How to Underclock and Undervolt a GPU Safely (Quick Guide)

Underclocking lowers a GPU's operating frequency, while undervolting reduces the voltage used at a given frequency. Both can cut heat, power use, and fan noise, but they are not the same adjustment. Underclocking usually trades some performance for lower power; a good undervolt can preserve most or all of the original performance while improving efficiency.

This guide assumes a Windows PC and uses MSI Afterburner for the main steps. MSI says Afterburner works with graphics cards from multiple brands, although available controls depend on the GPU, firmware, and driver. Download it only from the official MSI Afterburner page or the official Guru3D mirror listed by MSI.

Underclocking vs. undervolting

Do not treat a lower power limit as identical to undervolting. It is a separate control. Avoid copying exact voltage and clock values from another card; even identical models can have different stability limits.

Before changing anything

1. Install the current graphics driver and the latest stable MSI Afterburner release.
2. Open Afterburner and confirm that the correct discrete GPU is selected.
3. Record a baseline while running a game or benchmark: GPU clock, voltage, temperature, power, and frame rate.
4. Leave Apply at Windows startup disabled until the new settings have passed your stability tests.

See the official MSI Afterburner guide for the control layout.

How to underclock a GPU with MSI Afterburner

1. Open MSI Afterburner and keep the voltage and power controls at their defaults.
2. Move the Core Clock slider slightly to the left. Leave Memory Clock unchanged unless you specifically want to underclock VRAM too.
3. Click Apply, then run the same game or benchmark you used for the baseline.
4. If the system is stable and you want lower power or temperatures, reduce the core clock again in another small step and retest.
5. If performance drops too far, restore the previous setting or use the Reset button to return to defaults.

A lower core clock should not physically damage a healthy GPU. The main downside is lost performance, and an excessively aggressive setting can cause poor application behavior. The old idea that an underclocked GPU may be damaged because the power supply sends it "too much power" is not how modern GPU power regulation works.

How to undervolt a GPU with MSI Afterburner

MSI documents undervolting through the voltage/frequency curve. On supported hardware, open Settings > General, enable voltage monitoring/control if those options are available, restart Afterburner if prompted, and press Ctrl+F to open the Curve Editor. Some GPUs expose limited or locked voltage controls; do not force unsupported settings.

1. Use your baseline to identify the approximate voltage and frequency the GPU reaches under a real workload.
2. In the curve editor, choose a lower-voltage point and set it to a frequency you want the GPU to maintain.
3. Shape the higher-voltage portion of the curve so the card does not immediately boost past your target, then click Apply.
4. Test the same workload again. If you see artifacts, severe stutter, a driver reset, an application crash, or a system crash, revert and use a less aggressive undervolt.
5. Save a profile only after repeated benchmark and real-game testing is stable.

MSI's official undervolting walkthrough also recommends monitoring frequency, voltage, temperature, and performance while testing rather than relying on a single copied setting.

Radeon users can also use AMD Software

If you have a supported AMD Radeon GPU, you may not need a third-party utility. AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition includes Performance Tuning, and select GPUs offer an automatic Undervolt GPU option. Manual Tuning can expose frequency and voltage controls on supported Radeon models. Availability varies by GPU and requires the full Adrenalin installation. AMD documents the current options in its GPU Performance Tuning guide.

How to check stability and roll back safely

Do not judge a tune only by a short idle test. Run a repeatable benchmark, then play the games or use the GPU applications that matter to you. Watch for visual artifacts, sudden frame-time spikes, driver resets, black screens, freezes, or crashes. Compare temperature, power, and performance with your baseline.

If the system becomes unstable, reset the tuning utility to default values and restart the workload. Once you have a stable profile, you can choose to load it at startup. For laptops and OEM desktops, firmware may restrict tuning, so manufacturer-provided performance modes can be the safer option.

Which approach should you use?

Use an underclock when you deliberately want less performance in exchange for lower heat, power, or noise. Try an undervolt when you want better efficiency while keeping performance close to stock. In either case, make one change at a time, test under real load, and keep a known-good default profile ready.