The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition on GeForce GTX 970

Meets recommendedEstimate · medium confidence, ±20%

Yes. The GeForce GTX 970 meets The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition's recommended spec. We estimate ~71 fps at 1080p high (range 57–86, medium confidence, ±20%), GPU-limited. For 60 fps at 1440p, use the medium preset (~50 fps on high). Its 4 GB of video memory covers the 3 GB the game recommends. Model estimate, not measured; data updated 2026-09-24.

Estimated FPS by preset

Preset1080p1440p4K
low1218551
medium936539
high715030
ultra574024
Estimate · medium confidence, ±20%

Estimated FPS from our model (v0), based on the game's published requirements and relative GPU/CPU performance. Not measured. Real results vary with drivers, patches, and scenes. Values above 300 fps show as 300+. Data updated 2026-09-24.

Best settings

  • 60 fps at 1080p: high preset
  • 60 fps at 1440p: medium preset
  • 144 fps at 1080p: not reachable

This GeForce card has no tensor cores, so DLSS is not available. Use FSR or XeSS in quality mode before dropping the preset.

What limits performance

  • Estimates above: GPU-limited, assuming a processor fast enough not to hold the GeForce GTX 970 back.
  • Processor needed for ~71 fps: Core i3-9100F or faster (slowest current desktop CPU our model expects to keep up).
  • With the recommended CPU (Core i5-2400): still GPU-limited at 1080p high, ~71 fps.

Video memory

  • GeForce GTX 970: 4 GB
  • Minimum spec: 1 GB (+3 GB headroom)
  • Recommended spec: 3 GB (+1 GB headroom)

Cheapest upgrade for each target

1440p, 60 fps, High

Radeon RX 9050 4GB

~72 fps vs 50 now (est.)

+44% GPU performance

4K, 60 fps, High

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

~60 fps vs 30 now (est.)

+100% GPU performance

Slowest current desktop card (2020+) that reaches each target in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition; usually the cheapest.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition on popular graphics cards (high preset)

Graphics card1080p1440pvs GeForce GTX 970
GeForce GTX 16505740-20%
GeForce GTX 9707150—
GeForce GTX 1060 6GB8056+12%
GeForce RTX 2060 6GB12084+68%
Radeon RX 660013192+84%
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB143100+100%
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU149104+108%
Radeon RX 7600166116+132%
GeForce RTX 4060169118+136%
GeForce RTX 3070197138+176%
GeForce RTX 4070249174+248%
Radeon RX 7800 XT277194+288%
GeForce RTX 5070286200+300%
Radeon RX 9070 XT300+260+420%
GeForce RTX 4080300+270+440%
GeForce RTX 5090300+300++760%

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition on other hardware

More about the GeForce GTX 970

Specs and every game it runs →The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition requirements and FPS on popular hardware →Best GPUs for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition →