How To Undervolt Nvidia GPU - Step By Step

If your GPU sounds like a jet engine or you are hitting thermal limits that tank your frame rates, your card is likely drawing more power than it actually needs. Undervolting forces your GPU to run at your target clock speed with less voltage, which keeps performance high while drastically lowering heat and power consumption.

Why this works

Factory voltage settings are often set unnecessarily high to ensure stability across every silicon chip. By manually adjusting the voltage-frequency curve, you remove that excess power without losing any actual performance.

What you will need

You need MSI Afterburner installed from the official MSI website. Make sure to accept the RivaTuner Statistics Server prompt during installation to ensure all settings remain unlocked.

Steps

1. 01
   Open MSI Afterburner, click the Settings cog, and check both Unlock voltage control and Unlock voltage monitoring, then click Apply and restart the application.
2. 02
   Run a demanding game for a few minutes until your core clock speed stabilizes; this settled value is your baseline target, not the higher peaks seen when the card is cold.
3. 03
   Press Ctrl + F to open the Curve Editor, which displays voltage on the bottom axis and clock speed on the left axis.
4. 04
   Find your settled clock speed on the graph, move one step to the left, hold Shift and drag that point up until it matches your target clock speed.
5. 05
   Highlight your chosen point and all points to its right, hold Shift and press Enter twice to flatten the curve, then click Apply in the main window.
6. 06
   Test your stability for a few minutes; if it stays stable, decrease your voltage by 25 millivolts and repeat until a crash occurs, then add 10 millivolts back for a safety margin.
7. 07
   Save your configuration to a profile slot in MSI Afterburner and enable Start with Windows in the settings menu so your settings apply automatically on every boot.

Still not working?

If your system crashes or artifacts appear immediately after applying, simply restart your computer to reset the driver or revert to your saved stock profile. If instability persists at lower voltages, your GPU chip may require a higher voltage floor to remain stable—simply dial your offset back by 5 to 10 millivolts and test again.

Frequently asked questions

Will undervolting damage my GPU?

No, undervolting is safe because you are reducing the power going into the chip. Unlike overclocking, which pushes the card beyond factory limits, undervolting uses less power, which usually extends the lifespan of your hardware.

Will I lose performance in games?

If done correctly, you should experience the exact same performance as stock. In some cases, you may even see higher average frame rates because your card stays cool enough to hold its maximum boost clock without thermal throttling.

Does this fix work on laptops?

Yes, this method works on both desktop and laptop Nvidia GPUs. Laptops often see the biggest benefit from undervolting because they have limited thermal headroom and benefit significantly from the reduced heat output.