Why?

If you ever scrolled through popular mods for most Bethesda titles, you might have noticed the sheer amount that either claims a performance improvement, or improves visuals while ignoring the performance implications (or sometimes lying about it for downloads).

Hardware & Software Used

• HW and SW (including drivers) details can be viewed by hovering over the icon
• Data is collected through CapFrameX, capture data is available for download in the repository.
• The mods used as a base are listed in each game's section. If a different list is used, it will be specified.

Methodology & Info

• Don't give much consideration to 1% or 2% differences - even though results are aggregated to minimize margin of error, it is still present, especially when CPU-bound.
• Testing the effect of a mod on CPU-side performance requires being completely limited by the CPU while profiling, this can be done with a low enough resolution and/or a fast enough GPU.
  In most cases, you can tell you're CPU-bound when the GPU core usage is not maxed out (99/100%). Refer to this video for more information.
• Even if some of the performance results seem so high in FPS, remember that performance gains/losses largely scale the same across different hardware, obviously assuming the testing enviroment is comparable and nothing weird is going on.

  Always interpret performance differences in percentages! Absolute values should only be considered for the sake of cross comparison, since the scenes used for testing might be shared. In the benchmarks below, you can view percentages relative to the other entries in that group by hovering any bar.
  
  For instance, telling people that a mod gives 30 more FPS while you're at 30 FPS equals to a 100% increase in performance. While it would mean only 15% at 200 FPS.

• In any (hopefully) scientific test, all variables should be controlled as much as possible. It would be unwise to test singular mods or changes in a very complex environment such as a long modlist. For the same reason, game AI is disabled during all tests unless the subject of testing is AI-related, as it is very unpredictable.
• If a test does not include CPU or GPU-bound results, assume that it doesn't affect those scenarios enough to be noticeable.

Modlist

• VNV's Custom INI
• FNV 4GB Patcher
• xNVSE
• JIP LN NVSE Plugin
• JohnnyGuitar NVSE (All Tweaks Preset)
• NVTF - New Vegas Tick Fix
• kNVSE Animation Plugin
• UIO - User Interface Organizer
• FNV Mod Limit Fix
• Yukichigai Unofficial Patch - YUP
• lStewieAl's Tweaks and Engine Fixes
• lStewieAl's Engine Optimizations
• Faster Start Menu
• Testing commands (TAI, TCAI, FW NVWastelandClear)

Modlist (OG EXE + NG Content)

• Bethini Pie High
• F4SE
• Address Library
• High FPS Physics Fix
• Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch
• Community Fixes Merged
• Addictol

Modlist (1.6.1170 without the AE DLC)

• Bethini Pie High
• SKSE
• Address Library
• Engine Fixes
• Display Tweaks
• Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch
• ConsoleUtilSSE NG
• Autorun (TAI, TCAI, TGM, FW 81A), more commands may be used if necessary