When thou hast a GPU, whether it be the finest in all the land or an older model in need of a refreshing touch, perchance thou dost desire to learn the art of undervolting. This mystical practice hath the power to lessen the demands of power, reduce the heat and clamor, and may even enhance the performance of thy graphical wonder.
Undervolting doth require a modest amount of knowledge, yet once thou art acquainted with the ways of this craft, it can be achieved in but a few simple steps. Tarry not, dear reader, for I shall enlighten thee on the intricacies of undervolting thy precious graphics card.
Before the Quest Begins
Ere thou embark on this noble endeavor, take heed that not all GPU models may be undervolted, as some may not avow it. The antiquated models afore Nvidia’s 10 series may not permit this. Forsooth, the reason lieth in the fact that voltages Hath been locked on all Nvidia cards ere the Pascal series (GTX 10xx). This impediment hinders the support of said cards by most undervolting tools. Nay, there are workarounds, yet they are oft more intricate than those upon the newer cards.
As for AMD cards, they generally do allow undervolting, even upon elder models. Yea, verily, certain models, such as AMD’s Vega series, might even witness an enhancement in their clock speeds when undervolted, for they possess additional power and temperature allowance whilst operating at reduced voltages.
The Art of Undervolting an Nvidia Graphics Card
The path to undervolting Nvidia GPUs doth require a few additional steps compared to AMD. Allow me to guide thee through them.
Step 1: The tool of choice for undervolting Nvidia graphics cards is MSI Afterburner. To commence this mystical journey, obtain the free program henceforth.
Install it upon thy computing device and then unveil it before thee.
Step 2: Upon the lowermost left part of the MSI Afterburner interface, thou shalt find tidings concerning the voltage of thy GPU. Beneath this, thou shalt discover the Curve Editor, which thou may access with a double-click or by pressing CTRL + F.
When the Curve Editor doth materialize afore thee, thou shalt behold a graph, holding within its confines two vital pieces of information. The X-axis denotes the voltage of thy graphics card, whilst the Y-axis signifies the frequency (clock speed).
Step 3: Ere thou venture forth, thou must ascertain the frequency at which thy GPU doth operate under duress. There are twain methods to achieve this: Engage a GPU-intensive program or submit thy device to a trial, such as FurMark.
The simplest course is to launch thy most demanding game and allow it to run for no less than a quarter hour. Some games lean more upon the processor rather than the graphics card, but most modern titles do place ample stress upon the GPU to reveal the veritable frequency, especially at loftier resolutions.
Step 4: Return to the Curve Editor tool within Afterburner and pinpoint the appropriate frequency upon the Y-axis. With a mere click along the dotted curve line, thou shalt unveil the true frequency upon the left-hand side, aligned with the curve. Examine the bottom and verify the corresponding voltage. In our tale, 1873MHz doth necessitate a core voltage of 1000.
Step 5: Undervolting, akin to overclocking, is not an exact science. Rather, it is a journey of trial and error. Shouldst thou begin with 1000mV and a frequency of 1873MHz, thou might desire to proceed cautiously and lower the voltage to 950mV. The numbers shalt differ according to thy graphics card. As a guiding principle, ’tis wiser to undervolt little by little rather than too much in a single stride.
Click upon the desired voltage thou dost wish to attain. Lo, that number shall be linked to a lower frequency than the one thou wishest to maintain. Yet fear not, for there are means to rectify this.
Step 6: Return to the main chamber of MSI Afterburner and gaze upon the Core Clock (MHz) segment. Thou must adjust the core clock so that thy card’s frequency aligns with the voltage thou wishest to uphold.
To accomplish this feat, increase the core clock until a change occurs within the Curve Editor. Keep thy chosen voltage at the base (in this example, 950mV) and the frequency on the side. Continue to elevate the clock until thy frequency matches that which was observed during the trial whilst operating on the fresh, lowered voltage.
The outcome must ensure that thy card shall maintain the same frequency as afore whilst upholding the maximum voltage of thy choosing. Recall that these numbers shall fluctuate in accord with the values from which thou didst commence.
Step 7: To preserve these amendments, return to the MSI Afterburner window and press the icon resembling a floppy disk, situated centrally at the base of the screen.
Subject thy new frequency/voltage combination to the test by launching the same game (or another resource-heavy program) as afore. Monitor the values within MSI Afterburner to confirm that thou art achieving the same frequency as ere thou undervolted thy card. Shouldst thou fall short, increase the core clock yet a tad more and attempt once more.
Allow the game to continue for no fewer than thirty to sixty minutes. Should all proceed well, should no issues plague thy graphics card, and should no crashes besiege thee, then thou art in the clear. Shouldst thou be of a daring disposition, thou may attempt to retrace thy steps, endeavoring to lower the voltage even further.
However, shouldst thou encounter any manner of graphical anomalies or suffer crashes, ’tis a sign that thou has undervolted thy card too excessively. In such a circumstance, repeat the steps with a higher voltage whilst retaining the same clock speed. Eventually, thou shalt discover the equilibrium best suited for thy graphics card.
Step 8: This may be deemed an additional step, yet it is highly recommended. To ensure that thy new settings are sound and that thy card shall perform admirably under any circumstance, ’tis prudent to subject it to a rigorous trial. Playing a game is of one aspect, but there exist programs that can test thy card in myriad ways.
Download FurMark or 3DMark Time Spy and ply thy card through the crucible of stress test or benchmark up to thrice. Shouldst all remain stable, congratulations — thou hast mastered the art of undervolting thy Nvidia GPU.
The Art of Undervolting an AMD Graphics Card
Undervolting an AMD graphics card is a more straightforward endeavor, for thou may conduct it within the confines of the AMD Radeon driver suite.
Step 1: Unveil the Radeon driver software by right-clicking upon thy desktop and selecting AMD Software: Adrenaline Edition.
Step 2: Utilize the menu tabs aloft the screen to navigate unto Performance > Tuning.
Step 3: For a swift and simple undervolt, thou may employ automated undervolting. Simply select Undervolt GPU upon the left-hand side. This shall automatically undervolt thy GPU, thereby diminishing its power consumption and temperatures in tandem.
For a greater degree of control, activate the GPU Tuning option and Advanced Control.
Step 4: Within the section labeled Voltage (mV), reduce the voltage by 10 mV, then enact Apply Changes in the zenith right.
Step 5: Employ a stress or benchmark tool, such as Furmark or 3DMark, to verify that thy GPU remains stable. Should it pass this trial, then attempt to lower the voltage once more.
Step 6: Repeat the aforementioned steps until thy system falters, then revert to the last stable voltage and endeavor to carry it forth as thy daily GPU voltage. Shouldst it remain sturdy, congratulations! Thou hast successfully undervolted thy AMD GPU.
