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Best The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition settings for the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) (2026)

On a NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) (paired with a balanced Intel Core i5-8600K-class CPU), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition runs at roughly 68 FPS at 1080p with our optimized settings — up from about 68FPS with everything maxed. Here's the configuration and what each setting costs.

The NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) is a entry-level graphics card with 4GB of VRAM, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is a relatively light game to run. Paired with the Intel Core i5-8600K, it runs well at 1080p — about 68 FPS with FrameCoach's optimized settings. That already clears a smooth frame rate on High, so our tuning keeps the visuals as high as possible instead of chasing extra frames.

Across resolutions you can expect around 68 FPS at 1080p and 63 FPS at 1440p, dropping to roughly 53 FPS at 4K. The biggest free win is FSR upscaling — set it to Quality for a large FPS boost at little visual cost.

ResolutionAll-High FPSOptimized FPS
1080p6868
1440p4163
4K2353
💡 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition: Runs easily on modern hardware (vanilla); Volumetric/God Rays is the one expensive setting. Texture mods change VRAM use a lot.
Recommended settings
Upscaling — FSROff
Render resolution scaling is the biggest GPU-side lever — though vanilla Skyrim already runs fast on modest hardware.
Volumetric (God) RaysMediumbaseline
Sunbeams through the world — notoriously expensive in Skyrim. Dropping from High to Medium is a big, near-invisible gain.
Shadow QualityHighbaseline
Shadow resolution and distance. High is a strong step down from Ultra.
Object / Draw DistanceHighbaseline
How far objects and grass render. Lowering it causes mild pop-in but helps in open landscapes.
Water QualityHighbaseline
Reflections and detail on water. A cheap saving away from rivers and coasts.
Texture QualityHighbaseline
Surface detail — nearly free if it fits your VRAM (vanilla; texture mods change this a lot).
Anti-AliasingTAAbaseline
Smooths jagged edges. Cheap; drop it if you need frames.
Anisotropic Filtering16xbaseline
Keeps ground textures sharp at distance. Effectively free — leave it at 16x.

⚡ Fine-tune this for your exact CPU & target FPS →

🎯 Can the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) run The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition? See the verdict →

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition on other GPUs
Other games on the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB)
Frequently asked

What FPS does the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) get in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition?

With FrameCoach's optimized balanced settings, the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) averages around 68 FPS at 1080p in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition — up from about 68 FPS with everything on High.

Can the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) run The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition at 1440p?

At 1440p with optimized settings, the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB) averages roughly 63 FPS in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition — a smooth experience.

What are the best The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition settings for the NVIDIA GTX 960 (4GB)?

Use a balanced preset, keep ray tracing off for maximum FPS, and ease the heaviest options like Volumetric (God) Rays and Shadow Quality down a notch. The full per-setting breakdown is above.

FPS figures are estimates from a generalized model (hardware tier × game load × per-setting weights), not live benchmarks — real performance varies by scene, drivers and game version.