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MSI Afterburner VS Open Hardware Monitor

Compare MSI Afterburner VS Open Hardware Monitor and see what are their differences

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MSI Afterburner logo MSI Afterburner

Tool to manage video cards. Shows video card stats (temp, GPU usage, etc.).

Open Hardware Monitor logo Open Hardware Monitor

Monitors temperature sensors, fan speeds, voltages, load and clock speeds, with optional graph.
  • MSI Afterburner Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-29
  • Open Hardware Monitor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-31

MSI Afterburner features and specs

  • Comprehensive Overclocking Tools
    MSI Afterburner offers a robust set of features for overclocking your GPU, including core voltage control, power limit adjustments, and custom fan profiles.
  • Real-Time Hardware Monitoring
    The software provides real-time monitoring graphs for various GPU metrics like temperature, usage, clock speed, and voltage, allowing users to track performance and make adjustments as needed.
  • Custom Fan Profiles
    Users can create custom fan profiles to adjust fan speeds according to temperature thresholds, enabling better thermal management and reducing noise levels.
  • Compatibility
    MSI Afterburner is compatible with a wide range of graphics cards from different manufacturers, not just MSI branded ones.
  • In-Game Overlay
    The software includes an in-game overlay feature, providing real-time performance data displayed during gameplay without the need for a second monitor.
  • Screen Capture and Video Recording
    MSI Afterburner includes tools for screen capturing and video recording, adding value for gamers and content creators.

Possible disadvantages of MSI Afterburner

  • Complexity for Beginners
    The variety of features and settings can be overwhelming for beginners, making it challenging to use effectively without some prior knowledge of overclocking and hardware monitoring.
  • Risk of Hardware Damage
    Improper use of overclocking features can potentially damage the graphics card or other system components, especially if voltage and temperature limits are not adhered to.
  • System Stability Issues
    Altering GPU settings can sometimes lead to system instability, crashes, or compatibility issues with certain games and applications.
  • User Interface
    While functional, the user interface of MSI Afterburner may not be as intuitive or visually appealing as some newer or more streamlined overclocking tools.
  • Software Conflicts
    MSI Afterburner may conflict with other system utilities or monitoring tools, requiring users to troubleshoot and resolve conflicts for smooth functionality.

Open Hardware Monitor features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    Open Hardware Monitor is available for free and its source code is open to the public, allowing for transparency and community-driven improvements.
  • Wide Hardware Support
    The software supports a broad range of hardware devices including CPUs, GPUs, hard drives, and motherboards, making it versatile for various monitoring needs.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The application features a straightforward and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible for users of all technical levels.
  • Customizable
    Users can customize the display and logging options to fit their specific needs, providing flexibility in how data is monitored and recorded.
  • Portable
    Open Hardware Monitor can be used without installation, allowing it to be run from a USB drive or other portable media.

Possible disadvantages of Open Hardware Monitor

  • No Official Support
    Since it is an open-source project, there is no official customer support, which can be a disadvantage for users needing immediate assistance.
  • Limited Development Updates
    The project development and updates have slowed down, making it potentially less reliable for the latest hardware and operating systems.
  • Windows-Centric
    While primarily designed for Windows, its functionality on other operating systems like Linux and macOS can be limited or require additional configuration.
  • Potential Compatibility Issues
    Certain newer or less common hardware components may not be fully supported, leading to incomplete or inaccurate monitoring data.
  • No Integrated Alerts
    The software does not offer built-in alert systems for critical hardware statuses, necessitating manual monitoring and intervention.

MSI Afterburner videos

+ Add

MSI Afterburner - How to setup On-Screen Display

More videos:

  • Tutorial - MSI Afterburner Complete Guide & Tutorial 2019
  • Review - MSI Afterburner! GPU Overclocking for Beginners.

Open Hardware Monitor videos

+ Add

open hardware monitor video, dawnload and tutorial.wmv

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MSI Afterburner and Open Hardware Monitor)

MSI Afterburner

Open Hardware Monitor

Device Management
38 38%
Device Management
62% 62
Monitoring Tools
29 29%
Monitoring Tools
71% 71
Gaming
100 100%
Gaming
0% 0
System Information
36 36%
System Information
64% 64

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MSI Afterburner and Open Hardware Monitor

MSI Afterburner Reviews

Top 8 BEST NZXT CAM ALTERNATIVES
MSI Afterburner is a program similar to Nzxt CAM that monitors and enhances the performance of your computer. It has a lesser FPS impact than Fraps while yet offering the same capabilities. Along with the video capture, the beta versions feature audio streaming. The software is responsible for monitoring the performance of a component’s Graphics Processing Unit. You can use...
Source: gisuser.com
10 Best Nzxt CAM Alternatives
One advantage MSI Afterburner has over Nzxt CAM is the OC Scanner, which detects the optimal overclocking settings for your computer’s graphics card. This way, you don’t have to manually adjust the graphics card settings.
Source: conbackpackers.com
11 Best CPU Temperature Monitor For Windows PC To Check Accurate CPU Temp Readings
MSI Afterburner is the world’s most famous graphics card overclocking software that is used by millions of users even in 2021. If you want to overclock your CPU or GPU then you can download MSI Afterburner. You can also check CPU temp and GPU temp, monitor CPU fan speed, CPU frequency, load.
Source: www.softlay.com
Top 10 Best Game Booster Software Windows 2020
Last yet not the least in the rundown of best Game Booster programming for Windows, MSI Afterburner is an incredible sponsor for Windows 10. This is one of only a handful couple of programming like GameBoost which offers overclocking alternatives. Aside from the typical capacities, it gives the client a chance to tweak the fan speed, benchmark video record, and screen. It...
Source: techigem.com
11 Best Game Optimizers and Boosters for Windows PC
Meet the best game booster software, MSI Afterburner for your Windows 10 machine. This is one of the few solutions which offer overclocking options. Apart from the usual functions that every top game speed boosting tool provides, it lets the user customize the fan speed, benchmark video record, and monitor. It offers full control over the GPU voltage and frequency. You can...
Source: blogs.systweak.com

Open Hardware Monitor Reviews

HWMonitor Review & Alternatives for 2023
Open Hardware Monitor is an on-device utility for PCs running Windows. The tool reports on the hardware statuses on the computer on which it is installed, which means that it doesn’t operate as a remote monitoring system. However, this software is available for use free of charge.
Source: www.comparitech.com
Top 8 BEST NZXT CAM ALTERNATIVES
The Open Hardware Monitor supports most hardware monitoring chips present on today’s mainboards. The core temperature sensors on Intel and AMD processors can be used to monitor the CPU temperature. The temperature of AMD and Nvidia visual cards and the temperature of SMART hard drives can be viewed. The monitored values can be presented in the main window, a desktop gadget,...
Source: gisuser.com
10 Best Nzxt CAM Alternatives
The Open Hardware Monitor interface is like a directory. It’s not as optimized as the Nzxt CAM interface, but it’s much easier to use. Just click on a specific hardware and get all the information about it.
Source: conbackpackers.com
11 Best CPU Temperature Monitor For Windows PC To Check Accurate CPU Temp Readings
The Open Hardware Monitor is a free open source tool that monitors CPU temperature, fan, and clock speeds, and voltages of a PC. Due to its lightweight and simplicity, it is one of the best PC temp monitoring software. You can easily check CPU temperature and maintain it under optimal limits.
Source: www.softlay.com
20 Programs to Analyze and Benchmark Your Hardware
If you're after a monitoring program for a Linux computer, your options are unfortunately rather limited. However, for 10 years, software developer Michael Möller has been running an open source project to help fill this niche -- meet Open Hardware Monitor.
Source: www.techspot.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Open Hardware Monitor seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 154 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

MSI Afterburner mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of MSI Afterburner yet. Tracking of MSI Afterburner recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Open Hardware Monitor mentions (154)

  • Game freezes every few minutes or so
    Https://openhardwaremonitor.org/ this tells you your temps Https://www.geeks3d.com/20211115/gpu-caps-viewer-1-54-released/ This cranks your gpu to max Https://www.jam-software.com/heavyload this cranks your CPU to max. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Free Tech Tools and Resources - Hardware Monitor, Offboarding Script, WiFi Scanner & More
    Open Hardware Monitor tracks critical system metrics, including temperature sensors, fan speeds, voltages, load, and clock speeds. Monitored data can be displayed in the primary application window, a customizable desktop gadget, or the system tray. -SPOF recommends it for "real-time monitoring of CPU, GPU, and hard drive temperatures, as well as fan speeds and voltages.". Source: over 1 year ago
  • My multi-monitor desktop setup (not pretty but useful)
    Programs (mostly free/sharewares): Google desktop apps: Google Chrome or MS Edge or whatever you use as a browser. And if you're lazy: https://chromeless.app/ to create the apps. Microsoft PowerToys: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/ Total Commander: https://www.ghisler.com/ ContaCam: https://www.contaware.com/contacam.html Open Hardware Monitor: https://openhardwaremonitor.org/ Stickies:... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Game crashing every match.
    Game crashes all the time and you already did all of the above = all aboard the diagnostics train as it may be a number of things, from bad graphics card driver all the way overheating problems or malfunctioning components. Do the easy steps first (clean reinstall of the graphics driver + checking temps, under heavy load, and googling what's the maximum safe temperature for your processor + graphics card, it... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Why is my PC unbearably feeble despite having decent specs?
    Open Hardware Monitor is pretty simple and solid. Just look through all the statistics for anything that's a temperature and make sure none of them are higher than, say, 50c when idle, or ~80c when you're doing something. Laptops have a slightly wider range of acceptable temperatures so there wouldn't be any immediate cause for alarm if it was slightly hotter than that, as long as you were doing something... Source: almost 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing MSI Afterburner and Open Hardware Monitor, you can also consider the following products

Guru3D - Guru of 3D: PC Hardware Reviews and tests

SpeedFan - Hardware monitor for Windows that can access digital temperature sensors located on several 2-wire SMBus Serial Bus. Can access voltages and fan speeds and control fan speeds. Includes technical articles and docs.

Geforce Experience - GeForce Experience is a new application from NVIDIA that optimizes your PC in two key ways.

CPU-Z - CPU-Z is a freeware that gathers information on some of the main devices of your system : Processor name and number, codename, process, package, cache levels.

HWiNFO - Professional System Information and Diagnostics. Comprehensive Hardware Analysis, Monitoring and Reporting for Windows and DOS. FREEWARE. download. Advertisements.

iStat Menus - "An advanced Mac system monitor for your menubar."

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