MSI Afterburner

ApplicationMSI / Guru3D

Also called msi afterburner, rtss, rivatuner

MSI / Guru3DDrivers

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

Minimum system requirements
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.

Installed processes
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

Common MSI Afterburner 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.

Official contacts
Download	www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner Official installer or vendor page
Help	forums.guru3d.com/ Vendor support
Official site	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

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

MSI Afterburner official site · Vendor product page
MSI Afterburner help · Vendor support
Guru3D Afterburner forum · RTSS development discussion
Foxhole process map · 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.