Install a mod manager of some kind.
I recommend Nexus Mod Manager[github.com] (NMM). I don't really like the new vortex one.

Get 4GB Patcher[www.nexusmods.com]. It is necessary for this modlist to function and it is not included in the rest of the list.

I also recommend installing this manually, as opposed to everything else on this list. For some odd reason, in my case, Nexus Mod Manager does not install it correctly.

New Vegas Script Extender (NVSE xNVSE) [www.nexusmods.com]

JIP LN NVSE Plugin - JIP LN NVSE Plugin [www.nexusmods.com]

ShowOff xNVSE Plugin - ShowOff xNVSE[www.nexusmods.com]

JohnnyGuitar NVSE - JohnnyGuitar NVSE[www.nexusmods.com]

Yukichigai Unofficial Patch - YUP - YUP - Base Game and All DLC [www.nexusmods.com]

AnhNVSE - AnhNVSE v1.3.1 [www.nexusmods.com]

New Vegas Tick Fix [www.nexusmods.com] This makes the most incredible difference!

User Interface Organizer [www.nexusmods.com] This mod is necessary for most UI mods!

High Resolution Screens [www.nexusmods.com]

Pip-Boy 2000 - Classic Pip-Boy 2000 replacer version [www.nexusmods.com]

Hall Of Face[www.nexusmods.com]

MoonlightNVSE[www.nexusmods.com]

General Lighting Overhaul [www.nexusmods.com] If experiencing performance issues, this would be the first thing I would disable.

Truly HD Main Menu and Loadscreens [www.nexusmods.com]

Brighter Larger Radius Pip-Boy Light [www.nexusmods.com]

Windows To The Soul - Full Vanilla Eye Retexture [www.nexusmods.com] Make sure this mod replaces Hall of Face eye textures.

MAPMO - Main and Pause Menus Overhaul [www.nexusmods.com] Probably my favorite improvement, other than Tick FIx.

Yellow Goodbye - A Clarity Based Tint Remover [www.nexusmods.com]

Optionally, there are many options for texture overhauls/upscales for almost every texture in the game, but in the interest of keeping this mod list lightweight, I will avoid adding those as their file size can get insane; they go from anywhere from 5gb all the way to 50gb.

Landscape Texture Improvements [www.nexusmods.com]

There is also 4k upscaled versions of each of the following mods, but for the sake of simplicity, these are all in 2k. The difference between 2k and 4k is not worth the difference in file size, in my opinion.

Creatures HD[www.nexusmods.com]

Character Texture Improvements

Clothes HD - Gamblers [www.nexusmods.com]

Clothes HD - Doctors [www.nexusmods.com]

Clothes HD - Great Khans [www.nexusmods.com]

Clothes HD - Kings [www.nexusmods.com]

Clothes HD - Powder Gangers[www.nexusmods.com]

Clothes HD - Wasteland [www.nexusmods.com]

Clothes HD - Workers[www.nexusmods.com]

Clothes HD - Prewar [www.nexusmods.com]