- GPU BUTTON MSI SOFTWARE INSTALL
- GPU BUTTON MSI SOFTWARE DRIVERS
Great out-of-the-box experience: Most AMD users won’t need to install anything else. Wattman lets you set voltages but its max overvoltage setting is much lower than what you’d get in Trixxx or Afterburner. Another weakness is in terms of voltage control. Sometimes, AMD mysteriously pulls settings out of Wattman and then puts them back in with the next driver update. And the only way to fix this is to wait for an AMD driver update to rectify it. That sais, Wattman’s not without its drawbacks: It can be unstable at times. Better timing can give you an extra few FPS for free. Other solutions here don’t let you adjust VRAM timings (these are distinct from the VRAM clock). Second, you get control over a very specific setting called memory timing. You don’t have to apply OC settings each time you boot. This means that if load a stable overclocking config in Wattman, it’ll load this the next time you boot up. For starters, Wattman settings are the default settings for your GPU. There are a couple of things you can do in Wattman that you can’t do in the apps. The interface, with a clean and contrasting color, is far better designed than the other options in this list. Wattman gives you wide-ranging control over core clock, memory clock, fan speeds, and voltage. You just have to right-click, then click on AMD settings, and then select the Gaming tab and you’re there. This means if you don’t have to install anything extra: If you have an AMD card and drivers installed, Wattman is already there. For starters, it’s an official GPU overclocking tool that’s part of the Radeon control panel. Wattman is what I personally use with my RX 580 and it has a lot going in its favor. Who it’s for: The default choice for AMD users And to avoid any serious damage to your GPU, I recommend using stress-testing software like Unigine Heaven and only overclocking the GPU by 5% of the default value. Make sure you have a reliable PSU with enough wattage to supply your overclock GPU. We’ve curated a list of the best GPU overclocking utilities here for you. Afterburner lets you control basic overclocking but there are other options out there if you really want to get your hands dirty. Most of the items on our list here are exclusive to one or other vendor and they let you do things that aren’t possible with other software. However, there are drawbacks to it being such a platform-agnostic tool. It works with Nvidia and AMD cards, has robust framerate, GPU monitoring via RTSS, and it lets you tweak the big three: core voltage, core clocks, and memory clocks.
In general, MSI Afterburner is a popular option for GPU overclocking, and it has a lot going for it. The best software utility for overclocking can change from card to card.