MSI Afterburner Dead? What Will You Use Going Forward?

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arestavo

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With MSI Afterburner being abandoned by Unwinder, the Russian developer, due to MSI not meeting their contractual obligations for over 11 months (not paying them?), what OC/monitoring program will you use once Afterburner stops working well enough with your particular GPU? Or do you think it won't break with newer and newer driver sets / Windows updates?

They did state that RTSS will be worked on still, but that's just the overlay and not the API integration needed for proper monitoring of the hardware right? Which is why the 7900XT/X series doesn't have all the info shown that the 6000 series does?

I'm guessing EVGA's Precision will also eventually have this problem, as they've gotten out of the GPU business and probably will not continue development on it.

Since they have been the only two programs that I've used for monitoring and overclocking GPUs in the last decade, what other options even come close?

Here's the post where I found out what Unwinder was doing - https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/7900xt-power-usage-not-visible.446010/#post-6090142
 
I will personally keep using MSI Afterburner for the foreseeable future as I just upgraded to a 2080ti so that's gonna last me a while. When it does come time to upgrade again, well, hopefully this thread gives me some good ideas for what software to use!
 
arestavo said:
With MSI Afterburner being abandoned by Unwinder, the Russian developer, due to MSI not meeting their contractual obligations for over 11 months (not paying them?), what OC/monitoring program will you use once Afterburner stops working well enough with your particular GPU? Or do you think it won't break with newer and newer driver sets / Windows updates?

They did state that RTSS will be worked on still, but that's just the overlay and not the API integration needed for proper monitoring of the hardware right? Which is why the 7900XT/X series doesn't have all the info shown that the 6000 series does?

I'm guessing EVGA's Precision will also eventually have this problem, as they've gotten out of the GPU business and probably will not continue development on it.

Since they have been the only two programs that I've used for monitoring and overclocking GPUs in the last decade, what other options even come close?

Here's the post where I found out what Unwinder was doing - https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/7900xt-power-usage-not-visible.446010/#post-6090142
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It started as a passion project what? 20+ years ago? Back when it was called RivatTuner. Unless Unwinder is completely burned out developing it, I don't see why developing wouldn't continue. It's a legendary tool that has left its mark on the community. Sure AB might not get regular updates, but that's just how any free project goes. Just remove the MSI name from it or do what most companies do, rebrand it.

Or if Unwinder is feeling less selfish, open source the entire project. Upload it to GitHub, etc. Something tells me Unwinder won't do this though...

There's an old saying, "Tough titty said the kitty..."

The problem is that nowadays there is lots of competition. 20 years ago RivaTuner was pretty much THE tool for OC'ing gpus. Now there are a dozen if not more such tools. So it's not like AB's absence will have a major impact. It's more like a legend has left the building. Nostalgia is a funny thing.
 
Absalom said:
...

The problem is that nowadays there is lots of competition. 20 years ago RivaTuner was pretty much THE tool for OC'ing gpus. Now there are a dozen if not more such tools. So it's not like AB's absence will have a major impact. It's more like a legend has left the building. Nostalgia is a funny thing.
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Please illuminate everyone as to which programs provide similar overclock ability and working overlays?
 
arestavo said:
Please illuminate everyone as to which programs provide similar overclock ability and working overlays?
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Off the top of my head:

EVGA Precision
NZXT CAM
Gigabyte XTREME
Asus GPU Tweak

Those are just the ones I'm familiar with. There are obviously more...
 
Absalom said:
Off the top of my head:

EVGA Precision
NZXT CAM
Gigabyte XTREME
Asus GPU Tweak

Those are just the ones I'm familiar with. There are obviously more...
Click to expand...
Precision will likely be abandoned soon as well, with EVGA leaving the GPU market. I wasn't aware that CAM had GPU overclock ability. I know its overlay messes up some games (personal experience from a year or so ago).

I'll have to take a look at the Gigabyte and Asus software as I've never used them.

EDIT: Gigabyte seems to be out as it appears to have last been updated four years ago? The Asus GPU Tweak looks promising, if it works on all cards - but the overlay doesn't look nearly as nice for the configuration.
 
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Sounds like it's time to put some pressure on MSI to pay the man.
None of the aforementioned alternatives are worth a dime. Not in comparison to ab, not by a longshot. I've tried them all and they suck hard. Precision not as much as the rest but as has been said already, how long will it even be functional? Unless your rockin a AMD card and using wattman, ab is the only reliable option.
 
Well that's terrible news, AB is so much better than the other software out there. At least RTSS will live on! The old-skool RT is what I got started OCing GPUs on, back in the actual RIVA era with the 128zx, TNT2, and GeForce MX. Recently I've gone deep into custom RTSS overlays so I'm glad that's not going anywhere.

For OCing... is ASUS GPU Tweak any good? I used EVGA X1 and it's... fine... but that's a dead-end like AB. Only heard vaguely bad things about CAM and I'm not sure I trust Gigabyte anything.
 
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Maybe it’s time for Nvidia to put something together similar to what’s available on the AMD driver suite.

They’ve never really had to since AB works so well with Nvidia cards.
 
TheHig said:
Maybe it’s time for Nvidia to put something together similar to what’s available on the AMD driver suite.

They’ve never really had to since AB works so well with Nvidia cards.
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I had some snark ready about NV never updating their control panel since Windows XP, but then I remembered they used to have that feature in the WinXP days and removed it (see attached) Bring back the ForceWare Control Panel with OC support!
 

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NattyKathy said:
I had some snark ready about NV never updating their control panel since Windows XP, but then I remembered they used to have that feature in the WinXP days and removed it (see attached) Bring back the ForceWare Control Panel with OC support!
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GeForce experience does have an auto overclocker (GFE, in game overlay (upper right), performance) but it doesn't do anything to the VRAM and you can't manually set speeds. So, not nearly as good as what you'd get from something closer to AB.
 
NattyKathy said:
For OCing... is ASUS GPU Tweak any good? I used EVGA X1 and it's... fine... but that's a dead-end like AB. Only heard vaguely bad things about CAM and I'm not sure I trust Gigabyte anything.
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Compared to AB, they are all either annoying or limited in functionality. Gigabyte changes their OC software every generation of cards. Everytime I attempt to use Gigabyte's software, I end up hating it and have a hard time getting rid of it. I haven't used Asus in a while, but I think it's still ok. EVGA is probably the next best thing to AB. EVGA Precision started out being a reskinned Afterburner. Then somewhere along the way EVGA decided to write their own.

Oh, the only reason I mentioned CAM is because I'm forced to use it to control my AIO. I only know about the GPU OC'ing and overlay through this.

For the past 10 years, Afterburner + RTSS + HWiNFO have been my collection of tools for OC'ing and monitoring. I'll continue to do so until something breaks or something better comes along. It's not like AB is going to stop working overnight.
 
That hurts.
I think Ive used every software out there and none come close to Afterburner.
ASUS Tweak is kind of ok and ZOTAC has one thats ok.
AMDs software is fickle and obviously just for AMD.
NVIDIA could easily make something.
 
magoo said:
That hurts.
I think Ive used every software out there and none come close to Afterburner.
ASUS Tweak is kind of ok and ZOTAC has one thats ok.
AMDs software is fickle and obviously just for AMD.
NVIDIA could easily make something.
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But would you really trust Nvidia not to put all sorts of extra limiters and nasty bits of code in the program? Afterburner works with AMD and Nvidia products and that would certainly stop going forwards. Additionally, the company has a long track record of being hostile towards its AiB partners who have attempted to push the boundaries of what any given GPU generation is capable of, especially with EVGA and Galax.
 
MSI Afterburner still works fine on my 4080 FE, and that will probably last me 3+ years, so I think I'm okay for now. I actually had no idea that MSI Afterburner was being developed in Russia now. I suppose that's better than software that's developed in China, but not by much. I probably would have started looking for alternatives a long time ago if I'd known that.

MSI Afterburner has given MSI a TON of free advertising and elevated the brand significantly among enthusiasts. The best part has always been that there is no brand lock on the software - you don't actually need to have an MSI card in order to use it. Similar software from other AIB vendors seems designed to lock you into their brand. No thanks. It seems like it would be in MSI's best interest to continue development somehow, hopefully in a non-hostile nation.
 
Absalom said:
Compared to AB, they are all either annoying or limited in functionality. Gigabyte changes their OC software every generation of cards. Everytime I attempt to use Gigabyte's software, I end up hating it and have a hard time getting rid of it. I haven't used Asus in a while, but I think it's still ok. EVGA is probably the next best thing to AB. EVGA Precision started out being a reskinned Afterburner. Then somewhere along the way EVGA decided to write their own.

Oh, the only reason I mentioned CAM is because I'm forced to use it to control my AIO. I only know about the GPU OC'ing and overlay through this.
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Thanks for the insights! I looked at ASUS page for GPU Tweak III and it does look like the new version is pretty good, has the same features as Precision X1 at least which I thought was fine (other than forgetting saved OC slots). As long as it has V/F curve adjustment and basic fan control that's enough for me. Definitely not going anywhere near Gigabyte software.

Absalom said:
For the past 10 years, Afterburner + RTSS + HWiNFO have been my collection of tools for OC'ing and monitoring. I'll continue to do so until something breaks or something better comes along. It's not like AB is going to stop working overnight.
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Yeah, same. My main concern is a Windows update eventually breaking old versions of RTSS (as has happened), and new RTSS versions losing Afterburner compatibility. Dunno if that matters though if I'm only pulling sensor data from HWiNFO & Windows for RTSS overlay and disabling Afterburner HW monitoring.
 
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GotNoRice said:
MSI Afterburner still works fine on my 4080 FE, and that will probably last me 3+ years, so I think I'm okay for now. I actually had no idea that MSI Afterburner was being developed in Russia now. I suppose that's better than software that's developed in China, but not by much. I probably would have started looking for alternatives a long time ago if I'd known that.

MSI Afterburner has given MSI a TON of free advertising and elevated the brand significantly among enthusiasts. The best part has always been that there is no brand lock on the software - you don't actually need to have an MSI card in order to use it. Similar software from other AIB vendors seems designed to lock you into their brand. No thanks. It seems like it would be in MSI's best interest to continue development somehow, hopefully in a non-hostile nation.
Click to expand...
I was going to reply to another guy - but, most of the AIB software is geared towards that AIB's card - Asus GPU Tweak - Asus cards and so forth. If you try to use a different card - there will be less options and less settings - e.g. one fan will stop working or you won't get the same read outs etc. I know because a friend tested this - used gpu tweak on a different make card other than Asus. I use EVGA Precision X1 but I imagine if I try it on a different make of card - I won't have the same options (something won't be available to display on screen or some function won't work). What about that????
The 'special' thing about AB - is it worked regardless of which card, Nvidia or AMD - and had all functions/settings/options (that's what you said, I know). So, yeah, it's a big blow to gamers and ppl who want to get a lot out of their card. I dunno if configuring custom fan curves and undervolting etc. works on all these other programs - regardless of what card you have. I doubt it. I suppose you have to use whatever program your AIB provides....
 
Hey, I'm having a major issue with Asus GPU Tweak III (should I call it III or 3?!?). Where should I ask the question? Start a new thread in which section?
I'm wondering if I should use AB - it still works, right?
This is really bad - these software programs either have bugs or AB is being abandoned like EVGA is not making Nvidia cards.
 
hititnquitit said:
Sounds like it's time to put some pressure on MSI to pay the man.
None of the aforementioned alternatives are worth a dime. Not in comparison to ab, not by a longshot. I've tried them all and they suck hard. Precision not as much as the rest but as has been said already, how long will it even be functional? Unless your rockin a AMD card and using wattman, ab is the only reliable option.
Click to expand...

I don't think they can because the developer is Russian. It's not a coincidence that they haven't been paid in 11-12 months and that's how long Russia has been in Ukraine.
 
pavel said:
Hey, I'm having a major issue with Asus GPU Tweak III (should I call it III or 3?!?). Where should I ask the question? Start a new thread in which section?
I'm wondering if I should use AB - it still works, right?
This is really bad - these software programs either have bugs or AB is being abandoned like EVGA is not making Nvidia cards.
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What problem do you have with Tweak III.
I have a 4080 and AB latest beta version works fine.
 
kirbyrj said:
I don't think they can because the developer is Russian. It's not a coincidence that they haven't been paid in 11-12 months and that's how long Russia has been in Ukraine.
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Software developers have been replaced in the past before. It's a thing that happens time and time again. I don't see how this is any different? There's no reason for us to believe that MSI does not posess the source code of Afterburner.
 
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ZodaEX said:
Software developers have been replaced in the past before. It's a thing that happens time and time again. I don't see how this is any different? There's no reason for us to believe that MSI does not posess the source code of Afterburner.
Click to expand...

This was in reference to the comment that the developers need to be paid.
 
magoo said:
What problem do you have with Tweak III.
I have a 4080 and AB latest beta version works fine.
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When the OSD is enabled and if I try to 'leave' the game screen and go to somewhere on the Windows desktop, the game will crash. It's happened on every test I've done. It's really annoying - the options so far are, 'disable/turn off OSD' or close the game first.
 
ZodaEX said:
Software developers have been replaced in the past before. It's a thing that happens time and time again. I don't see how this is any different? There's no reason for us to believe that MSI does not posess the source code of Afterburner.
Click to expand...

In the post linked at the top of the thread Unwider specifically says that MSI hasn't been doing what they agreed to under a licensing agreement, not that they stopped paying his salary. That agrees with what I've read elsewhere that MSI was paying him enough money to work on Afterburner full time in order to put their branding on the application. Not that they'd bought the rights from him. If they don't own it, even if they have a recent copy of the source code (ex to build and sign official releases with their keys) they can't just take the code and have someone else maintain it for them.
 
a new beta version was released in January...does this mean work is still continuing and Afterburner development is continuing as normal?
 
polonyc2 said:
a new beta version was released in January...does this mean work is still continuing and Afterburner development is continuing as normal?
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I thought that was the end state of the developers unpaid work.
 
I believe you can overclock using GeForce Experience Overlay? I think if you click on the performance button after hitting ALT-Z, you can change the sliders there. I use AB though, but I did notice those sliders once when poking around in the overlay for GFE.
 
I am using the most recent beta of AB on my 4090.
It works fine. All sliders including voltage are functional.
I have found the W11 skin to be the easiest to use, largest print, nice contrast in colors.
 
Update may unlock voltage control on some cards, although I have not seen much of that in the 4000 series. The voltage seems locked in the BIOS. I have seen a few cards with higher power limits depending on the OC software.
That being said, the days of crazy high OC without mods or LN are past.
4000s seem very difficult to push over 3000MHz.
 
magoo said:
Update may unlock voltage control on some cards, although I have not seen much of that in the 4000 series. The voltage seems locked in the BIOS. I have seen a few cards with higher power limits depending on the OC software.
That being said, the days of crazy high OC without mods or LN are past.
4000s seem very difficult to push over 3000MHz.
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Using the Beta still and I can push voltage from 1.05V to 1.1V on my 4090. From my understanding, 1.1V is a hard-set limit in the vBios itself from nVidia, so not sure how one would even get past that without a hard mod or custom vbios.
 
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