Video summary

НОВЫЙ ПРАВИЛЬНЫЙ АНДЕРВОЛЬТ С КАРТИНКАМИ в новом MSI Afterburner 4.6.6

Main summary

Key takeaways

Technology

Tech summary (MSI Afterburner 4.6.6 undervolting guide)

What the tutorial covers

  • Goal: Find a stable undervolt (lower GPU voltage) while keeping performance, using MSI Afterburner 4.6.6 plus benchmarking/monitoring.
  • Prerequisite: Afterburner should already be configured (referenced as done in a previous video).

Tools / workflow

  • Benchmark used: Unigine Heaven Benchmark
    • Download from the official website, install, then run.
  • Monitoring used: Afterburner monitoring to record:
    • GPU frequency
    • Voltage
    • Power/consumption
    • Temperature
  • Logging tips:
    • Clear monitoring history before tests.
    • Run Heaven, then record after the run:
      • Max frequency
      • Max voltage
      • Max consumption
      • Temperature

How to select undervolt points on the voltage-frequency curve

  1. Open the Afterburner frequency/voltage curve.
  2. Identify the GPU’s maximum frequency from the recorded baseline test (example used: 1965 MHz).
  3. On the curve, locate that frequency (noted that the same frequency can appear on multiple points, each with different voltages).
  4. Choose a target point by moving:
    • ~100 mV lower than the voltage at the chosen max-frequency point
    • (example used: subtract ~130 mV to select a leftward point)
  5. The tutorial emphasizes mapping from maximum frequency down to voltage:
    • Move left along the voltage axis
    • Then move back to the target frequency so you land on the correct curve point.

New Afterburner feature used to prevent instability / driver crashes

The tutorial highlights a feature triggered with the L key:

  • Press L twice at/near the max-frequency region to create:
    • a vertical line (marks the operating frequency)
    • then a horizontal line (acts as a frequency cap)

Purpose of the horizontal cap:

  • After undervolting, the GPU may increase power behavior or attempt to boost more, which can lead to blue screens / driver crashes.
  • The horizontal cap prevents the GPU from exceeding the specified frequency, helping keep the undervolt stable.

Benefit:

  • You don’t need to watch the right-side dots, since they usually jump during boosts.

Testing and results (measured power/temperature reductions)

Test 1 (first undervolt)

  • Baseline showed immediate consumption reduction.
  • Example results:
    • Min consumption: ~141 W
    • Later showed max: ~184 W
    • Total consumption reduction: ~38 W
    • Temperature drop: ~5°C

Test 2 (further undervolt)

  • Target reduced further (example mentioned: 912 mV).
  • Example results:
    • Max consumption: ~177 W (vs. ~222 W baseline)
    • Consumption reduction: ~45 W
    • Min consumption: ~135 W (baseline min ~187 W)
    • Temperature drop: ~6°C (noted that air cooling would show larger differences)

Test 3 (more aggressive undervolt)

  • Target reduced again (example: 900 mV).
  • They also adjusted the power limit “just in case.”
  • Example results:
    • Max consumption: ~173 W
    • Consumption reduction: ~49 W (described as “49 W plus, or rather minus”)
    • Temperature drop vs first test: ~8°C
  • They observed voltage surges during closing the test, and stated it was likely not caused by undervolting (also happened previously).

Additional experiments

Frequency increase / raising the right-side limit

  • Example goal: add +15 MHz by raising the frequency limiter (example: 1980).
  • They press L three times to switch the limiter to the new frequency.
  • Reconnect the targeted voltage point (example referenced around 925 mV), then reapply.
  • Observation: during the test, the card still behaved around the earlier undervolt voltage (example: 900 mV) while holding the higher frequency.

Undervolt left side of the curve and stability impact

  • Method:
    • Shift + left-click selection
    • then drag/up adjust of a curve region
    • then Shift + double-click to align
  • Result: test ended in a black screen (interpreted as driver crash).
  • Conclusion: the “culprit” was the left-region curve.
  • Recommendation: do not undervolt the left side—it may provide only minimal watts/temperature improvement, but it risks instability (black/blue screens).

Comparison summary (final quantified improvement)

  • Compared first vs last:
    • Overclock: +15 MHz
    • Max voltage reduction: ~156 mV
    • Consumption reduction: ~51 W
    • Temperature reduction: ~9°C
  • Also noted: undervolt did not reduce load (GPU remained around 98% load before and after).

Extra practical advice

  • During a driver crash, their microphone broke (constant squeal after).
  • Advice: disconnect sensitive peripherals before stability testing to avoid damage during crashes.

Main speakers / sources

  • Speaker/Author: The video creator/host (not named in subtitles).
  • Software source: MSI Afterburner 4.6.6
  • Benchmark source: Unigine Heaven Benchmark (Heaven Benchmark)

Original video