# MSI Afterburner Application: MSI / Guru3D Also called msi afterburner, rtss, rivatuner MSI / Guru3D, Drivers GPU overclock and on-screen display. Works on non-MSI cards. RTSS is the overlay engine. It is not the NVIDIA App. ## What you need to know Afterburner is tune plus RTSS. It is not the NVIDIA App. MSIAfterburner.exe and RTSS.exe overlay and overclock. They work on non-MSI GPUs. NVIDIA App is the driver companion. - **What is it?**: GPU tune and OSD **Still current?**: Yes, see Current status **Official download?**: Use the vendor link in this article Feex says If the OSD vanished, I check RTSS, not NVIDIA App. Afterburner works on a non-MSI card. I do not treat it as the Game Ready installer. ## What is MSI Afterburner? MSIAfterburner.exe changes clocks, fans, and monitoring. RTSS.exe draws the OSD. NVIDIA App installs drivers and has its own overlay. AMD Software has Adrenalin overlay. ## If you have never used it If you want a clock slider and an FPS overlay, Afterburner is the common tool. It works on NVIDIA and AMD cards, not only MSI boards. RTSS is the overlay engine it installs. NVIDIA App is the vendor driver companion, not this tuner. ## What is it used for? **Clocks, voltage, and fan curves** On MSI and non-MSI cards. NVIDIA App does not replace these sliders. **On-screen display via RTSS** FPS and graphs. Discord and NVIDIA overlays can stack and fight. **Profiles** Per-game Afterburner profiles. Those are not NVIDIA App game presets. ## Who is it for? - People who tune a GPU - Users who want a vendor-neutral OSD - Anyone who opened NVIDIA App and could not find these sliders ## Current status MSI Afterburner (2010) is a current gpu tune and osd from MSI / Guru3D. The vendor still points Windows users at https://www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner. ## How old is it? Afterburner and RivaTuner date to the 2010s. NVIDIA App (2024) is the current GeForce companion. You can run both. They are not the same product. ## Versions Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here. MSI Afterburner RTSS (bundled overlay) ## System requirements Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need. ### Minimum | Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor | | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | | RAM | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more. | ## Resource profile - **CPU demand**: Follows what you open inside the app **RAM demand**: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries ## Installed processes These executables belong to this product when it is installed. | MSIAfterburner.exe | Main Windows executable | | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------ | | RTSS.exe | RivaTuner Statistics Server overlay engine | ## Startup components Afterburner and RTSS often start with Windows so the OSD is ready. Turn that off in each app if you want a manual start. ## File locations | Typical install | C:\Program Files (x86)\MSI Afterburner\\ | | --------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ## Common problems ### Two overlays at once NVIDIA App, Discord, and RTSS can all draw. Turn extras off as a test. ### Thought it only worked on MSI cards Afterburner is widely used on NVIDIA and AMD cards. MSI is the publisher name. ## Getting unstuck ### Install from msi.com/Landing/afterburner, then let it add RTSS Guru3D forums are the development hangout. Skip "Afterburner unlocker" packs. ### Open RTSS if the OSD is missing RTSS.exe is the overlay. Afterburner can run without a visible OSD if RTSS is off. ### Turn off NVIDIA or AMD overlay when testing stutter One OSD at a time. The driver app is still not this tuner. ## Alternatives NVIDIA App and AMD Software include vendor overlays. FanControl is for case fans, not GPU clocks. Precision X1 is another vendor tuner. ## Official help and downloads Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel. | Download | [www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner ](https://www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner)Official installer or vendor page | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Help | [forums.guru3d.com/ ](https://forums.guru3d.com/)Vendor support | | Official site | [www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner ](https://www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner)Start here, not a random exe host | ## Related hardware Works with current NVIDIA and AMD GPUs Afterburner lists. Unstable clocks can crash a game. That is user tune, not a Feex sensor. ## Technical details Technical details Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build. ## Related These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link. [FanControl: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/fancontrol)[NVIDIA App: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/nvidia-app)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager) ## Sources and verification Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research). - [MSI Afterburner official site ](https://www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner)· Vendor product page - [MSI Afterburner help ](https://forums.guru3d.com/)· Vendor support - [Guru3D Afterburner forum ](https://forums.guru3d.com/forums/msi-afterburner-rivatuner-statistics-server.13/)· RTSS development discussion - [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark. ## Was this article useful? A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note. Quick facts The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article. - **Developer**: MSI / Guru3D **Category**: GPU tune and OSD **Process**: MSIAfterburner.exe **License**: Free **First released**: 2010 **Official site**: [msi.com/Landing/afterburner](https://www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner) **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026 --- Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/afterburner/) [Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)