Windows Need help with lighting mods in Skyrim and iMac video card strength

[GoodtobetheKing]

Recently, I bought a new iMac for work. Specifically, I bought a late 2012 27" iMac with this configuration:
3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
8GB RAM
1 TB Fusion Drive
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX 2GB GDDR5
Now I know this isn't a gaming computer per se, but I figured since I had the hard drive space and a better graphics card than what I'm used to, I figured what the heck? So I created a Windows 8 partition and loaded up Skyrim. I've always wanted to mod games like Skyrim and Fallout, so I wasn't going to miss my opportunity to do so. Now I've loaded a bunch of mods into my game but the one thing I cannot for the life of me nail down is the lighting. Often times, I'll get the correct lighting but wrong saturation (then the opposite) or the lighting isn't consisitent.

I'd like to try using an ENB mod but I'm worried about heating up my computer and ruining it. I'm unsure if it can handle ENB without it doing any long term damage. To be honest, I get nervous when the fans start to rev up and that's simply because I'm not used to playing games on a computer.

What would be the suggested lighting mod(s) I should use for Skyrim? Thanks in advance!

 

[SingularityG]

Are you referring to HDR?

If so, you can either turn it off in the options or install the SDR mod (link on the page with the vid).

 

[Dirtyharry50]

I would not worry about fans running. They are simply doing their job cooling the system components to keep them at acceptable temperatures. Your hardware is designed to shut itself off to prevent damage if temperatures rise beyond a safe level.

That said, for further peace of mind I personally would recommend Apple Care if you didn't purchase it already. I bought that with my iMac and it was a good thing I did because I have issues with my screen that are going to require repair or replacement of it. But I don't need to sweat it with Apple Care, other than being without my system for a few days.

You should be fine in any case but Apple Care guarantees it completely for 3 years.

I've been playing games often for over a year with my iMac and of course the fans rev up during play as they should. People obsess over this stuff but don't need to. If you mod your game in such a way that it results in overheating the GPU, it will shut off on you. You'll know and can then simply remove it and life goes on, etc. I don't think that will happen though.

I should tell you lastly in case you might wonder, my screen issue is the well known one of dirt getting between the glass and display. It has nothing to do with my gaming or other use of the computer.

 

[GoodtobetheKing]

Are you referring to HDR?

If so, you can either turn it off in the options or install the SDR mod (link on the page with the vid).

Nah, that's not really an issue for me. I might look into that though, thanks!

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I would not worry about fans running. They are simply doing their job cooling the system components to keep them at acceptable temperatures. Your hardware is designed to shut itself off to prevent damage if temperatures rise beyond a safe level.

That said, for further peace of mind I personally would recommend Apple Care if you didn't purchase it already. I bought that with my iMac and it was a good thing I did because I have issues with my screen that are going to require repair or replacement of it. But I don't need to sweat it with Apple Care, other than being without my system for a few days.

You should be fine in any case but Apple Care guarantees it completely for 3 years.

I've been playing games often for over a year with my iMac and of course the fans rev up during play as they should. People obsess over this stuff but don't need to. If you mod your game in such a way that it results in overheating the GPU, it will shut off on you. You'll know and can then simply remove it and life goes on, etc. I don't think that will happen though.

I should tell you lastly in case you might wonder, my screen issue is the well known one of dirt getting between the glass and display. It has nothing to do with my gaming or other use of the computer.

I guess I'm just worried about permanently damaging the computer. I do have Apple Care but I still want to take care of this computer as best as I can. How hot can the computer get without permanent damage? Thanks for your reply!

 

[Huntn]

My guess is that you'll get good gaming performance from your iMac.

Is this a Skyrim mod you are speaking of? Just curious. Most of the mods I installed are included in the MacRumors Skyrim Quick and Dirty Guide, but not the nude mods which did not appeal to me.

Cover Women- Skyrims Beautiful People mod but only for women.
Enhanced Night Sky- what a sky.
Lush Grass- Grass looks better.
Lush Trees- Makes trees look better.
Realistic Water- Makes water prettier.
Glowing Ore- makes ore easier to spot.

 

[GoodtobetheKing]

My guess is that you'll get good gaming performance from your iMac.

Is this a Skyrim mod you are speaking of? Just curious. Most of the mods I installed are included in the MacRumors Skyrim Quick and Dirty Guide, but not the nude mods which did not appeal to me.

Cover Women- Skyrims Beautiful People mod but only for women.
Enhanced Night Sky- what a sky.
Lush Grass- Grass looks better.
Lush Trees- Makes trees look better.
Realistic Water- Makes water prettier.
Glowing Ore- makes ore easier to spot.

I have those but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about ENB's. There's plenty of them on Skyrim Nexus. They change the game's light, saturation, color, etc.

Gopher explains ENB's better than I do:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE7DlYarj-De1YrWupbcesibJIRZkMVB8

Problem is, it takes a lot of power to do. I tried one of these and it looked absolutely fantastic. But my iMac's fans started up and it worries me because I don't want them running for extended period of time.

 

[Stotka]

I am running an ENB on my mid 2011 27" iMac stock
I cant run the game on ultra but I'm fine with what I can do with it.
The ENB is only taking around 10fps and my fans cant be heard even when in full combat. I have around 40 mods + the ENB with cinemascope on.

Your iMac is fully capable of running the game with no problems or breakdowns.

If you dont allready know, the nexus mod manager is your best friend. But ENB-s dont install with it. Instead you just copy the files in the data folder of skyrim.

 

[GoodtobetheKing]

I am running an ENB on my mid 2011 27" iMac stock
I cant run the game on ultra but I'm fine with what I can do with it.
The ENB is only taking around 10fps and my fans cant be heard even when in full combat. I have around 40 mods + the ENB with cinemascope on.

Your iMac is fully capable of running the game with no problems or breakdowns.

If you dont allready know, the nexus mod manager is your best friend. But ENB-s dont install with it. Instead you just copy the files in the data folder of skyrim.

Right I do know about ENB's and how to install them. Weirdly enough, I was running the game last night with an ENB installed and my system heated up to 80 degrees C. Is that abnormally high?