Whether you’ve got one of the best graphics cards currently available or an older model in need of a refresh, you may want to learn how to undervolt a GPU. It can lower power demands, reduce temperature and noise levels, and in some cases, even improve performance.
Undervolting requires some basic knowledge, but once you know what to do, it can be done in a few easy steps. Keep reading to learn all about undervolting your graphics card.
Before you begin
Before you jump right in, be mindful that not all GPU models can (or should) be undervolted. Dated models below Nvidia’s 10 series may not allow this. The reason is that voltages are locked on all Nvidia cards previous to the Pascal series (GTX 10xx). This means that most popular undervolting tools don’t support these cards. There are workarounds, but they are often much more complex than what you get on newer cards.
AMD cards can generally be undervolted, even on older models. Indeed, some models, like AMD’s Vega series, could actually see their clock speeds improve when undervolted due to having additional power and temperature headroom when running at lower voltages.
How to undervolt an Nvidia graphics card
Undervolting Nvidia GPUs requires a few extra steps compared to AMD. We will go through all of them below.
Step 1: Download MSI Afterburner
MSI Afterburner is the most popular undervolting tool for Nvidia graphics cards. To begin the process, download the free program here.
Install it on your computer and then launch it.
Step 2: Access the Curve Editor
On the lower left part of the MSI Afterburner interface, you will find information about the voltage of your GPU. Below that, you can find the Curve Editor. You can access it by simply double-clicking or pressing CTRL + F.
Once the Curve Editor is open, you will see a (somewhat intimidating) graph.
This graph holds two important pieces of information. The X-axis is the voltage of your graphics card, and the Y-axis is the frequency (clock speed).
Step 3: Test your graphics card
Before you take any further steps, you will need to figure out what frequency your GPU runs at under stress. There are two ways to do this: Launching a GPU-intensive program or running a stress test, such as FurMark.
The easiest way is to launch your most resource-heavy game and let it run for at least 15 minutes. Some games are more based on the processor than the graphics card, but most newer titles put enough pressure on the GPU to show you the correct frequency — especially at higher resolutions. For the purpose of this guide, we’ve used Amazon Games New World.
Once the program has launched, make sure you’re using windowed mode, allowing you to look back at MSI Afterburner. Check the section labeled “MHz” and remember the number — in this example, it was 1873MHz.
Step 4: Find the correct axis in Curve Editor
Go back to the Curve Editor tool in Afterburner and find the right frequency on the Y-axis. Simply click along the dotted curve line until you are able to see the correct frequency on the left-hand side, aligned with the curve. Look down and check the corresponding voltage. In our example, 1873MHz requires a core voltage of 1000.
Step 5: Pick your new voltage
Undervolting, like overclocking, is not an exact science. Instead, it’s all about trial and error. If you are starting with 1000mV and a frequency of 1873MHz, you might want to take it step by step and lower the voltage to 950mV. Your numbers will vary depending on your graphics card. As a rule of thumb, it’s better to undervolt little by little instead of doing too much at once.
Click on the voltage that you would like to achieve. As you can see, that number will be tied to a lower frequency than what you want to maintain. There are ways to fix that.
Step 6: Adjust the core clock
Go back into the main window of MSI Afterburner and look at the Core Clock (MHz) section. You want to adjust the core clock so that your card’s frequency matches the voltage you want to maintain.
To do this, increase the core clock until the curve in the Curve Editor changes. Track your chosen voltage at the bottom (in this example, 950mV) and the frequency on the left. Keep increasing the clock until your frequency is the same as it was during your stress test while running on the new, lowered voltage.
The end result should be that your card will run at the same frequency as before while maintaining the maximum voltage of your choice. Remember that these numbers will vary based on the values you started with.
Step 7: Maintain core speed and voltage
You’ve successfully changed the clock speed and voltage of your graphics card, but now it’s time to make sure that these values don’t go above what you intended. Open up Curve Editor once again to make the adjustment.
Once again, click on the voltage of your choice. From your chosen voltage point, start dragging down all the small squares in the area you’ve highlighted. Try to form a straight line aligned with the frequency your graphics card was previously hitting. If you can’t, just make sure the remainder of the curve is below your highest frequency point.
This should ensure stable performance at that clock speed.
Step 8: Save and adjust
In order to preserve these changes, go back to the MSI Afterburner window and press the floppy disk Save icon in the middle at the very bottom of the screen.
Put your new frequency/voltage combo to the test by booting the same game (or another resource-heavy program) you ran before. Track the values in MSI Afterburner to make sure that you’re hitting the same frequency as you did prior to undervolting your card. If you’re not, increase the core clock a little more and try again.
Let the game run for at least 30 to 60 minutes. If everything works well, you’re not experiencing any issues with your graphics card, and nothing crashes, you’re in the clear. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try to go back and re-do the steps in order to lower the voltage a little further.
However, if you’re experiencing any sort of graphical issues or crashes, it means you’ve undervolted the card too much. In this scenario, re-do the steps with a higher voltage while maintaining the same clock speed. Eventually, you will find the spot that works best for your graphics card.
Step 9: Stress-test the card
This can be treated as an extra step, but it’s definitely recommended. To make sure your new settings work well and that the card will perform as it should under any circumstances, it’s a good idea to put it through a proper stress test. Playing a game is one thing, but there are programs that can help you stress the card in other ways.
Download FurMark or 3DMark Time Spy and run the stress test/benchmark up to three times. If everything is stable, congratulations — you have successfully learned how to undervolt your Nvidia GPU.
