How I modded skyrim on my shitty computer

Don't have a sick gaming rig, bruh? No worries.

So I got Skyrim on Xbox the day it came out. I played the shit out of it, and eventually I bored. I still really enjoyed the world, but I'd played so much that I really had seen it all, and the game just felt a little stale. Fast forward a few years, I get a mid-range laptop with a discrete GPU and see Skyrim on sale on Steam. Had to grab it. Got super excited about mods and went a little crazy with my choices. After not being able to play more than 15 minutes without a crash, I had to accept the fact that I didn't have anything close to a high end rig. After many struggles, I finally found a set-up that both looked great and ran fantastically well, so I thought I'd share it for those of you who'd like to mod but don't have a dope ass gaming PC.

Here's my list for a base game. I include these on any game and they make Skyrim into a new experience and much more beautiful game, without killing performance. I DON'T play on ultra settings, and it still looks great. I like to use mods that are still supported by the mod author or another modder, or are so tried and true that they don't require updates. All of these work fine together. I've included links if there are any special install instructions. It's easier to set up than you think, if it's something you've never done. It was all new to me, and was pretty easy. Anyway, here's the list.

MUST HAVES, PERFORMANCE BOOST, BUG FIXES ETC:

Mod Organizer: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/1334/? - Seriously, if you want to use mods, you should use this to manage them. It is light years better than Steam Workshop, and a lot better than the Nexus Mod Organizer. It let's you add and remove mods without overwriting any files. Go here to learn how to initially set things up: http://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:Mod_Organizer
The popular modder/streamer Gopher has a nice beginner series here to learn how to add and manage mods with MO: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE7DlYarj-DcLS9LyjEqOJwFUQIIQewcK

SKSE: http://skse.silverlock.org/ - If you want to use any scripted mods (and you probably will!) you need this. Install instructions for Mod Organizer users: http://wiki.step-project.com/Skyrim_Script_Extender

SkyUI: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/3863/? - Enhances the user interface, and adds a menu to help you manage and tweak your mods in-game.

ENBoost: Latest version here: http://enbdev.com/download_mod_tesskyrim.htm Install instructions: http://wiki.step-project.com/ENBoost - ENB is a graphics modification that changes too many things to list. When you see mind blowing graphics in skyrim, ENB is a big part of the equation. I can't use it because I get a huge hit to my FPS, BUT you can use some of the ENB files to help skyrim use your computers memory more intelligently. This is the ENBoost. Definitely recommended and easy to set up. If you have a laptop you may need to use the "injector version". For everyone else, use the "wrapper version." Instructions for both are in the link.

LOOT: https://loot.github.io/ Install: http://wiki.step-project.com/LOOT - Organizers your mods so that Skyrim loads them in the appropriate order. If your game crashes on start up, it's likely because you forgot to adjust your load order.

Wrye Bash: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/1840/? - Among many things, this allows you to create a "bashed patch" which is very helpful when you have several mods that change item stats. It allows these mods to play nice. It's actually very easy to do. Install instructions: http://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:Wrye_Bash#Install_.26_Configure_Wrye_Bash, Patch creation: http://wiki.step-project.com/Bashed_Patch

TES5Edit: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/25859/? - Allows you to manually edit aspects of mods. Install: http://wiki.step-project.com/TES5Edit How to "clean" your master files (RECOMMENDED and very easy to do): http://wiki.step-project.com/STEP:2.2.9#2.B._Clean_the_Update_ESM

Unofficial Patch series fixes numerous bugs. Definitely get these, plain and simple.
Unofficial Skyrim Patch: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/19/?
Unofficial Dawnguard patch: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/23491/?
Unofficial Hearthfire Patch: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/25127/?
Unofficial Dragonborn Patch: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/31083/?
Unofficial High Resolution Patch: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/31255/?

Complete Crafting Overhaul: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/49791/? - Improves many aspects of crafting in skyrim

Weapons and Armor Fixes: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/34093/? - lots of small fixes
Clothing and Clutter Fixes: - lots of small fixes http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/43053/?

NOW ACTUAL FUN STUFF!!

WEATHER AND LIGHTING

Purity: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/65242/? - This one's amazing. There are a few weather mods, but this one is so good. It has basically no performance drop, includes new landscape textures, water textures (which are amazing), new waterfalls, and of course new weather. It also has depth of field dependent on weather, which gives the game an ENB feel without the performance drop. Auroras also cast ambient light, which makes some nights really spectacular. I can't recommend this enough.

ELFX: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/27043/? - Again, there are a number of indoor lighting mods, but for me, this one's the best. The mod author is still updating it, too, which is very nice. I've noticed very little performance drop. There is also a separate weather mod that is still in beta. I have tried it out, and it is really quite amazing. It was hard for me to decide between that and Purity, but I preferred the "all-in-one" aspect of Purity.

True Storms: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/63478/? - a neat little mod that makes storms more intense, and updates the thunder sound effects. It's newer than other similar mods, frequently updated, and has compatibility with the most popular weather mods available.

Wonders of Weather: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/64941/? - Adds several neat, subtle touches: shooting stars, rainbows after rain (only during certain times!), splash effects from rain, and indoor rain noises.

IMMERSION:

Wet and Cold: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/27563/? - Affects how NPCs behave during weather. In snow, they wear fur cloaks and hoods, and in rain, leather. Many will head indoors during bad rain. During ashstorms on Solstheim, NPCs will wear dust goggles. NPCs will also have visible breath during cold weather.

Get Snowy: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/19660/? - Adds a snow effect to clothes during snow storms. Simple but effective!

Frostfall: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/11163/? - Awesome survivalist mod. Adds temperature effects that affect the player, adds a camping aspect to the game, and many other things. Makes you feel like the cold, harsh world, is as harsh as it seems.

Footprints: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/22745/? - Simple, adds footprints to the game! In both snow and ash.

Lanterns of Skyrim: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/18916/? - Adds lanterns to the towns and roads of skyrim. Simple, but adds a touch of life to the game.

iNeed: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/51473/? - there are a few popular "needs" mods, but this one is my favorite. Simple and effective (that seems to be a trend with me). Makes food, sleep, and drink into necessities. Pairs really well with frostfall.

Immersive HUD: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/3222/? - Nice mod that allows to you remove HUD elements from your screen, making it a little more immersive. Highly customizable.

GAMEPLAY:

Perkus Maximus: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/59849/? - If the game feels a little stale, then you should try a perk overhaul mod. This is the successor to the most popular perk overhaul (skyrim redone) and is updated pretty frequently. It changes so much about the game, you just have to try it to find out.

PerMa Patches: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/59257/? - given how much Perkus Maximus changes, you are going to run into compatibility issues. This "mod" is an all-in-one installer that adds compatibility between dozens of popular mods and Perkus Maximus.

Combat Evolved: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/56147/? - A lightweight mod that changes fighting behavior of NPCs. Meant to work alone or with other popular combat mods.

Deadly Combat: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/5485/? - my favorite combat overhaul. Makes NPCs smarter, adds timed blocking, and staggering effects.

Revenge of the Enemies: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/40491/? - I use this with the other combat mods I listed. Tweaks AI and also gives cool abilities to a lot of NPCs (e.g. Falmer can use invisibility).

Deadly Dragons: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/3829/? - Makes dragon fights actually feel epic, and adds new dragon types to the game.

NEW ITEMS, CRITTERS, ETC:

Cloaks of Skyrim: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/12092/? - What more is there to say? This mod adds cloaks to the game. Works well with immersion mods like frostfall.

Winter is Coming: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/13486/? - Adds many bad-ass fur cloaks to the game. Again, what more do you need to know??

Immersive Creatures: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/24913/? - Adds dozens of new monster types to the game. Many are new variants of undead, trolls, etc. Others are a little ridiculous, like the dwarven robotic dragon. You can customize it so that only lore-friendly creatures appear, if the wackier stuff doesn't appeal to you.

Immersive Armors: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/19733/? - Adds a couple dozen new armors that blend really well into the game. One of the most popular mods for a reason.

Immersive weapons: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/27644/? - Just like immersive armors. Nothing too silly. Adds missing weapon types, as well, like halberds, spears, etc.

Interesting NPCs: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/8429/? - Adds dozens of new NPCs with stories and quests. The voice acting is usually very good. Doesn't hurt your performance since they are spread out through the whole worldspace.

INIGO: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/40960/? - I don't really go for followers that much, but this one is great. Adds a Khajiit named Inigo, who always has something interesting to say. Also has a custom, improved interaction menu.

TEXTURES AND SUCH:

Static Mesh Improvement Mod: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/8655/? - This mod is just so freaking good. It changes a lot of little things, that when taken as a whole, completely change how the game looks. It improves the meshes in the game so that objects look "smoother". Barrels and ropes actually look round, instead of blocky. I use the LITE version, and don't experience much change in performance.

Skyrim HD: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/607/? - There are a lot of texture overhauls available. This one's been around since the start, and it popular for a reason. I use the 1k version and get great performance.

aMidianBorn Book of Silence: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/24909/? - This guy's textures are seriously works of art. This adds new designs to many armors and weapons in the game. I really can't play without this anymore, it's just that good.

Imaginator: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/13049/? - This neat little mod allows you to tweak saturation, contrast, colors, etc. It also gives the option of using a few presets, all of which can be layered on top of each other. My weather and lighting mods fix most everything, but I like to make a few small changes, so it's nice to have this one.

Improved closefaced helmets: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/15927/? - Changes closefaced helmets so you can actually see the character's eyes. It's a small change, but it really helps immersion. It's also nice if you are a beast race character, since you can actually see part of your face.

Enhanced Night Skyrim: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/85/? - This is an old one, but one of my favorites. Retextures the night sky. You have several options to choose from, but it really makes the night so much more beautiful. Combine this with the glowing auroras from Purity, and you really have some show-stopping visuals.

The Ruffled Feather: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/13268/? - This is a compilation mod. It brings together a number of visual overhauls and tweaks, and you can choose what you like. It includes the very popular W.A.T.E.R. mod, as well. I prefer the water effects in Purity, but this one is nice, too. I choose the Better Dynamic Snow, Terrain Bump, Suped up Stahlrim, and Just Ice.

#JUSTMAGETHINGS:

Apocalypse - Magic of Skyrim: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/16225/? - Adds a ton of crazy new spells. Not just bigger fireballs, but teleportation, awesome new summons, and a whole lot more. Integrates really well with Perkus Maximus.

More Apocalypse: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/65527/? - This used to be an optional download for the above mod, but now it has its own page. Even more spells.

Immersive College of Winterhold: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/36849/? - This breathes some much needed life into the college of winterhold, and makes it a much cooler place to be once you are arch mage. If you found it a little silly that you became arch mage after what felt like a week, you can also bestow the honor on Tolfdir.

CONVENIENCE:

Better Fast Travel: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/15508/? - adds more carriages and boats to the world space, so you can visit more locations.

Convenient Horses: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/14950/? - Makes horses much more useful. You can whistle for them and they appear, they can carry items, you can give them armor, etc.

Point the Way: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/33393/? - Makes the road signs accurate and useful.

The Paarthurnax Dilemma: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/18465/? - Finally, you can actually tell the blades to calm the fuck down about Paarthurnax, without ruining your relations with them. They are supposed to serve you, as the Dragonborn, after all.

Alternate Start: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/9557/? - Let's you choose from a number of different starting scenarios, without having to go through the intro sequence (though you still can if you want). This one was huge for me, since a big hurdle to getting back into the game was knowing I'd have to go through an hour long intro again...

RaceMenu: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/29624/? - Enhances the character building menu, giving you substantially more control. Integrates really well with Alternate Start.

Run for your lives: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/23906/? - Wow, finally shopkeep so-and-so doesn't feel compelled to fight dragons with his rusty dagger anymore. This little mod makes appropriate NPCs run for shelter during dragon attacks. Guards and warriors stay and fight, your favorite shop owner will run for cover.

When Vampires Attack: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/28235/? - Does the same as Run for your Lives, but with vampire attacks. Very handy.

A Quality World map: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/4929/? - Makes the world map much more useful by including all the roads! Coupling this with point the way and better fast travel makes exploration so much more immersive.

Anyway, happy modding!

Khajiit Tax

Khajiit has no shame.

EDIT: For those asking about my computer specs. I am using a lenovo Z40 that I got a year ago, on sale for ~$500 USD. Specs: 4th Generation Intel Core i5-4210U Processor (1.70GHz 1600MHz 3MB), NVIDIA GeForce GT820M GDDR3 2GB, 8.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600 MHz, Hybrid 500GB 5400 RPM+8GB SSHD. I'm sure you can find something much better for the same price today.

It's not a great gaming rig, but it was the cheapest thing I could afford with a dedicated GPU. I mostly play turned-based strategy games and things like Skyrim that are a few years old, and it works well for that. As I said it's mid-range. It's no gaming monster, nor is it something I purchased for $99 or something ancient. I am also more than happy to play on High settings as opposed to Ultra, keeping the resolution and anti-aliasing low (but AS Filtering at max). Honestly, the improvement I see visually is way less than the performance loss I get when I crank those two things up. I also have a puny laptop monitor, so it's not as big of a deal to me :)

I Can't Believe It's Not ENB is also another popular, performance friendly mod you might check out. It does some things similar to an ENB without the hit to FPS It's a highly-tuned SweetFX Preset, meaning you can turn off you anti-aliasing. It's very popular (in it's third iteration now), but was a little bright for my taste. YMMV. http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/63839/?

If you're just meeting the minimum requirements to play skyrim, then you'll want the performance boosters for sure (SKSE and ENBoost). You might also try HialgoBoost: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/15123/? Don't bother with texture mods, though Purity might work as it is really low impact. Weapon mods and a couple scripted mods (e.g. Frostfall) will probably also be OK, though you might struggle trying to run a bunch of scripted mods all at once.

Late 2016 Edit: Much has changed since I wrote this guide, most notably the release of the Special Edition. I don't have time at the moment to update everything, but please check out these links for the most up-to-date guides and help for modding your game:
https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/
https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/wiki/beginners_guide Guide for classic skyrim
https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/wiki/beginners_guide_sse Guide for special edition
https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/wiki/essential_mods Essential mods (Only for classic as of Dec. 2016)
Additional links to guides: https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/wiki/guides_and_resources