MSI Afterburner Alternatives: 10 Top overclocking software

Finding MSI Afterburner alternatives here are some for Windows, Linux, and macOS. MSI Afterburner is a well-known application among PC gamers and PC enthusiasts, which delivers a very good service when it comes to overclocking the graphics card’s performance as well as overclocking the RAM clock speed and the Fan speeds within the system. It comes with another bundled application called RivaTuner Statistics Server, which enables the display of the FPS counter; GPU usage data, GPU Temperature data, CPU temperature data within the game. MSI Afterburner also monitors the performance of the hardware in the PC i.e. the RAM intake, RAM speed, CPU intake, CPU Speed, CPU temp, GPU usage data, GPU temp, and many more.

Furthermore, the Afterburner has a beta version that also supports Audio streaming along with Video capturing feature. This application has been engineered by MSI and RivaTuner and follows the EVGA Precision model, also Afterburner supports most of the Nvidia and AMD GPU.

The overclocking facility even provides Voltage supply control to get the best performance out of the hardware in the PC. The user can also set up multiple profiles and can save them so that the desired settings can be activated with just a simple click.

#MSI Afterburner Alternatives for Windows 10/8/7 Users

RivaTuner

You can download the RivaTuner alternative application itself without the MSI Afterburner as it is a well-packed application by itself for Nvidia GPU adapters.
RivaTuner offers some powerful and effective hardware tweaking and FPS monitoring. It also has a driver-level Direct3D and OpenGL framework for providing a better gaming experience.
This application is available for Windows OS only. RivaTuner is not an Open source but a freeware application.
The unique built-in Registry Editor is very useful in real-time hardware monitoring and tweaking, it also features a patch script engine for advanced tweaking options.

FPS Monitor

This MSI Afterburner alternative application tracks the hardware state of the display and shows the information as an overlay display upon the game. You can even control the application’s display and monitoring settings from within the game itself, so need for switching windows over and over or no need for adding another display monitoring purpose.
This application tracks and shows the information about the FPS just like any other counterparts but also it shows any kinds of other parameters related to the performance of the PC and the game.
FPS Monitor does not only scans the FPS or dose not only monitors the stats of the GPU which is done by most of the counterparts but FPS Monitor tracks CPU, GPU, RAM, HDD, SSD everything so that you can detect where the performance lag is happening, as the result you can configure your PC better for a better result and performance.
Using this application you can check and be sure that which of your device is under-performing, is it the CPU or the GPU or the HDD data processing rate is bottle-necking, or it is the network that is lagging.
Even the overlay display setup is customization in this application as you can customize the font, size, color, etc.
Along with the FPS and all other data gathering for a defined time period, you can even do bench-marking of your hardware against any game or other software application.
You can tweak and overclock your hardware like GPU frequency, CPU frequency, voltage supply, etc.
This application will also show an alert message when any of your hardware reaches a dangerous state of temperature.
FPS Monitor is available for Windows OS only and it is a Freemium licensed product, which means the basic version of the application is free along with micro-transaction inside for more advanced features.

CAM

This MSI Afterburner alternative app is a simple one but is loved by many users for its simplicity.
This application monitors all the major hardware performances like CPU temperature, frequency, GPU temperature, frequency, network speeds, storage space, load usages over a time period, and of course the FPS.
Along with monitoring the stats this CAM also keeps the performance records which can be analyzed later for performance assessment and benchmarking.
This application is a very lightweight application that does not put much pressure on the CPU itself while it is running in the background, which makes it more user-friendly and optimized.
CAM is a free application for all users.
CAM is available for Windows OS, Android OS, and even for iPhone.

ASUS GPU Tweak

By implementing TechPowerUP’s GPU-Z analytical and monitoring features, ASUS GPU Tweak becomes a dependable application in GPU tweaking.
This application features an easy-to-use GUI which lets the users navigate through the application without prior knowledge about hardware tweaking.
Using this Asus GPU Tweak as MSI Afterburner alternative, the users can change the Core Clock (GPU frequency), the Memory Clock (VRAM Frequency), the Core Voltage Supply, and also the Fan speed. So this one is a complete GPU tweaking application like MSI Afterburner.
Using this application you can also detect and update outdated drivers and the bios for better hardware responses.
ASUS GPU Tweak is a totally free application for all users, ASUS GPU Tweak is available for Windows OS only.

NVIDIA Inspector

Another great alternative tool to unlock the full capability of your Nvidia Graphics Adapter, you read all the specifications of your GPU card and also can overclock up to the maximum with the help of NVIDIA Inspector.
You need to install the latest NVIDIA driver along with this application to get the best result.
NVIDIA Inspector is not for FPS monitoring as this application lets you do the max a with the Nvidia driver itself, so you have to do the overclocking stuff from the driver itself and NVIDIA Inspector will keep a check on that and make sure that the hardware runs smoothly.
Nvidia Inspector is free to use an application available for Windows users only and also available for Nvidia users only.

Nvidia ShadowPlay

Nvidia ShadowPlay starts its job where Nvidia Inspector finishes its. ShadowPlay is a more advanced GPU tweaking application from Nvidia.
Along with Nvidia ShadowPlay, you not only can boost the GPU performance to the max but also you can do more advanced jobs like Gameplay Recording, Screen Capturing, Live Streaming & Broadcasting, etc.
ShadowPlay enables a Graphical overlay within the game display which helps the user to control the application easily with the help of hotkeys.
You can even capture highlights and replays of the best moments of your game with the help of the hotkeys.
Also, GIF files can be created with funny or memorable moments in the game.
ShadowPlay can capture 4K quality screenshots too.
Game recording and broadcasting work with lag-free 60 FPS performance.
Nvidia ShadowPlay is a free application but can not be downloaded separately.
Nvidia ShadowPlay is a part of the Geforce Experience package which comes with the Nvidia GPU and only for the Nvidia GPU, so non-Nvidia users can not use this application at all.
ShadowPlay is available for Windows OS only.

Sapphire TriXX

If you are an AMD GPU user then may have considered that your GPU is performing at its best or not, the answer is NOT for certain, but Sapphire TriXX is the key for this kind of need.
With Sapphire TriXX you can boost your AMD GPU performance to the max, and also can save custom settings for different games, which can be launched along with the launch of the game automatically.
This application is very easy to use even for new users, the application is programmed to keep the hardware safe even if you boost the performance up to the max.
You can change the GPU core clock, GPU memory clock, GPU voltage supply, Fan speed, etc.
The hardware performance monitor works fine with graphical representation, where the system monitors Clock speed, Core speed along with Fan speed over time.
Sapphire TriXX is a perfect application for AMD GPU users to benchmark the performance along with the best possible Graphics output from the GPU.
Sapphire TriXX works with AMD GPU only, the application is free and can be downloaded from the internet.
Sapphire TriXX is supported by Windows OS only.

EVGA PrecisionX 16

This application is supported by the Nvidia GPU only, but this application is not from the Nvidia itself so overclocking with the help of EVGA Precision may void the warranty of your Graphics Card.
This application is a stylish application and offers many other controls related to overclocking which are not offered by other counterparts.
GPU core clock, GPU memory clock, GPU voltage supply all can be overclocked with the help of EVGA Precision.
Also, the Power Target Control, Pixel Clock Overclocking, Refresh Rate overclocking, Frame Rate target Control are some other features of the EVGA Precision application.
The monitoring details can be shown on the On-screen display for user convenience.
EVGA Precision also supports remotely overclocking via Bluetooth by the Android app.
EVGA Precision can capture screenshots in JPEG, JPG, BMP format.
This application is supported by both 64 Bit and 32 Bit infrastructure.

AgaueEye

AgaueEye is a good and simple application for hardware monitoring, or basic GPU overclocking.
AgaueEye does not support advanced overclocking features, simply it can overclock the core clock speed and memory clock for better performance.
In-game overlay display is supported by most of the popular games available in the market.
AgaueEye is a free and simple hardware monitoring application; which is available for Windows OS only.

#MSI Afterburner Alternative For Linux & Mac Users

GLXOSD (For Nvidia Users)

GLXOSD is a discontinued app for Linux for On-screen display and GPU monitoring. Though discontinued the app is available there on the server, you can find the download location from a simple Google search, but as it is a discontinued service you will not receive any updates of support, but the app works fine.
GLXOSD supports OpenGL apps only and can be activated/deactivated by pressing F11 simply.
On the on-screen display, GLXOSD can monitor and show the FPS, CPU Temperature, and GPU Temperature (for Nvidia GPU only).
GLXOSD can be used for simple bench-markings also.
As this application is for Linux, it is an Open source free piece of application for all.

AMD Linux CC (For AMD Users)

In simple words, it is just the MSI Afterburner for the AMD GPU and supports Linux, MAC & Android OS.
This application can be used remotely also with the help of an Android Mobile device.
GPU Core clock, Memory clock, GPU temp, Current Clock speed, Max Clock speed are measured by this application.
AMD Linux CC can also tweak and optimize the GPU clock speed, memory clock speed, for better performance.
AMD Linux CC also supports the in-game overlay for supported games.
AMD Linux CC is a free application for Android, Linux as well as for free for Mac.

Count It

Count It is a dedicated application for Mac users to measure the FPS. Also, Count It can be used for benchmarking Games and other apps.
Count It has an inbuilt feature for choosing the best settings of a game for the Mac-based system.
Count It can benchmark a game or app’s performance and figure out whether an app or game is going to run on the Mac or not and if yes how it will be different from running the app on Windows PC with the same hardware.
The app UI is very much customizable with the colors, font size, font style, etc.
The features can be assigned with hotkeys to activate/deactivate directly from the game.
The benchmarking details can be produced as a graph so that the user can understand and analyze it well.
Once the Count It app is launched, with the help of hotkeys the user can switch on/off the monitoring and data recording at any moment to save processing power according to need.
Count It is only available for Mac users and is a free piece of application.

#Honourable Mention

Elgato Game Capture

Elgato is designed for professional Video content creators and Pro Video Game Live streamers, but as an add-on service, it has some cool features which make it an MSI Afterburner alternative.
Elgato has an enhanced screen recording capability with a 4K screenshot capture feature.
Elgato has a built-in FPS counter, which helps the user to understand the necessary changes in system settings that are needed to be done.
It is a Freemium application with a free trial period and then with some in-app purchases.
Elgato is available for Windows OS only and can stream Android or iOS screens via using the secondary app.
It is the best choice for those Live streamers who do stream the mobile games over YouTube or Twitch.

Wrapping Up

All the MSI Afterburner Alternatives mentioned are good enough for GPU monitoring and GPU tweaking jobs. But, if you are about to do some serious overclocking with your GPU, remember this is going to make your GPU hotter, so an adequate cooling system must be installed for better performance and GPU longevity.

If you are about to do the overclocking in a very old PC, or with a very old and used GPU, or in a dusty PC that may end up with failure and a burnt GPU. If you have a well-conditioned GPU with an adequate cooling system in the PC, then also you should consider it before selecting the app for overclocking as it may void the guaranty period of your GPU.
If you are a laptop user you should never overclock your GPU as a closed system like a laptop are not meant to be overclocked as it may make the whole system so hot that some of the delicate chips may cause to be burnt or fail.

Other Alternatives: