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ENB

updated November 23rd, 2020

ENBSeries is a graphical modification for many games, including Skyrim. It uses a modified d3d9.dll file, implementing new graphical options such as ambient occlusion, indirect lighting, Bokeh depth-of-field, lens effects, better bloom, HDR, tone maping, parallax maping, vignette, sun rays, detailed shadows, film grain, reflections and much more to come in later versions.
The settings can be modified and adjusted to your liking. Many people have released their own ENB presets which they use and wish to share.
And no, the creator won't tell us what the ENB name actually means.  I'm serious, he won't. Don't attempt to figure out what it stands for and just remember what it does; it makes your games look pretty. Go to the official website for more information.
 

How do I use ENB?

First, you want to get the d3d9.dll file from the official website. Usually the newest release is the best option, but some presets require a specific version because of stabilization or specific issues. After downloading the enb, place the files into the Skyrim main folder (usuallly Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\). Now if you want to use a preset made by someone else, download and extract it to the same place as before. This should overwrite some files but it shouldn't interfere with the d3d9.dll. Once you start the game, you should see a significant difference between the ENB and vanilla.

What's the best ENB to use?

Here are a few examples of ENB in-game.
Please note that performance will depend on what binary version the ENB is and what kind of computer you have. This varies depending on your processing speed, how much RAM you can allocate, and what kind of graphics card you have.
There really isn't a "best ENB" out there.  It all comes down to player preference, or how well your rig can handle that specific ENB preset. You gotta search for what you like.  You can use a really colorful ENB, or a very movie-esque preset with film grain and filters, or even a very simplistic one with just SSAO and a few lighting tweaks.  Here are a few ENB presets that we would recommend to you. They are all ranked for different graphic card specifications; Shit, Okay, and Good. An ENB could also have optional presets for low and high end computers. Some features would be removed or added depending on the settings but will accommodate you better.  Check out the UESP link for full details on the specs. You should never use an ENB if you don't meet the game's minimum requirements, even if it is a really simple ENB. If you can run the game at Ultra settings with no issues with textures, than you're pretty much set you use anything you want!
 
Click on the pictures to go to the ENB links!
Patrician ENB

Patrician ENB

For: Good Computers A high quality ENB Preset focused on realism, Patrician ENB produces sharp visuals and accurate color representation complemented with the use of dramatic yet subtle effects.

TKRE ENB

TKRE ENB

For: Good Computers Eiries' great mixture of Kountervibe and Rampage ENBs into one.

DAHAKA ENB

DAHAKA ENB

For: Good Computers A very colorful looking ENB that's still a work in progress. It also has some great looking water in it too.

Snapdragon ENB

Snapdragon ENB

For: Good Computers A very colorful, flashy, and extensive ENB with a bunch of presets for different color tones. Recommend for only screenshots since this ENB is very powerful.

Tetrachromatic ENB

Tetrachromatic ENB

For: Good computers Tetrachromatic ENB is a vibrant fantasy preset based off of Megatherium ENB. It also includes some ENB weather settings that work perfectly for screenshots.

Rudy ENB

Rudy ENB

For: Okay, Good computers A really balanced looking ENB that looks really good indoors if you don't mind a brown-ish tint.

Szarik and Gustlik ENB

Szarik and Gustlik ENB

For: Okay, Good computers I kinda muted dark fantasy looking ENB with an pale orange tint to it.

Daylight ENB

Daylight ENB

For: Okay computers This is an ENB preset that has been adjusted to bring out the best of the glorious daytime in Skyrim. The sun is mighty and voluminous, and the flora is positively sprawling with energy in this beautiful-but-lightweight preset.

Rampage ENB

Rampage ENB

For: Good computers A ENB similar to Kountervibe ENB, but somehow runs a lot better and looks a lot better because it uses the latest shaders.

MariENB 2

MariENB 2

For: Okay, Good computers A clean and very violet/red toned ENB.

VandB ENB Nature

VandB ENB Nature

For: Okay, Good computers Another one of those "natural" looking ENBs, BUT WITH A TWIST. Unlike other natural ENBs, this one doesn't make interiors or night times look so dark and awful looking.

Superb ENB

Superb ENB

For: Okay, Good computers The grand daddy of ALL SKYRIM ENBs is back! Or at least back in beta form before 3.0 releases. Superb is a really sharp and dim looking ENB that aims for simplicity.

Tranquility ENB

Tranquility ENB

For: Okay, Good computers A more colorful and warmer version of Seranity ENB

T.A.Z Visual Overhaul

T.A.Z Visual Overhaul

For: Good computers A pretty realistic looking ENB that looks similar to NLA. Really looks good in some places, but looks awful in others and indoors. Probably only good for taking screenshots for now.

Clarity ENB

Clarity ENB

For: Any Computers An ENB that strives for performance while adding a little flair to the game.

Straylight ENB

Straylight ENB

For: Good Computers A ENB that is similar to vanilla, but with a lot extra effects and post processing to make it not look AS BAD as vanilla but to give it a tone like it.

Cirilla ENB

Cirilla ENB

For: Good Computers A very demanding ENB preset that aims to to give the game a Witcher looking style.

Elder Blood ENB

Elder Blood ENB

For: Good Computers A very bright and colorful ENB that also tries to mimic the realistic fantasy style of the Witcher.

Lumen ENB

Lumen ENB

For: Okay Computers A fairly simple looking ENB that is similar to Opethfeldt except with a little more color.

K ENB Pure Light

K ENB Pure Light

For: Good computers The K ENB series is one of the largest ENB projects ever developed. It comes with a crazy amount of options to make your game look unique. There are three variants for this ENB. This first version, K ENB, strives for balance to make the game look lively and more like a fantasy game.

Kinematic ENB Southern Light

Kinematic ENB Southern Light

For: Good computers Kinematic is literally a cinematic looking version of K ENB.

Kountervibe ENB Northern Light

Kountervibe ENB Northern Light

For: Good computers Finally, this variant reduces the color saturation to give it a colder feel to it. It's sharper and is a more balanced ENB compared to the other two. The most realistic looking out of the three of variants.

Serenity ENB

Serenity ENB

For: Okay, Good computers Serenity ENB is the new flavor of the month ENB. Not only is it up to date and uses plenty of lighting mods, but it also has various presets that players can use and experiment with!

La Profeta ENB

La Profeta ENB

For: Okay, Good computers It's a good looking ENB

Tundra ENB

Tundra ENB

For: Okay, Good computers Tundra ENB started out as a vibrant colorful Skyrim. Later it morphed into different versions for different moods. Chilly version was designed to focus less on color and more on cold atmosphere. Warm tried to keep some of the vanilla colors, but only emphasize them more. Vibrant is for those who want to slay trolls on LSD. Pick your flavor! Previous ENB mods that have given me inspiration are The Wilds ENB and K ENB.

PureVision ENB

PureVision ENB

For: Okay, Good computers Another one of those "real looking" ENBs. It actually gets pretty close and is good for a try if you want something new.

Kalicolas Enhanced Graphics

Kalicolas Enhanced Graphics

For: Good computers It's a hidden gem and another colorful ENB. This one however has a lot less bloom than Matso ENB, and is more like Polo ENB with colors that remind you a little of Oblivion or LOTR.

Natural Lighting and Atmospheric ENB

Natural Lighting and Atmospheric ENB

For: Good computers Natural Lighting and Atmospherics for ENB is a very intensive preset and a very long name. This is probably the most realistic looking ENB out there thanks to the ESP it adds as well. Don't even dare try this if you don't have a good computer to run this.

M ENB

M ENB

For: Okay, Good computers M ENB is yet another colorless and grim looking ENB. You can practically say that this is Bleak ENB with compatibility with the new binaries.

Cinematic Lighting ENB

Cinematic Lighting ENB

For: Shit computers Also know as CLENB. It's a very old and simple mod but it gets the job done. It's a very dark and film like ENB but is good for people on lower end rigs that still want to use an ENB. It uses an old .dll as well so don't forget to use the one specified for it.

Stakado Cinemascope ENB

Stakado Cinemascope ENB

For: Shit computers Stakado went for the old film look with heavy filters and a brown tint. Even with all the filters, this ENB is surprisingly stable with little to no drop in framerate thanks to its optimization. If you wanted Skyrim to look like an old timey movie, this preset is for you.

Somber Dreams

Somber Dreams

For: Okay, Good computers Somber is a very moody and cinematic ENB based of the old Unreal Cinema ENB. This ENB has time of day lighting integration to make Skyrim look more harsh and sometimes calm. This ENB is not meant to look realistic in any sense.

Poupouri ENB

Poupouri ENB

For: Okay, Good computers Poupori is a cinematic ENB that is sort of like if Bleak enb and K-ENB had a child. It comes in two varients. One varient is very cold and devoid of red colors while the other is in the middle ground in terms of colors.

Phinix ENB

Phinix ENB

For: Shit, Okay computers "A complete visual overhaul of the world of Skyrim, made possible by the power of ENB." A plain ENB that uses many custom palettes and plugins to balance the tone of the ENB to your liking or to be compatible with other lighting mods. Perfect for people who want a simple ENB with few changes to the overall vanilla style.

Bleak ENB

Bleak ENB

For: Any computer This is an overall great ENB for anyone. Bleak ENB devoids color from almost everything and makes the game even darker with a gray tint. It also gives plenty of options for lower and higher end PCs in addition to shadow quality and SSAO strength.

Unbleak ENB

Unbleak ENB

For: Any computer Like its counterpart, Unbleak also give out the same options as Bleak. Unbleak however, gives color back into the world. Mind you, it doesn't add too much back. This insures that you still feel the bleakness of the ENB while still having a little more color.

True Vision ENB

True Vision ENB

For: Okay, Good computers A much lighter version compared to the first two presets. This ENB preset relies on less colors, and more on lighting and shadows to achieve its goal. A great even tone between Seasons and Project ENB.

Seasons of Skyrim ENB

Seasons of Skyrim ENB

For: Okay, Good computers Bronze316 has made 3 different types of ENBs. Now that he's updated them all to .200, they look even better than ever. Seasons of Skyrim combines fantasy, realism, immersion, and cinematics in a very elegant way.

Project ENB

Project ENB

For: Okay, Good computers Project ENB is like Seasons, except Project is made for the mod Climates of Tamriel. This ENB configuration offers intense visuals, high performance, darker dungeons, and adds a sharp finish to Skyrim.

MATSO ENB

MATSO ENB

For: Okay, Good computers Do you want colors to just vomit all over Skyrim? Do you want your game to look like something out of Trine or Fable? Then this, my friend, is the ENB just for you.

TV ENB

TV ENB

For: Okay, Good computers One of the oldest running ENBs out there. TV ENB is what it is, it applies filters to your game that makes it feel like a TV epic. Filmgrain and letterbox are both apparent in this mod and both are heavily modified. This also desaturates almost all color from your game, aiming for a Game of Thrones feel.

Fimbulvinter ENB

Fimbulvinter ENB

For: Okay Computers Fimbulvinter is a very nordic style ENB. It implements a lot of blue into the game, making the game feel colder and bleak. It's sorta like Bleak ENB except with more blue. This preset is perfect for someone who really likes the general feel of Skyrim and likes to be outdoors in the snow.

TK ENB

TK ENB

For: Good computers TK ENB is like Seasons of Skyrim with the new binary effects and a little more saturation in the colors. The ENB is very adaptive to your environment. Forests look a lot more green and tundras look a lot more blue.

Saraan Suum ENB

Saraan Suum ENB

For: Any computers It's like if Bleak ENB and Somber ENB had a baby and Cinematic Lighting ENB was its great uncle.

Falkonian ENB

Falkonian ENB

For: Good computers Falkonian is a very bright and saturated ENB. Like, REALLY saturated. More saturated than MATSO ENB. However, it does us very new binaries so think of it is MATSO 2.0.

HRK ENB TWO

HRK ENB TWO

For: Okay, Good computers An ENB based off of Realvision ENB. The difference is that the color grade has been reworked and sunrises and sunsets time-zones have both gotten an overhaul to look more movie like and atmospheric.

Opethfeldt ENB

Opethfeldt ENB

For: Good computers This ENB focuses on lights and bloom. Much of the color is washed out but still looks vibrant compared to the vanilla game. This ENB is good for anyone who wants a simple looking game that is bright and upbeat while still looking realistic.

The Grim and Somber ENBs

The Grim and Somber ENBs

For: Okay, Good computers An atmospheric ENB that uses a lot of sepia tones. Funny enough, there's still enough blue and green left in the world that doesn't make the game look brown and bloom. Think of it as K ENB combined with Stakado Cinemascope.

Polo ENB

Polo ENB

For: Okay Computers A Japanese ENB preset and one of the best out there. This preset also aims for realism like RealVision, but uses less color and focuses more on lighting and shadows. This ENB is used by many Japanese modders, including Dragonporn.

What is Reshade and SweetFX?

Reshade and SweetFX are post processing tools that tweak and add new features to almost any game, including Skyrim.
They improves anti-aliasing, bloom, HDR, tonemapping, and even adds new features such as LumaSharpen, Technicplor, Cineon DPX, and more. It also works with ENB, so you can use both at the same time. Some ENB presets come with SweetFX now for easy installation.
 
Check out the SweetFX forum page for more details.

What is ENB Snow?

ENB Snow FX is a mod that replaces the vanilla snow effects. 
When installed, the modification will remove the fake particle screen overlay effect and replace it with true particle effects. These effects are great looking but very taxing on low-end computers. Like any ENB feature, the snow can be tweaked to your liking.
If you want to best looking falling snow, this is the mod you want to get. The snow only works when your ENB is on. If the ENB is not on,
the snow will look like dark blue polygons like in this picture.
 
Click on the EnbDev button to go to the mod page.

FAQ

Q: What's the difference between Wrapper and Injector ENB?
 
A: The wrapper version replaces Skyrim's d3d9.dll file with one that works with and is configured for ENB. The ENB should start up whenever you start your game. The injector version uses an executable file that you have to run every time before you start up Skyrim for the ENB to work. This version should not overwrite the default dll.
 
Q: What does it mean when an ENB says it's incompatible with a lighting mod?
 
A: When an ENB says it's incompatible with something like Climates of Tamriel, it really means that the ENB would look different with it on. You can use the ENB with or without certain mods, but the ENB will look a little different than what the auther envisioned because mods like CoT change the brightness and saturation of the base game.  This will also change how the ENB will look like in the end.
 
Q: Why does my game keep crashing when I have ENB and SweetFX on at the same time?
 
A: It's probably because you need more VRAM. ENB and SweetFX are both post processing programs that go over your game which makes the game look different to the viewer and doesn't necessarily edit the game. This will take a toll on any PCs because of the amount of VRAM required to keep up the post processing and filters at a steady pace.  So in this case, you'll have a layer of post processing over post processing. To remedy this issue, try enabling only a few of each setting on both ENB and SweetFX to have a perfect combination of the two that won't set your computer on fire. 
 
Q: Which ENB file controls the DOF effect?
 
A: That would be the "enbeffectprepass.fx" file.  It should come packed with any ENB preset.
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