This guide is for Skyrim Legendary Edition and has not been updated since 2015. I would consider it very outdated. Still, it is fun to look back in time and see what it was and what it is now.

My mod list for Skyrim Special Edition is updated and can be found on Google Docs: Skyrim Special Edition Mod List[docs.google.com]

I love the beauty of Skyrim, but often felt left out due to the power of my computer. After several hundred hours of playing and testing different mods I've managed to nail down a list of mods that make Skyrim look amazing, but still playable on a machine with a 1GB video card.

This guide/mod list is geared towards performance minded players or players with lower end rigs. This is my current setup to help gauge what you might expect using the mods in this guide. I hover around 55-60FPS in most areas and will drop to the mid 40s on heavier areas.

NOTE:
If you are using Nexus Mod Manager I highly suggest installing the mods in the order I list them. If using Mod Organizer then order the mods in the order I have them listed below.

This list is a less chatty version of my other guide. The Adventurer's Guide is more detailed and will have many more mods than this guide. This guide is a more slimmed down version trying to cover what I feel are the more important things to cover.
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=211652424

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K @ 3.30GHz
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1280MB
RAM: 16GB DDR3 PC3-10700
Video Resolution: 1920 x 1080


Popular Mod Type Exclusions
The following are very popular types of mods that are too performance heavy for this guide.

• ENB mods
  
• SweetFX mods
  
• 2K and/or 4k landscape texture mods
  
• Almost every grass mod
  
• City and town overhauls
  
• Flora overhauls
  
• Insane skin texture mods
  
• NPC doll overhauls

The following are the only changes I've made to my Skyrim INI files. These settings come from S.T.E.P.[wiki.step-project.com] or are recommendations from the mod authors for their mods.

[General]
sIntroSequence= ;Disables the intro sequence for a faster startup
fFlickeringLightDistance=8192 ;Helps prevent lighting pop-in

[Display]
;Improves shadow changes as the sun moves through the sky.
fSunShadowUpdateTime=0.25 ;Transition time of sun-shadow movement
fSunUpdateThreshold=1.5 ;Time between sun-shadow movement

[Combat]
;Shift the point of aim to the center of the aiming reticule for arrows and crossbows.[/i]
f1PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7
f3PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7
f1PBoltTiltUpAngle=0.7
f3PBoltTiltUpAngle=0.7

[Actor]
fVisibleNavmeshMoveDist=12288.0000 ;allows arrows to hit objects as far as the appear to fly.

[Grass]
iMinGrassSize=120 ;Grass on Steroids setting for boost in FPS.

[Display]
iMaxAnisotropy = 0 ;Anisotropic Filtering.
iMultiSample = 4 ;Antialiasing.
iPresentInterval = 0 ;disable vsync! - vsync should be handled in enblocal.ini
bTreesReceiveShadows=1 ;Enables shadows rendering on trees.
bDrawLandShadows=1 ;Enables shadows rendering on land.

[Controls]
bMouseAcceleration=0 ;Disable mouse acceleration.

Load Order Optimisation Tool - LOOT[loot.github.io]
Assists mod users in avoiding detrimental conflicts by setting the correct load order for the plugins they have installed. LOOT also identifies files that need to be cleaned in TES5Edit as well as other useful information regarding conflicts and compatibility patches. LOOT is the replacement for the outdated BOSS utility.

Load Order # 2 - LOOT by Gopher.

ENBoost[enbdev.com]
Increases performance by redirecting memory allocated to the Skyrim executable to the enbhost executable.

Guide to use: Use the S.T.E.P. ENBoost guide[wiki.step-project.com] for configuration.

Mod Organizer[www.nexusmods.com]
The last mod manager you'll ever use. The learning curve is a little more steap than Nexus Mod Manager, but the isolated mod install feature is a thing of beauty.

Guide to use: Consult the Mod Organizer S.T.E.P. guide[wiki.step-project.com] for assistance.

Skyrim Script Extender - SKSE[skse.silverlock.org]
SKSE is a modder's resource that expands the script ability of the Skyrim game. You have to have this installed to use several of the mods listed in this guide.


Guide to use: Consult the Skyrim Script Extender S.T.E.P. guide[wiki.step-project.com] for assistance in setting up SKSE. In addition to what S.T.E.P. recommends, include the following in the SKSE.ini file:

[Display]
iTintTextureResolution=2048

[Interface]
EnableContainerCategorization=1

Wrye Bash[www.nexusmods.com]
A mod manager with a twist. I use Wrye bash mostly for it's "Bashed Patch" feature. The bashed patch allows you to combine leveled lists. Why is this important? Merged leveled lists allow items from one mod to be distributed throughout the game. Items from a weapons mods could show up in vendor shops and things like that. Wrye bash is fairly easy to install. Just download the standalone edition.