How to Undervolt Nvidia GPU: Reduce Temps & Noise

Your Nvidia GPU is likely running hotter and louder than necessary because the manufacturer feeds it more voltage than it actually needs to maintain peak performance. By carefully reshaping the voltage-frequency curve in MSI Afterburner, you can force your card to run cooler and quieter without losing a single frame of performance.

Why this happens

GPU manufacturers set high voltage limits to ensure stability across every chip, even the lower-quality ones. Most chips can actually hit the same clock speeds with significantly less power if you manually tune them.

What you'll need

You will need the latest version of MSI Afterburner installed from the official MSI website. Make sure to accept the installation of RivaTuner Statistics Server when prompted, as it is required for the monitoring features.

Steps

1. 01
   Open MSI Afterburner, click the Settings cog icon, and tick both 'Unlock voltage control' and 'Unlock voltage monitoring'. Hit 'Apply' and restart the application to enable these features.
2. 02
   Run a graphically demanding game for a few minutes until the GPU is warm and the core clock speed stops bouncing and stabilizes.
3. 03
   Open the Curve Editor by pressing 'Ctrl + F' in MSI Afterburner.
4. 04
   Identify your target clock speed from your game testing, find that clock value on the left axis of the curve, and note the corresponding voltage point on the bottom axis.
5. 05
   Click the point one step to the left of your target voltage, hold 'Shift', and drag it upwards until it reaches your desired core clock speed.
6. 06
   Highlight that adjusted point and all points to its right, hold 'Shift', and press 'Enter' twice to flatten the curve, ensuring the GPU does not exceed that clock speed at higher voltages.
7. 07
   Click 'Apply' and save your settings to a profile slot. Test for 1-3 minutes; if stable, you can repeat the process by dropping the voltage by 25mV increments until it crashes, then add 10mV back for stability.
8. 08
   Once you have a stable curve, enable 'Start with Windows' in the Settings menu to ensure your undervolt profile applies automatically on every boot.

Still not working?

If your system crashes or the driver hangs, you have pushed the undervolt too far. Simply reset MSI Afterburner to default settings, reboot, and apply a slightly higher voltage (add more millivolts) to the curve. If the app fails to hold settings, ensure no other background software like Norton 360 is interfering with MSI Afterburner's access to the GPU driver.

Frequently asked questions

Will undervolting my GPU damage it or void my warranty?

No, undervolting is actually safer than stock settings because it lowers the thermal stress and electrical load on the chip. It does not permanently modify your hardware or void your warranty.

Will I lose FPS if I undervolt?

You should maintain the same FPS. The goal is to reach your target clock speed at a lower voltage, not to lower the clock speed itself.

Does this work on both desktop and laptop GPUs?

Yes, the process works on both platforms. On laptops, use the editor to read the voltage directly as in-game voltage monitoring may be restricted.