Do mods require a better computer?

[Tom_green_day]

Hi
I'm a console player but am buying a laptop for both work/studying when not at home, and also because I wanted to be able to play and more importantly mod games that I love on my PS3, most importantly Skyrim and Fallout.
However, I know that laptops are not as good as computers for playing games, so I was planning to find the requirements for Skyrim and use them as a basis for which laptop I buy. I wondered therefore, if I want to install mods for a game does the laptop need to be better than the minimum requirements? Or will it be fine with the minimum system requirements of the game?
Cheers.

 

[AWAR]

I haven't much experience with Skyrim/Fallout mods but I'd imagine only the graphical enhancing ones affect performance.
Be aware though that you will need a hefty budget for a laptop that can run those games, obviously those with Intel graphics are a definite no-no..

 

[OneCatch]

Hi
I'm a console player but am buying a laptop for both work/studying when not at home, and also because I wanted to be able to play and more importantly mod games that I love on my PS3, most importantly Skyrim and Fallout.
However, I know that laptops are not as good as computers for playing games, so I was planning to find the requirements for Skyrim and use them as a basis for which laptop I buy. I wondered therefore, if I want to install mods for a game does the laptop need to be better than the minimum requirements? Or will it be fine with the minimum system requirements of the game?
Cheers.

Most mods for games like Fallout, Oblivion, Skyrim, won't require better specs that the core game. The main exception will be graphical enhancement mods. Those can cause a major framerate drop.

You might also find that your framerate would drop a little if you downloaded a mod which features unusual numbers of physical effects (thousands of torches in a field or something), but even then the game would still run.

Most modders will let you know if their mods cause a significant drop in fps anyway.

It's worth noting that modding tools like the Elder Scrolls Construction set and GECK are typically more intensive than the game itself, but they'll still function even with a computer that can only just run the main game. That's only really relevant if you were planning on making your own mods though.

 

[Lilani]

Hi
I'm a console player but am buying a laptop for both work/studying when not at home, and also because I wanted to be able to play and more importantly mod games that I love on my PS3, most importantly Skyrim and Fallout.
However, I know that laptops are not as good as computers for playing games, so I was planning to find the requirements for Skyrim and use them as a basis for which laptop I buy. I wondered therefore, if I want to install mods for a game does the laptop need to be better than the minimum requirements? Or will it be fine with the minimum system requirements of the game?
Cheers.

Mods generally work simply by switching out the assets in a game. For example, if you wanted to mod the look of a certain set of armor in Skyrim, you'd go to where the model for that armor is in your computer and switch it out for another model. The computer isn't doing any more processing to find and run that new model than it would running the old one. The only way the mod can be more taxing on your processor is if the mod is more elaborate or of a higher quality than the old one. And even then that shouldn't hurt you too bad.

The only mods that can really radically change how the game runs is if you switch out the graphics for an entire map. For example, there are some HD texture packs you can download that make all the textures in the game higher quality. When using those, don't be surprised if the game runs very differently. It's not a guarantee, but the more you change the more of a possibility it is. Also, if there are errors in your mods then that can hurt the game as well.

 

[Tom_green_day]

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Cheers- helped influence my decision

I haven't much experience with Skyrim/Fallout mods but I'd imagine only the graphical enhancing ones affect performance.
Be aware though that you will need a hefty budget for a laptop that can run those games, obviously those with Intel graphics are a definite no-no..

Oh- are Intel inferior? The one I had in mind was Intel-heavy and I heard it ran the game.

 

[Ace O'Hagen]

Oh- are Intel inferior? The one I had in mind was Intel-heavy and I heard it ran the game.

They're referring to the integrated graphics of the Intel chipset (i.e. the Intel HD 3000), for Skyrim/Fallout, you'd want to get a laptop with a dedicated graphics card.

 

[ohnoitsabear]

Oh- are Intel inferior? The one I had in mind was Intel-heavy and I heard it ran the game.

They're referring to the integrated graphics of the Intel chipset (i.e. the Intel HD 3000), for Skyrim/Fallout, you'd want to get a laptop with a dedicated graphics card.

Yeah, the intel integrated graphics are pretty horrible. I've found even most 2D games are barely playable with them. A dedicated graphics card is a must, although, from my understanding, AMD's integrated graphics are dramatically better than Intel's.

 

[DoPo]

Oh- are Intel inferior? The one I had in mind was Intel-heavy and I heard it ran the game.

They're referring to the integrated graphics of the Intel chipset (i.e. the Intel HD 3000), for Skyrim/Fallout, you'd want to get a laptop with a dedicated graphics card.

Yeah, the intel integrated graphics are pretty horrible. I've found even most 2D games are barely playable with them. A dedicated graphics card is a must, although, from my understanding, AMD's integrated graphics are dramatically better than Intel's.

A potato is dramatically better than most Intel chipsets.

AMD cards tend to be the budget solution - most of the cheaper laptops which still have a dedicated card would have an ATI one. I'm currently with one and I could comfortably play Skyrim, so they aren't too bad. I'd still stay away from the absolute cheapest ones as they might not be sufficient for Skyrim. Try Notebook Check [http://www.notebookcheck.net/] to see what they have to say about a videocard.

 

[eBusiness]

Or will it be fine with the minimum system requirements of the game?

You shouldn't want to get anything like the minimum requirements anyway, those only ensure that the game will run, not that you won't see framedrops or other issues.

Skyrim is pretty demanding, so ideally you'd get a GeForce GTX 570M, GeForce GTX 660M, GeForce GTX 750M, Radeon HD 6950M, Radeon HD 7850M, Radeon HD 8850M or better. Note the devious naming, most notebook graphics chips will only deliver around half the performance of the equivalently named desktop products (though this is by no means an exact rule). Despite these chips featuring as near the top of the line they are not faster than a $100 desktop graphics card.

 

[Lilani]

Cheers- helped influence my decision

No problem Also, I don't know if you've ever modded before, but if not here is modding rule number 1:

ALWAYS keep a copy of the original file of what you modded. When you switch something out, never delete the old one. Put a file on your desktop or something and drop in all the files you trade in. Even if you're convinced you're never going to use the original again, if something goes wrong and for some reason you need that original file having it will make your life a lot easier.

 

[DoPo]

Cheers- helped influence my decision

No problem Also, I don't know if you've ever modded before, but if not here is modding rule number 1:

ALWAYS keep a copy of the original file of what you modded.

No...no, that is wrong. You should always backup your saves - that's rule #1. What you said is rule #2.

 

[Lilani]

No...no, that is wrong. You should always backup your saves - that's rule #1. What you said is rule #2.

Ah, you are right about that. How could I forget