Best free GPU monitoring software to use right now

MSI Afterburner remains the best free GPU monitoring tool for most people in 2026, because it supports almost every card on the market and its overlay is the most reliable one available for free. HWiNFO64 is the better pick if you want deeper sensor logging rather than an in-game overlay.

Tool	Best for	Cost	Works with
MSI Afterburner	In-game overlay, fan curves, basic undervolting	Free	Nvidia and AMD, any brand of card
HWiNFO64	Deep sensor logging, spotting a failing part	Free	Nvidia, AMD, motherboards, storage
GPU-Z	Quick spec check, VRAM and clock verification	Free	Nvidia and AMD
RivaTuner Statistics Server	The overlay engine Afterburner runs on	Free, bundled with Afterburner	Any DirectX or Vulkan game

Why does everyone still recommend Afterburner?

Because it does three separate jobs in one small install: an in-game overlay for FPS, temperature and usage, a fan curve editor, and a voltage and clock control panel for undervolting or overclocking. Most alternatives do one of those three well and skip the other two. Afterburner is not the newest tool on the list and its interface has looked the same for a decade, but it still gets updated for new GPU generations within days of launch, which matters more than a fresh coat of paint.

What does Afterburner actually get you that Windows doesn't show?

Windows Task Manager shows GPU usage as a single number and nothing about temperature, clock speed, or memory usage per game. Afterburner's overlay, run through RivaTuner underneath it, breaks that into a live readout you can position anywhere on screen: core clock, memory clock, temperature, fan speed, frame time and frame rate, updated multiple times a second. That is the difference between guessing a game feels stuttery and actually seeing the frame time spike that caused it.

When should you use something else?

Reach for HWiNFO64 instead when you are troubleshooting, not gaming, because it logs far more sensors, including motherboard VRM temperature and individual SSD health data, and it writes that log to a file you can review afterward. GPU-Z is faster for a one-time check, like confirming a card is actually running at its rated memory speed before you argue with a seller about it. None of these three compete with each other so much as cover different moments.

From the floor

We have not run a formal count of how often Afterburner comes up at the counter, but it is the one piece of software Manoj gets asked to help set up more than any other, usually by someone who just bought a card and wants to see if it is running hot. It is also the one piece of software we would tell a first-time builder to hold off installing on day one, because reading a temperature number that means nothing to you yet just creates anxiety. Learn what your card is supposed to run at first, then install the overlay.

Illustration generated with AI.

FAQ

Is MSI Afterburner safe to use on a non-MSI graphics card?
Yes. Despite the branding, Afterburner also works on Nvidia and AMD cards from other manufacturers. The company builds it on top of RivaTuner Statistics Server as a general utility, and it has worked this way for years.

Does the Afterburner overlay cost FPS?
A small amount, usually under one FPS, because it is reading sensors and rendering text every frame. If you are chasing every last frame in a competitive shooter, turn the overlay off during matches and only check it between rounds.

Can I use Afterburner and HWiNFO64 at the same time?
Yes, and a lot of people who take monitoring seriously run both, since they read different things. Just do not run two overlays with the same hotkey bound, or they will conflict.

Does Afterburner work on laptops?
Partially. Reading sensors works fine, but voltage and power limit control is often locked by the laptop manufacturer's own firmware, so undervolting features may show but not actually apply. Fan curve control is the most commonly blocked feature on laptops.

Is there a paid tool that does more than Afterburner?
Not really, for the core monitoring and fan curve job. Manufacturer tools bundled with some motherboards add RGB control on top, but for pure GPU monitoring, Afterburner and HWiNFO64 cover what most people need without paying anything.

Bring your card model to the store and we will set up Afterburner and a sane fan curve for you at no charge if you bought the card here. Browse current cards like the GALAX GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB GDDR7, priced at ₹48,450 as of 10 September 2026.

Related: Will undervolting my GPU lower FPS? · Why did my SSD get slower after a Windows update? · The software every PC needs, by what you do

Manoj Rathore turns build data and bench results into the charts on these pages. Published 10 September 2026.