How To Control CPU Fan Speed Msi Afterburner
If you want to control GPU fan speed MSI Afterburner is the right tool, but it won't help you manage your CPU fan. MSI Afterburner is exclusively designed for graphics card overclocking and GPU fan control, while CPU fan speed is managed by your motherboard's BIOS or dedicated software like MSI Center.
Does MSI Afterburner control CPU fan speed?
No, MSI Afterburner does not control CPU fan speed. This is the most common misconception about the software. MSI Afterburner is a GPU overclocking and monitoring utility that gives you granular control over your graphics card's fan curve, voltage, and clock speeds. CPU fans are managed by the motherboard's firmware or manufacturer software. If you're using an MSI motherboard, you'll need to use the BIOS "Hardware Monitor" section or MSI Center to adjust CPU fan behavior. Attempting to control CPU fans through MSI Afterburner will yield no results because the software simply doesn't interface with the CPU fan headers on your motherboard.
How to actually control your CPU fan speed
For MSI systems, CPU fan control is accomplished through two primary methods: BIOS settings or MSI Center software. Both approaches give you full authority over how fast your CPU cooler spins based on temperature readings.
Using BIOS Hardware Monitor
Restart your computer and press the Delete key repeatedly during boot to enter the BIOS. Navigate to the "Hardware Monitor" section (sometimes labeled "PC Health Status" or "Fan Control"). Set the target temperature where the fan should ramp up, and define the minimum speed percentage for idle operation. Save your changes with F10 and exit.
Using MSI Center software
Open MSI Center (or MSI Dragon Center on older systems) from your Start menu. Navigate to "User Scenario" (or "Apex Mode" on some models) and select "Extreme Performance." Click the gear icon, then choose "Advanced Settings" followed by "Advanced." This opens the fan curve editor where you can select between "Auto," "Cooler Boost" (full speed), or "Advanced" for manual curve adjustment. If the "Advanced" option is grayed out, your notebook model may not support custom fan curves due to hardware limitations.
What is MSI Afterburner?
MSI Afterburner is a comprehensive graphics card overclocking utility developed by MSI that has become the industry standard for GPU tuning. It allows you to adjust core clock speeds, memory clock speeds, voltage, and power limits on your graphics card. The software also includes robust hardware monitoring capabilities, displaying real-time data for GPU temperature, usage, clock speeds, and fan RPM. While it can display CPU statistics in its monitoring window and On-Screen Display (OSD), this is purely informational, it does not grant any control over CPU fan behavior.
How to safely install MSI Afterburner
Downloading MSI Afterburner from unofficial sources risks malware or corrupted files. Follow these steps for a safe installation:
- Visit the official MSI website or Guru3D, which is the authorized distribution partner for Afterburner.
- Download the latest version of the software, ensure you have the most recent release for optimal compatibility with your GPU.
- Run the installer and accept the license agreement.
- During installation, you may see prompts for additional software or drivers. Only install the necessary components to avoid potential conflicts.
- Complete the installation and launch MSI Afterburner from your desktop shortcut or Start menu.
- If prompted to install graphics card drivers, follow the prompts, these are essential for proper program function.
Launch MSI Afterburner and find the fan settings
Once MSI Afterburner is running, you'll see the main window displaying your GPU's core clock, memory clock, and temperature readings. To access fan controls, click the gear icon (Settings) located in the main program window. This opens the settings dialog with multiple tabs across the top. Select the "Fan" tab to access all fan-related configuration options. Verify that your GPU is recognized by checking the device name in the top-left corner of the main window. If your graphics card isn't detected, install the latest GPU drivers and restart your computer.
How to adjust your GPU fan speed curve
The fan curve editor in MSI Afterburner lets you define exactly how fast your GPU fan spins at specific temperatures. Here's how to configure it:
- In the "Fan" tab, check the box labeled "Enable user-defined software automatic fan control." This activates the custom curve editor.
- You'll see a graph with temperature (°C) on the X-axis and fan speed (%) on the Y-axis. The default curve has several draggable points.
- Click and drag individual points to set your desired fan speed at each temperature threshold.
- Add additional points by clicking on the graph line where you want a new node, then drag it to position.
- Adjust the curve to balance cooling performance against noise levels, a steeper curve cools better but produces more noise.
- If your fans start and stop frequently, enable the "Override zero fan speed with hardware curve" option to prevent the fan from completely stopping at low temperatures.
Applying and saving your GPU fan profile
After configuring your fan curve, you must apply the changes for them to take effect. Click the "Apply" button in the main MSI Afterburner window to save the curve to your GPU. The fan speed will immediately adjust according to your new settings. To ensure your custom fan profile loads automatically every time you start your computer, navigate back to Settings and enable the "Start with Windows" option. This launches MSI Afterburner in the background on boot and applies your fan curve without requiring manual intervention. Note that there is only one custom fan profile available, so your fan curve won't change when selecting different saved profiles, you'll need to manually adjust it if you want different behavior for different scenarios.
Troubleshooting common GPU fan issues
Several issues can prevent MSI Afterburner from controlling your GPU fan as expected. If you have a laptop, custom fan curves generally won't work because the manufacturer presets fan behavior in the BIOS, this is a hardware limitation that software cannot override. For desktop GPUs, if you don't see any changes after applying your curve and you have a non-MSI graphics card, try enabling "Using firmware control mode" in the Fan tab. This uses the GPU's built-in fan controller rather than software-based control. If your fans stop and start repeatedly, the "Override zero fan speed with hardware curve" option typically resolves this by maintaining a minimum fan speed. Finally, if MSI Afterburner fails to recognize a newly installed graphics card, install the graphics card drivers and restart your computer, the software requires proper driver initialization to detect and control the GPU.
