As well as overclocking PC components, it's possible to undervolt them. Whether it's the central processing unit (CPU) or graphics processing unit (GPU), there could be a time when undervolting the part makes sense. I'll run you through what undervolting is, why you may want to carry it out, and how to do it on a PC with an AMD, Intel, or Nvidia graphics card.

What is GPU undervolting?

GPU undervolting is precisely what the name implies. It's the undervolting of the GPU. A graphics card is designed to draw up to a specific amount of power. Once the card hits its limit, the only way to push the GPU harder is by manually increasing this limit above what is set at the factory. This is known as overclocking and usually involves increasing the power limit of a GPU or CPU. Undervolting is the reverse and reduces power to the GPU, lowering temperatures and performance.

So why would you want to hamper your GPU by reducing the power it can pull from the power supply? As graphics cards have improved over the generations, the power draw has skyrocketed. A new connector was designed for the most powerful GPUs such as the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090. These components can produce considerable waste heat, which is then handled by active case cooling. If you don't have enough fans or wish the PC to run cooler, undervolting the GPU to take less power and produce less heat is a good way to go.

How to undervolt an AMD GPU

Adjusting the voltages for an AMD discrete GPU is straightforward as everything can be achieved through the company's drive software.

1. Launch AMD Software.
2. Click on the Performance tab.
3. Click on the Tuning tab.
4. Click Undervolt GPU.

The AMD Software will handle the undervolting automatically, reducing power draw, performance, and temperatures. To set values manually, click "Custom" under Manual Tuning. I only recommend playing with your GPU values if you know what you are doing as messing around here could cause system instability. Regardless of whether you allow AMD to handle undervolting or you go it alone, it's best to fire up a graphics card stress test to make sure the system runs without a crash or any form of instability.

How to undervolt an Intel GPU

Like AMD, Intel makes it easy to mange the overclocking and undervolting of its GPUs through provided software.

1. Open Intel Arc Control.
2. Click Performance.
3. Click Configure under Performance Tuning.
4. Drag the GPU Power Limit slider to the left.

I suggest reducing the power limit of the Intel GPU by around 10W and running some tests. Temperatures should reduce slightly and make further adjustments if necessary. Sliding this setting too far to the left will result in considerable in-game performance loss.

How to undervolt an Nvidia GPU

Nvidia doesn't allow altering power settings through its driver or accompanying software, so we'll use MSI Afterburner to handle the undervolting of an Nvidia graphics card. Don't worry if you don't use an MSI GPU as the software will work with most Nvidia GeForce RTX 20 and above GPUs.

1. Download and install MSI Afterburner.
2. Open MSI Afterburner.
3. Run your favorite game/benchmark and note the FPS. Also note down GPU clock, memory clock, voltage, and temperature from within MSI Afterburner.
4. With the game or benchmark running in the background, click Curve Editor in MSI Afterburner.
5. Click on the curve where the clock speed matches the GPU clock recorded in step 3.
6. Reduce the voltage by dragging down the point. I suggest steps of 25mV. (MSI has additional details on this process.) Another method is to simply lower the Power Limit, though this may not provide the same results.
7. Click the save icon.
8. Check system stability with the running game or benchmark.