Overclocking a graphics card is the cheapest way to increase the performance of your graphics card. The overclocking software and procedures are free. When you run the graphics card at a higher clock speed than what the manufacturer has set is referred to as overclocking. This will result in higher temperatures and more power consumption. Depending on the design of the manufacturer, some cards can operate at insanely high clock speeds without experiencing any problems. However, compared to a decade ago, it is safer now because the graphics card manufacturer forbids users from entirely killing the graphics card.
MSI Afterburner is one of the greatest GPU overclocking tools available. It is also a fantastic resource for your GPU tuning needs, including overclocking, underclocking, undervolting and many more.
However, it can be challenging initially, particularly if you are new to the overclocking concept. What precisely is MSI Afterburner, and how do you utilize it? Continue reading this article to discover more.
What Is MSI Afterburner?
MSI Afterburner helps to manage the GPU and change it once it has been installed on the computer. It enables you to design fan curves, modify fan speed, change the voltage, and raise or lower the card’s clock speed. Every one of these matters when you are ready to overclock.
MSI Afterburner is a free program supporting different cards along with the MSI brand. It can overclock and underclock the GPU.
How to Overclock GPU With MSI Afterburner?
If you are using MSI Afterburner to overclock your graphics card, make sure you have installed the software.
- Launch MSI Afterburner.
- Select Settings.
- Uncheck the box for the Voltage Control Lock.
- Then, uncheck the Unlock Voltage Monitoring option.
- Again, uncheck the Force Constant Voltage.
- Select Yes to restart MSI Afterburner. This step is necessary for the changes you have chosen to work on.
- Now, go back to Settings and select the Fan tab.
- Select the check box for Enable User Defined Software Automatic Fan Control.
- Click the graph areas corresponding with the temperature. Increase the fan speed accordingly. As temperatures rise, there should be a line that goes up to raise the fan’s speed.
- Click on Save.
- After that, select OC Scanner and click on Scan.
- After completing the scan, write down the core clock and memory overclock values.
- Click the check button.
- Then, press the disc icon.
- Lastly, select a number to save these results as a profile.
You have now utilized MSI Afterburner to overclock your GPU. But you still need to finish. Testing and alterations are the key components of overclocking. You must first test your overclock before deciding how to change the parameters based on the results.
You cannot use your computer for up to an hour during the procedure.
How to Test and Adjust Your Overclock?
MSI Afterburner cannot test GPU overclock. However, MSI also provides MSI Kombuster, another tool for GPU stress testing. Use this or another stress tester to check whether your overclocking speed is suitable enough, so as to keep your graphics card safe.
- Start up MSI Afterburner.
- Enter the values for the core clock and memory clock into the slider.
- Start MSI Kombuster.
- Select Display OSI.
- Then, launch the Artifact Scanner.
- Click on RUN to begin the Stress Test.
- Read the results to see if there were any artifacts discovered. If not, try boosting your overclock. If they were, decrease the speed.
- To set the new values, select the check icon in MSI Afterburner.
- Rerun MSI Kombuster to search for artifacts.
Note – You can keep raising the values until the computer or card starts to perform poorly, which shouldn’t happen if there aren’t any artifacts and your temperatures are within reason.
Again, adjust the values, save them and run MSI Kombuster until you find the ideal balance between quality and performance.
- On the core clock, you can increase the numbers by 15 Hz at a time and by 35 Hz on the memory clock. Avoid making more significant jumps because locating the ideal overclocking setting could be more challenging.
- Changing the core clock and memory clock independently can also be useful. It could take longer, but it helps eliminate certain sources of confusion.
- Once you have the right values, save your overclock as a profile in MSI Afterburner.
Wrapping Up
Every PC gamer should install the MSI Afterburner on their computer as it is portable and lets you fine-tune your GPU to function exactly how you want it to, even overclocking it.
Also, remember that different graphics cards react differently to overclocking. Yours may function just fine at more incredible clock speeds than ours. If you follow this guide, you should be able to increase your clocks without experiencing any stability problems.
However, if you face any difficulties or have queries regarding how to overclock GPU, get in touch with the customer support team.
Happy gaming!
Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issues.
