How to Increase GPU Performance with MSI Afterburner

Your favorite game finally hits a heavy scene, and the frame rate dips. You check your specs, and your GPU should handle this fine. So why does it stutter?

Most of the time, your graphics card is running well below what it can actually do. GPUs ship with conservative clock speeds and voltage settings out of the box, because manufacturers have to account for every possible chip, cooler, and power supply combination. That leaves real performance sitting on the table.

MSI Afterburner is the tool most PC gamers reach for to claim that performance back. It lets you monitor your GPU in real time, push its clock speeds higher, control fan behavior, and even reduce power draw without losing frame rate. In this guide, you will learn what Afterburner does, its key features, and a full process to increase your GPU performance safely.

Let's dive into the basics before moving to the hands-on steps.

What is MSI Afterburner?

MSI Afterburner is a free GPU tuning and monitoring utility developed by MSI. Despite the brand name, it works with graphics cards from nearly every manufacturer, including NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel Arc cards, not just MSI-branded ones.

Gamers, streamers, benchmarkers, and PC hardware enthusiasts use it for three main reasons. First, to overclock a GPU and get extra frame rate out of existing hardware. Second, to undervolt a GPU and reduce heat and power draw while keeping the same performance. Third, to monitor temperatures, clock speeds, and usage in real time through an on-screen display.

The end result is a GPU that runs closer to its real potential, stays cooler under load, and gives you visibility into what is actually happening while you play.

Key Features

• Real-time monitoring and on-screen display: Afterburner pairs with RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) to show live GPU temperature, clock speed, VRAM usage, and frame rate directly over your game.

• Core and memory clock control: Simple sliders let you adjust GPU core clock, memory clock, power limit, and temperature limit without digging through driver menus.

• Voltage/Frequency Curve Editor: This gives you precise control over the relationship between voltage and clock speed, instead of just a flat offset across the board.

• Custom fan curves: You can set your own fan speed profile based on temperature, so your card cools itself the way you want instead of following the stock BIOS curve.

• Profile saving and quick switching: Save multiple tuning profiles and swap between them instantly, useful for switching between a quiet everyday setup and a performance setup for gaming.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Increase GPU Performance with MSI Afterburner

1. Download MSI Afterburner from Fileion or other legitimate distribution sources.

2. Run the installer and allow it to install RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) alongside Afterburner when prompted. RTSS powers the on-screen display, so skipping it means no overlay later.

3. Open Afterburner and take a minute to look around. You will see sliders for core clock, memory clock, power limit, and temperature limit, plus live readouts for voltage and temperature.

4. If your card supports it, enable extended monitoring or unofficial overclocking mode in the settings menu. This unlocks voltage control on cards where it is hidden by default.

5. Set a performance baseline before changing anything. Run a stress test or benchmark, such as MSI Kombustor or a demanding game, and write down your default clock speed, temperature, and frame rate for comparison later.

6. Raise the Power Limit slider toward its maximum first. This gives your GPU more headroom to boost before you touch the clock speeds directly.

7. Increase the Core Clock offset in small steps, around 10 to 15 MHz at a time. Apply each change, then run your stress test again to confirm stability before moving further.

8. Watch for warning signs as you push higher: visual artifacts, screen flicker, driver crashes, or a sudden black screen. When one appears, back off to the last stable value you tested. That number is your safe ceiling for core clock.

9. Repeat the same gradual process for Memory Clock, testing it separately from the core clock. Memory instability often looks different, showing up as texture corruption or stutter rather than a full crash.

10. Open the Voltage/Frequency Curve Editor with Ctrl+F for finer control. Instead of a blanket clock offset, you can flatten the curve at your GPU's natural boost point or raise a single voltage point, which often gives a cleaner overclock than the sliders alone.

11. Set a custom fan curve so your temperatures stay in check under the new load. A steeper curve at higher temperatures keeps thermals under control without unnecessary noise at idle.

12. Once you have a stable setup, save it to a profile slot and enable "Start with Windows" in Settings. Without this, your tuning resets to factory defaults every time you reboot.

Quick Tips

• Learn a few keyboard shortcuts to speed up curve editing.

• Track temperature as closely as clock speed. A higher clock at a dangerous temperature is not a real gain.

• Keep the on-screen display visible while gaming, not just during testing. It helps you catch throttling or instability days after your initial tuning session.

• If you mainly want lower heat and noise rather than more frame rate, try undervolting first. Reducing the Power Limit slider by 5 percent increments is the simplest way to start.

• Test core clock and memory clock separately. Combining both changes at once makes it harder to identify which one causes instability.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Pushing clock speeds up too fast: Large jumps skip past the point where instability first appears, so you end up with a setting that looks fine for five minutes and crashes later. Move in small increments and test after each one.

• Chasing clock numbers instead of watching temperature: A high clock that runs hot will throttle anyway, canceling out the gain. Keep an eye on both figures together.

• Forgetting to click Apply or save the profile: Curve edits and slider changes only take effect after you hit Apply, and they disappear on reboot unless saved to a profile with startup enabled.

• Skipping the stress test: A game might run fine for ten minutes and still crash under sustained load. A proper stress test with Kombustor or similar software catches instability that short play sessions miss.

Pricing & Availability

MSI Afterburner is completely free. There is no subscription, license fee, or paid tier. MSI develops and distributes it as freeware for the wider PC hardware community, and it works whether you own an MSI graphics card or one from another brand.

It is available for Windows only, with support for Windows 10 and Windows 11. There is no native macOS or Linux version.

Final Verdict

MSI Afterburner remains the standard tool for anyone who wants more control over their graphics card. It is free, works across GPU brands, and covers everything from casual monitoring to detailed voltage curve tuning. Beginners get a straightforward path to a modest, safe overclock, while advanced users get a full curve editor for fine-grained performance and efficiency gains.

If your GPU has been sitting at stock settings, there is likely free performance waiting to be unlocked. Download MSI Afterburner from our site today and start tuning your graphics card the right way.

FAQs

Is MSI Afterburner safe to use?

Yes, when downloaded from an official source. Software overclocks are not permanent hardware changes, and modern GPUs include thermal and power protections that shut down or throttle before real damage occurs.

Do I need an MSI graphics card to use it?

No. Afterburner works with GPUs from AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel, along with cards from other board partners. MSI branding only applies to the software, not a hardware requirement.

Will overclocking void my GPU warranty?

Software-based overclocking through tools like Afterburner generally does not void your warranty, since it does not involve physical modification. Always check your specific manufacturer's warranty terms to be certain.

What is the difference between overclocking and undervolting?

Overclocking raises clock speeds to increase performance, usually at the cost of higher power draw and heat. Undervolting reduces the voltage needed for a given clock speed, lowering temperature and power use while keeping performance close to stock levels.

Why doesn't the on-screen display show up in my game?

This usually means RivaTuner Statistics Server is not running in the background, or your game is using exclusive fullscreen mode. Confirm RTSS is active in the system tray, and try switching the game to borderless windowed mode if the overlay still does not appear.