GPU, graphics & drivers
How to undervolt your GPU safely (lower temps, same FPS)
Reviewed July 2026
Undervolting your GPU lowers temperature, fan noise and power draw for the same clock — almost always with no FPS loss, and sometimes a little gain if the card was throttling. Here's a safety-first, step-by-step, fully reversible method using MSI Afterburner or AMD Adrenalin — with no invented benchmark numbers.
Step by step
01 What undervolting is and why it's usually safe
Undervolting means making your GPU run at less voltage for the same clock speed (the same MHz). Less voltage means less heat, less power draw and, almost always, quieter fans — for the same performance. Unlike overvolting or overclocking to the limit, you're not pushing the card past its factory limits: you're asking it to do the same job with less energy. That's why, done carefully, it's one of the safest tweaks around, and it's 100% reversible — any value you change can be undone in seconds.
02 Why temps can drop with no FPS loss (or a little gain)
Modern GPUs raise and lower their clock on their own based on temperature and a power limit. If your card runs hot or hits its power ceiling, it cuts clock speed to protect itself — that's called throttling, and it lowers your FPS. Undervolting generates less heat for the same work, so the card can hold its clock longer instead of cutting it. The honest result: very often FPS stays the same with lower temps and noise; if your card was thermal- or power-throttling, you may even see slightly MORE FPS. It's not magic or a guarantee — it depends on your card and your case.
03 Tools: Afterburner for NVIDIA, Adrenalin for AMD
For NVIDIA cards, the usual tool is MSI Afterburner (free, and it works with any brand of card), using its voltage/frequency curve editor (open it with Ctrl+F). For AMD Radeon cards, you don't need anything extra: AMD's own Adrenalin software has Performance → Tuning, with a manual voltage/frequency mode. In both cases you'll also want a monitor to watch temperature, clock, power and GPU usage while you test. Install only well-known, official software — nothing exotic is needed.
04 Before you start: write down your baseline
Before changing anything, set a point to return to. Run a demanding game or a benchmark for a few minutes and note (or photograph) your peak temperature, your typical clock and your stock power draw. That way you can honestly compare whether undervolting actually improved anything, instead of guessing. Remember that your stock clock is your reference: the goal of undervolting is to hold a similar clock at less voltage, not to invent new numbers.
05 The method on NVIDIA: lower the voltage/frequency curve
In Afterburner open the curve editor (Ctrl+F). You'll see voltage (horizontal axis, in mV) against frequency (vertical axis, in MHz). The idea: pick a voltage point lower than the factory maximum, raise that point up to the clock you want to hold, then flatten the curve from there on (drag everything to the right down to that same height). That way the card reaches your target clock at less voltage. Make modest changes a little at a time: start conservative, test, then refine. If you prefer the simplest route, you can also drop the Power Limit by a few points: it's less precise, but it's a 'soft' undervolt and very safe.
06 The method on AMD: manual tuning in Adrenalin
In AMD Adrenalin go to Performance → Tuning and switch to manual control. Enable GPU voltage/frequency control and lower the maximum voltage (mV) a little while keeping the clock near stock. On many Radeon cards, simply reducing the max voltage already gives you the undervolt. Same as NVIDIA: small moves, apply, test. Adrenalin also lets you save profiles, so you can keep an undervolt profile and return to 'default' whenever you want.
07 Testing stability: the most important part
Too aggressive an undervolt won't break anything, but it can become unstable: the card doesn't get enough voltage for that clock, so the game crashes, you get artifacts (blocky shapes, weird textures, flickering), or the driver resets and the screen goes black for a moment. That does NOT damage the card — it's the sign you went too far. Test with a real mix: a benchmark or stress test for about 15-30 minutes, plus your actual games for a while, because a specific game can sometimes be pickier than a test. If you see any instability, raise the voltage a bit (or soften the undervolt) and test again.
08 Watch temperatures and find your stable point
With the monitor open, compare against your baseline from step 4: did peak temperature drop? did power draw drop? does the clock hold? The best undervolt is the most aggressive one that is still 100% stable across all your games over several days. It's wise to back off one notch above the point where it started failing, to keep margin for hot days or new games. Be honest about results: if your card wasn't running hot or loud to begin with, the gain may be small — and that's fine too.
09 How to revert everything (and where Neon helps)
Reverting is instant and total. In Afterburner, hit Reset to return to the factory curve (and untick 'apply at startup' if you don't want it to load on its own). In AMD Adrenalin, use 'Reset'/Default in the Tuning section. Since none of this touches your BIOS or burns any fuses, you can always return to factory state. And here's where Neon helps, honestly: Neon measures real numbers from your system (temperature, clock, power and GPU usage) and explains them in plain language, so you can see whether your card throttles and whether your undervolt actually helped. Neon does NOT undervolt for you or touch your GPU's voltage — that fine tuning is yours to do in Afterburner or Adrenalin, with full control. What Neon does automate are Windows-side wins, safe and reversible, and every change is logged so you can undo it. It never touches your BIOS or forces your hardware. Every manual step in this guide works without Neon.
Undervolting at a glance
| Aspect | NVIDIA (Afterburner) | AMD (Adrenalin) |
|---|---|---|
| Where to adjust | Curve editor (Ctrl+F) | Performance → manual Tuning |
| What you change | Clock at a lower voltage | Lower maximum voltage (mV) |
| If you go too far | Crash or artifacts (no damage) | Crash or artifacts (no damage) |
| How to revert | Reset button (factory curve) | Reset / Default |
Where Neon helps
The fine undervolting is yours to do in Afterburner or Adrenalin. What Neon adds is measuring real numbers so you know whether your card throttles and whether your change helped — without inventing anything.
- Reads your GPU's real temperature, clock, power and usage, so you can see whether your card throttles before and after undervolting.
- It doesn't undervolt for you or touch your GPU's voltage: that fine tuning is yours to do in Afterburner or Adrenalin, with full control.
- The wins it automates are Windows-side, safe and reversible, and every change is logged so you can undo it with one click.
- It never touches your BIOS or forces your hardware. Undervolting is always your call, with your own tools.
Looking to lower temps in general? See how to lower CPU temperatures, to fix stutter see how to fix FPS drops and stutter, and if you have a Radeon, the best AMD Radeon settings for gaming.