If you’re a PC gamer looking to squeeze out every ounce of performance from your gaming rig, overclocking is an important option. However, there are two different kinds of software that offer this feature: Asus GPU Tweak and MSI Afterburner. In this blog post we’ll compare the two in terms of functionality, ease-of-use, and customer satisfaction. Which one is better? Read on!
main differences between msi afterburner and asus gpu tweak:
Before you can overclock a GPU, you need to have the software. Asus GPU Tweak and MSI Afterburner are two different programs that allow PC gamers to adjust fan speeds, clock speeds for GPUs (and other parts of your PC) and monitor temperatures.
The main difference between the two is that Asus GPU Tweak has its own overclocking function that allows gamers to quickly push their cards beyond stock settings; MSI Afterburner does not.
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Overclocking functions
Asus GPU Tweak is one of the few overclocking programs that allow gamers to push their cards beyond stock settings with just 1-click. Asus GPU Tweak gives users the ability to switch between Standard Mode and Advanced Mode, depending on your preference.
The main difference between these two modes is that Standard Mode limits you from increasing speeds more than 300Mhz (or whatever the speed is set by the manufacturer), while Advanced mode lets you increase it by +700Mhz; this would not be possible through MSI Afterburner if it doesn’t have its own overclocking function.
Ease of use
Asus GPU Tweak is one of the few overclocking programs that provide gamers with simplified, easy to understand options. MSI Afterburner can be quite confusing for first-time users;
the main window shows four different settings (Settings, Monitoring, Fan speed and OSD) that all do separate things (Settings has no effect on your PC performance). To top it off, the interface looks rather bland and barebone compared to Asus GPU Tweak which looks much more professional by comparison. For example, using MSI Afterburner you have to go through 3 different windows just to check your clock speeds whereas Asus GPU Tweak lets you see this information in its own Settings window without any fuss.
Custom fan profiles
The most important part of MSI Afterburner is its overclocking functions; it also allows PC gamers to change their GPU fan profile. The latest version (4.1.0) provides gamers with 4 different custom profiles (Silent Mode, Gaming Mode, Overclocking Mode and Power Limit Mode).
Gamers can go even further by manually adjusting the fan speed curve higher or lower depending on their preferred temperature threshold settings for both load and idle states of GPUs through either AMD or Nvidia control panel programs that are installed into your system along with the drivers provided by the card manufacturers.
Custom profiles
MSI Afterburner allows PC gamers to different setting profiles that can be switched between in a matter of seconds, so you can quickly switch from a Silent Profile which has lower clock speeds and less power going through the GPU for a long period of time.
To elaborate on this feature, let’s say your monitor shuts off after 1 minute of inactivity, but if you want it to shut off every 10 minutes instead then MSI Afterburner can help do this by using its custom profile feature. Furthermore, the latest version (4.1.0) allows users to customize their overclocking setting from 2D mode to 3D mode with just one click which is very convenient for gamers who have an idle monitor and want to stretch their performance for 3D games.
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3D Vision Support
Asus GPU Tweak has flawless support for Nvidia’s 3D Vision, even though it requires customers to install Nvidia’s own drivers in order to take advantage of its features; MSI Afterburner does not have any official support at the time of writing so if you require 3D Vision capabilities (or any other Nvidia specific feature) then Asus GPU Tweak would be the best choice for you.
Install time
MSI Afterburner only took a few seconds to install on Windows 10, whereas Asus GPU Tweak took about 5 minutes from start to finish with all its bloatware and Nvidia updates. This is not a big deal as the difference in the amount of time it takes for these programs to be installed would not matter as your PC boots up within 15-30 seconds at most nowadays anyway.
Streamlined design
Asus GPU Tweak has a much more streamlined design throughout where each window has its own corresponding tab located at the top of the program, compared to MSI Afterburner which looks rather bland and old-fashioned by comparison where tabs are not needed as everything can be found on the main window.
In this aspect, Asus GPU Tweak is more user-friendly as it has a much more modern design that makes navigation simpler and more straightforward for users of any skill level to use. MSI Afterburner might be a little too difficult for novice PC gamers to navigate around without consulting their manuals.
Overall
MSI Afterburner might have a hefty install time, a cluttered interface and lack Nvidia 3D Vision support; but despite all these shortcomings it still manages to provide PC gamers with incredibly useful features like custom fan profiles, overclocking (for AMD cards only), changing core clock speeds & shader clocks speeds which are the most important tools every gamer should know about if they want to squeeze out extra performance from their hardware.
On the other hand, Asus GPU Tweak contains almost all of the features that MSI Afterburner has but also provides gamers with Nvidia-specific tools which are not needed by AMD card owners who do not have 3D Vision support. Furthermore, Asus GPU Tweak’s sleek modern design makes navigating around each setting simple and easy for anyone with even minimal computer knowledge to use without consulting any online FAQs or users guides.
pros and cons msi afterburner vs asus gpu tweak:
Pros:
Custom profiles 3D Vision support Streamlined design MSI Afterburner might have a hefty install time, a cluttered interface and lack Nvidia 3D Vision support; but despite all these shortcomings it still manages to provide PC gamers with incredibly useful features like custom fan profiles, overclocking (for AMD cards only), changing core clock speeds & shader clocks speeds.
Cons:
No Nvidia specific settings Install time Asus GPU Tweak has a much more streamlined design throughout where each window has its own corresponding tab located at the top of the program, compared to MSI Afterburner which looks rather bland and old fashioned by comparison where tabs are not needed as everything can be found on the main window. In this, Asus GPU Tweak is more user friendly as it has a much more modern design that makes navigation simpler and more straightforward for users of any skill level to use.
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Which is better to download
While these two programs are both effective at accomplishing their set tasks, neither one of them will be able to effectively do everything that a PC gamer might need. Asus GPU Tweak works great if all you need is a way to push your components past factory settings but its lack of overclocking features means that gamers who want more from their program will have to find another option–like MSI Afterburner. While MSI Afterburner lacks some of the features available in Asus GPU Tweak, it has all the tools you need to monitor your PC’s voltage, temperatures and fan speeds. If you’re not interested in overclocking but want a program that effectively keeps your hardware running smoothly then MSI Afterburner is right for you.
