.752
23.452
16
 295AMD Radeon R5 (Bristol Ridge)
36.2
25.9
18.8
 296AMD Radeon R5 (Stoney Ridge)
32.7
22.2
15.4
 307AMD Radeon HD 8670D
64
39.8
30.1
15.9
 308AMD Radeon HD 7690M XT
66.62
44.7
30
18
 309AMD FirePro M5950
43.5
30.9
16
 310NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE
475
34.655
26.325
14.493
 311AMD Radeon R6 (Kaveri)
32.4
27.1
18.4
 313AMD Radeon HD 8730M
58
44
30
 314AMD Radeon HD 6770M
59
41.42
29.72
152
 315NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M
45.815
32.655
23.795
12.833
 316NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M
44.52
35.52
25.52
13.4
Pos      Model                                     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
lowmed.highultra
 329AMD Radeon HD 7690M
45
38
28
15
 332AMD Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8670M Dual Graphics
39.7
26.3
18.4
 333AMD Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8570M Dual Graphics
27.7
23.4
17.8
11.5
 334AMD Radeon HD 7660G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
373
28.23
213
10.13
 335AMD Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8670M Dual Graphics
36.1
23.1
16
 336AMD Radeon HD 8670M
39.8
26.2
17.4
 337AMD Radeon R6 M255DX
37.3
26.4
17.3
 350*AMD Radeon HD 6740G2
26.4
24.9
19.9
 356AMD Radeon HD 8650G
382
27.82
20.452
11.9
 357AMD Radeon HD 7640G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
35.1
30.8
25.1
 358*AMD Radeon HD 6620G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
40.2
32.9
23
 359AMD Radeon HD 7520G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
37.12
31.72
22.452
12
 360AMD Radeon HD 7670M
49.67
357
23.47
123
 361NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M
4312
3113
2313
13.074
 366AMD Radeon R5 M330
41.7
27.6
18.2
 367AMD Radeon R5 M255
31.9
23.4
13.9
 370NVIDIA GeForce 820M
47.12
31.752
22.552
 372Intel Iris Graphics 6100
41.4
23.9
15.2
8.3
 373NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M
46.33
323
22.93
 375AMD Radeon R5 M240
35.5
28.9
19.6
Pos      Model                                     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
lowmed.highultra
 377AMD Radeon R5 M230
38
25.2
17.1
 382AMD Radeon HD 8450G + Radeon HD 8570M Dual Graphics
18.4
15.8
 386AMD Radeon HD 8550M
20.9
19
15.9
 387Intel Iris Graphics 5100
38.2
19.1
11.7
6.3
 388NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
41.152
28.452
192
12
 389*AMD Radeon HD 8610G
24.7
16.9
10.5
 391AMD Radeon HD 6650M
26.7
24.8
20.1
11.1
 392Intel HD Graphics 4600
335
15.55
10.724
5.652
 394Intel HD Graphics 5500
28.354
14.44
8.53
4.43