MSI Afterburner lets you monitor your GPU, display live statistics over a game, adjust clocks and power limits, run MSI’s automated OC Scanner, and build a custom fan curve. Download it only from MSI’s official Afterburner page (or Guru3D, which MSI also identifies as an authorized source), install current graphics drivers and RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) for overlays, then change one setting at a time and test stability.
1. Download and install Afterburner safely
- Open the official MSI Afterburner page. MSI says the utility is free and works with graphics cards from all brands. The page listed version 4.6.6 Final (October 2025) and 4.6.7 Beta (February 2026) when checked; version listings can change, so use the current release shown there.
- Alternatively, use Guru3D, the other download source MSI names. Avoid search-result mirrors and sites offering modified installers; MSI warns that fake Afterburner sites exist.
- Run the installer. Keep RivaTuner Statistics Server selected if you want an in-game overlay. RTSS is the component that displays the OSD.
- Install the latest driver for your GPU. If a newly installed graphics card is not detected, restart Windows after installing the driver, as MSI recommends.
MSI’s official installation and feature notes are in its Afterburner how-to.
2. Understand the main controls
The center panel shows readings and sliders for the detected GPU. Exact controls depend on the card, its firmware and driver; some sliders may be locked by the manufacturer.
| Control or reading | What it does |
|---|---|
| Core clock | Offsets the GPU core frequency. Higher values can increase performance but also heat and instability. |
| Memory clock | Offsets video-memory frequency. Excessive values can cause visual errors or crashes. |
| Power limit | Sets the maximum board-power target permitted by the card’s firmware. |
| Temperature limit | Sets the temperature target or ceiling used by the card’s control logic. |
| Fan speed | Uses a fixed percentage when manual control is available. |
| Apply / Reset | Applies the current values or returns them to the card’s default settings. |
| Profile buttons | Save and recall groups of settings so you can keep a known-good configuration. |
GPU utilization, clock, temperature, power, memory, fan speed and frame rate are among the readings MSI demonstrates. A reading can appear in Afterburner’s hardware-monitor window without appearing in a game; the OSD requires a second selection.
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3. Set up monitoring and the in-game OSD
Select readings in Monitoring
- Click the gear icon to open Settings, then choose the Monitoring tab.
- In the “Active hardware monitoring graphs” list, click a metric such as GPU temperature, GPU usage, core clock, memory clock, power, fan speed or framerate.
- Enable monitoring for each metric you want to track. This controls the hardware-monitor graph and statistics shown in Afterburner itself.
Send a metric to the overlay
- With the metric selected, tick Show in On-Screen Display. Repeat this for every value you want over the game.
- Open the On-Screen Display tab to check or assign a hotkey for toggling the overlay.
- Leave both MSI Afterburner and RTSS running in the background before launching the game. RTSS handles the overlay’s position, size, color and related display options.
MSI’s visual walkthrough of this process is available in On Screen Display, Monitoring and Features. Start with a small set of readings—GPU temperature, GPU usage, core clock and framerate—so the overlay remains readable.
4. Use OC Scanner for an automated starting point
OC Scanner is optional. MSI describes it as “an automated function that will find the highest stable overclock settings for your card.” It analyzes the card and applies a frequency-voltage curve; it does not guarantee a particular speed, temperature or performance gain.
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- Before scanning, click a profile slot and save your current default settings so you can return to them.
- Open the OC Scanner interface from Afterburner’s overclocking controls and start the scan. MSI’s tutorial says the scan may take around 30 minutes; that is a procedural estimate, not a safety guarantee.
- When the scan finishes, apply the resulting curve. Save it to a separate profile rather than overwriting your known-good baseline.
- Run a benchmark or a demanding game and watch the overlay for crashes, flicker, driver resets, unusual artifacts or temperatures. MSI suggests a 10-minute benchmark run in its tutorial; longer testing with the games you actually play gives a more relevant check.
- If anything becomes unstable, click Reset, load your baseline profile, or reduce the change and test again.
MSI’s separate overclocking and undervolting guide explains the curve and manual adjustments in more detail. MSI also states that damage caused during overclocking is not covered by its warranty. Treat every result as specific to your card, driver, case airflow and workload.
5. Make manual adjustments cautiously
Manual tuning is useful when you want to optimize a particular game or reduce voltage and heat, but it is not required for monitoring. Save a baseline profile first, then:
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- Change only one slider or a small group of related values.
- Click Apply and run a repeatable game scene or benchmark.
- Check for artifacts, flicker, crashes, driver recovery, shutdowns and unexpected temperature or power behavior.
- Keep the setting only after it remains stable in the workloads you use. Otherwise, press Reset or return to the previous profile and retest.
MSI notes that GPUs include protections that can reduce frequency or voltage at their limits, but those protections do not make an overclock risk-free and do not change MSI’s warranty warning.
6. Configure a custom fan curve
Desktop GPU procedure
- Open Settings and select the Fan tab.
- Enable user-defined software automatic fan control.
- Move the curve points so fan speed rises at the temperatures you choose, then click Apply.
- Test the curve in a game and adjust for the balance you want between temperature and fan noise.
Higher fan speeds can lower temperatures but add noise and may increase fan wear. A curve that is appropriate for one case, room temperature or game may not suit another.
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Laptop limitation
MSI says laptop GPU fan curves cannot be customized through this Afterburner workflow because the manufacturer’s BIOS supplies a preset curve. You can still monitor the laptop GPU when supported, but the desktop fan-curve steps may not be available.
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The overlay does not appear
- In Settings > Monitoring, select the metric and verify Show in On-Screen Display is enabled; monitoring alone is not enough.
- Confirm RTSS is installed and running, and that MSI Afterburner is also running.
- Check the OSD toggle hotkey and RTSS’s application profile for the game.
The GPU is missing or controls are unavailable
- Install the current GPU driver and restart Windows, especially after fitting a new card.
- Some controls are unavailable because the GPU firmware or manufacturer locks them. This is expected behavior, not an installation fault.
The game flickers, crashes or shuts down after tuning
- Click Reset immediately or load the saved default profile.
- Reapply smaller changes one at a time and retest with your normal workload.
- If problems continue at stock settings, remove the tuning profile and investigate drivers, temperatures or other system causes separately.
The fan curve cannot be edited
Verify that the card is a supported desktop GPU. Laptop GPU fan curves are preset in the manufacturer BIOS according to MSI.
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Which Afterburner workflow should you use?
| Your goal | Use | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| See temperatures, clocks or frame rate | Monitoring tab and hardware-monitor window | Select the readings you need; no overclock is required. |
| See those readings while playing | Monitoring selections plus “Show in On-Screen Display,” with RTSS running | Overlay readability and background applications. |
| Try an automated overclock | OC Scanner, saved profile and stability testing | Artifacts, crashes, temperature and workload-specific stability. |
| Fine-tune manually or undervolt | Small clock or voltage-curve changes using MSI’s detailed guide | One change at a time, with Reset available. |
| Control desktop GPU noise or temperature | Settings > Fan custom curve | Noise-versus-temperature trade-off; unavailable for laptop GPU curves. |
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