MSI Afterburnerfor Windows

Now that you got yourself your own PC, you might want to make sure that you're squeezing out more performance from the very machine you worked hard on building. This goes especially to gamers who overclock their computers to get the best graphics and speed possible while playing. But before you do that, there are a couple of things you need to accomplish such as proper hardware and software that optimizes your computer's performance. Without those, overclocking could do your machine more harm than good. While cooling systems are important, monitoring your PC and its parts is just as crucial. MSI Afterburner helps you make sure that your machine is in tiptop shape. 

A cool way to monitor your PC’s performance

MSI Afterburner is packed with a lot of features that allow you to go beyond pushing your PC's performance past its limits. If you're a gamer who's looking to maximize their machine and improve their experience, this tool can help you push your gaming to the next level.

MSI Afterburner is probably one of the word's most trusted and widely used overclocking software and there are plenty of good reasons why. 

Awesome interface

The first thing you will notice is its sweet interface. Not only does it make you look cool whenever you check your PC's stats, but you can also set it to suit your mood. Pick your favorite from a selection of skins that changes the look and feel of the program. You can choose from those available in the settings menu or download custom skins online. 

Upon opening the program, you'll immediately see an overview of your computer's core voltage, power limit, temp limit core clock, memory clock, and fan speed. The On-screen Display allows you to get real-time updates even while you're playing games. This makes it easier for you to monitor your machine's performance and how your gaming affects your overclocking. 

Feature after feature after feature

When you download the latest version of MSI Afterburner, you get to experience the brilliance that is the OC Scanner. This feature is actually an automated function that identifies the highest stable overclock settings suited for your card. Using the Voltage/Frequency Curve, it matches the values of clockspeeds to the values of voltage that can sustain this clockspeeds. This way, you can get a curve where higher voltages are required for a higher clockspeed. It literally lets you overclock in just one click!

You can also customize your fan speed curve through Custom Fan Profile. This allows you to dissipate heat from your machine to prevent it from overheating. The Hardware Monitor shows critical information about each significant part of your PC. 

Apart from allowing you to keep an eye on your GPU's status, MSI Afterburner also has a video capture feature that lets you record your activity without any watermark whatsoever. With the Predator Video Capture feature, you can choose between uncompressed, RTV1 or MJPG compression for your video's format. Adjust the quality, frame size, and FPS without missing a single frame. It also supports the H.264 codec and multiple file-formats such as WMV and AVI.

Where can you run this program?

MSI Afterburner works on PCs that have operating systems of Windows 7 or higher. You can also monitor your machine's performance even while on the go. There's also a remote server client which you can download to keep track on your PC using a different computer. 

Is there a better alternative?

There are a handful of tools similar. Right off the bat, there's NVIDIA Inspector. This program allows you to read GPU relevant data for NVIDIA drivers. It supports overclocking and allows you to change your driver settings, You can even use it to enable SLI for unsupported games. Use this software to monitor your GPU parameters like clocks, temperature, and fan speed. The Multi Display Power saver allows you to lower the power consumption of your NVIDIA card by picking a lower power-state for multi-display configurations. Its interface doesn't look as cool as the others, but it's pretty powerful and efficient. 

Asus GPU Tweak2 helps you with optimizing your clock speeds, voltage, and fan speeds on up to four graphics card. This tool allows you to monitor your cards independently and simultaneously. The Live Update function lets you automatically check and update drivers and graphics BIOS to keep your card up to date. Get it for free on the Asus official website.

Our take

MSI Afterburner is a really powerful and compact tool. It's brand agnostic, so you don't have to be a solid MSI user for you to experience its features. Its GUI makes overclocking look like a breeze. The best part? It's free! However, if you're a gamer who plans on capturing your screen while playing, you might want to get a different software to do so.

Should you download it?

Yes. MSI Afterburner is a really efficient tool to monitor your PC's state while overclocking. Despite its intricate-looking facade, it's actually pretty straightforward and easy to understand. Besides, who doesn't want to look cool, especially when you know your computer's performance is just as badass?