In this guide (9 sections)
- Before you start
- 1. Check your temperatures before you change anything
- 2. Choose one app to control the fan speed
- 3. Turn on custom fan control
- 4. Draw a quieter fan curve
- 5. Keep zero-RPM mode or replace it with a slow, steady speed
- 6. Make the settings load every time Windows starts
- 7. Test it in a demanding game
- Real cases: what other users ran into
Your graphics cardGPU (graphics card): The graphics card: the part that creates the picture you see on the monitor. More in our PC basics glossary → decides on its own how fast its cooling fans spin, and the factory settings often favor low temperatures over silence. With a free app you can set the speed yourself: keep the card quiet at light loads and let the fans speed up only when they’re really needed. Done sensibly, it doesn’t harm the card.
The usual way is a fan curveFan curve: A setting that decides how fast the fans spin at each temperature. More in our Cooling & noise glossary →: a simple chart that tells the cooling fans how fast to spin at each temperature.
Quick fix
The short version:
- Note your temperatures first, on the desktop and after 20 minutes of gaming. See how.
- Use one app only: MSI Afterburner (most NVIDIA and AMD cards) or AMD Software (AMD cards). See which one.
- Turn on custom fan control and drag the curve down at low temperatures, then up gradually. See an example curve.
- Make it load at startup and test it in a game. See the steps.
Want to see how others fixed it? Read 3 real cases from PC forums.
Before you start
| Your situation | What to do | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| You don’t know your normal temperatures. | Measure them before changing anything | Step 1 |
| You have an NVIDIA card and can’t find the fan settings. | Use MSI Afterburner or your card maker’s app | Step 2 |
| The fans are loud even on the desktop. | Lower the curve at low temperatures | Step 4 |
| The cooling fans keep starting and stopping. | Change the zero-RPM setting | Step 5 |
| Your fan settings are lost after every restart. | Make the app load with Windows | Step 6 |
| The temperature climbs too high after the change. | Raise the curve a little | Step 7 |
| One fan ignores every setting. | It’s likely a hardware fault | GPU fan not spinning |
1. Check your temperatures before you change anything
You need a starting point, so you can tell whether your new settings are safe.
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) → Performance → GPU and note the temperature on the desktop.
- Play a demanding game for 20 minutes, then check again. A free tool such as HWiNFO also shows the fan speed and the “hot spot” temperatureGPU hot spot (junction temperature): The temperature of the hottest point on the graphics chip. It always reads higher than the normal "GPU temperature". More in our Graphics cards & display glossary →. Our guide to monitoring temperatures while gaming shows how.
Compare your numbers with our guide to how hot a GPU should run. If the card is already close to its limit, clean it before making it quieter: see how to clean GPU fans.
2. Choose one app to control the fan speed
- MSI Afterburner is free and works with most NVIDIA and AMD cards, not only MSI ones. It’s the usual choice on NVIDIA cards, because NVIDIA’s own app doesn’t offer a full fan-curve editor.
- AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, the app that comes with AMD’s graphics driver, has fan controls built in.
- Your card maker’s app, such as ASUS GPU Tweak III or Gigabyte Control Center, can do the same.
Use only one of them. Two apps controlling the same cooling fans fight each other: the fan speed jumps up and down or ignores your settings. If you install Afterburner, set any other tuning app back to its defaults.
On a gaming laptop, these apps usually can’t change the graphics fans: the laptop maker controls them. Use the laptop’s own app instead, for example its “silent” or “balanced” mode.
3. Turn on custom fan control
In MSI Afterburner:
- Open Afterburner and click the Settings (gear) icon.
- Open the Fan tab.
- Tick Enable user-defined software automatic fan control. The fan curve appears.
In AMD Software:
- Open AMD Software and search for Tuning, then choose Performance Tuning.
- In the GPU section, choose Manual Tuning → Custom. The first time, AMD asks you to accept its terms for manual tuning.
- Switch on Fan Tuning, then Advanced Control to see the curve.
4. Draw a quieter fan curve
The curve has points: temperature along the bottom, fan speed (in percent) up the side. Drag the points so the fans stay slow while the card is cool and speed up gradually as it warms. A reasonable starting point:
| GPU temperature | Fan speed |
|---|---|
| Below 50°C | 30% or off (zero-RPM) |
| 60°C | 40% |
| 70°C | 55% |
| 80°C | 75% |
| 85°C+ | 100% |
Default vs. quieter GPU fan curve
Example only: check your own card's temperature limits before copying it. Across: GPU temperature. Up: fan speed.
- Typical default curve: speeds up early.
- Quieter custom curve: slow and steady until the card is properly warm, then it ramps up.
Keep the curve rising all the way: never make the fans slower at a higher temperature. Then click Apply in Afterburner, or Apply Changes in AMD Software.
The percentage isn’t the same on every card. 40% may be quiet on one card and loud on another, so check the real fan speed in RPMRPM (fan speed): Revolutions per minute: how many times a fan turns each minute. It's the real measure of fan speed. More in our Cooling & noise glossary → in HWiNFO or GPU-Z and adjust by ear.
5. Keep zero-RPM mode or replace it with a slow, steady speed
Most graphics cards stop their cooling fans completely when they’re cool. This is zero-RPM modeZero-RPM mode: A feature that stops the fans completely when the part is cool, to stay silent. It's normal, not a fault. More in our Cooling & noise glossary →, and it’s the quietest option on the desktop. If the temperature hovers right at the point where the fans switch on, they may start and stop every few seconds, which is more annoying than a steady hum.
- In AMD Software: turn Zero RPM off and set the lowest point of the curve to about 30%.
- In MSI Afterburner: give the curve a flat, low section (around 30%) at the bottom, so the fans never stop.
If your fans don’t stop and start, you can leave zero-RPM mode as it is.
6. Make the settings load every time Windows starts
Fan settings made in an app only work while that app is running.
- In MSI Afterburner: in Settings → General, tick Start with Windows and keep Afterburner running in the background. Don’t tick options you don’t need: each one has a short help text when you hover over it. Locked profiles, for example, can stop your settings from applying at startup.
- In AMD Software: your settings are saved when you click Apply Changes and come back after a restart. If they’re ever lost, for example after a graphics driver update, set them again.
Restart the PC and check that the fans follow your curve.
7. Test it in a demanding game
Play your most demanding game for 20–30 minutes with HWiNFO open. Compare the temperatures with the ones you noted in step 1:
- A few degrees warmer, much quieter: that’s the balance you wanted. Keep it.
- Close to your card’s limit: raise the curve a little in the 70–80°C range.
- No real difference in noise: the fans may not be the main source of noise. See our guide to a loud GPU fan for other causes, or coil whine if you hear a high-pitched buzz.
To undo everything, untick the custom fan control option in Afterburner, or use the reset (arrow) icon in AMD Software. The card goes back to its factory behavior.
Real cases: what other users ran into
Real caseGigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super WindforceSolvedThe fan curve didn't apply after restarting
In December 2021, the person who posted had set a quieter fan curve in MSI Afterburner. After every restart, the fan speed stayed at 29% until they clicked their profile and Apply again. Reinstalling Afterburner didn’t help. The app’s developer replied that, while following online tips, they had switched on options that their card doesn’t support or doesn’t need, and had locked their profiles, which stopped the settings from applying at startup. After unticking those options and restarting, the curve worked.
Takeaway: only switch on the settings you need, and read their help text first. See step 6.
Source: Guru3D Forums
Real caseRadeon RX 6700 XTSolution not confirmed by the userThe fan speed in percent didn't mean what it seemed
In July 2023, the person who posted had just built a PC and worried about a “hot spot” reading of 93–100°C in a demanding game. Their default fan curve showed high percentages, yet the fans spun at only about 1,800 RPM. Forum members said the temperatures were fine for that card, and suggested a custom curve. One explained that on their own card 100% meant about 4,000 RPM, which is why they used low percentages. The person said they would try it, but didn’t post again.
Takeaway: judge the curve by the real RPM and by ear, not by the percentage. See step 4.
Source: TechPowerUp Forums
Real caseASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3080 V2Not solved by the userTwo cooling fans ignored every app
In July 2025, after a gaming session, the person’s card kept its cooling fans loud on the desktop. One outer fan had stopped, the middle fan could still be controlled, and the other outer fan spun near full speed even with the card cool. Neither ASUS GPU Tweak III nor another fan app could change the two outer fans. They opened the card and found the fan cables firmly connected, and suspected the fan control circuit on the card. The thread had no replies.
Takeaway: when a cooling fan ignores every app, the problem is hardware, not settings. See GPU fan not spinning.
Source: ROG Forum
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to change my GPU fan speed?
Yes, if the fan speed always goes up as the temperature rises, and you check your temperatures afterwards. Graphics cards also protect themselves: if they get too hot, they slow down and, in the worst case, switch off. Never set a fixed low speed and forget about it.
Can I control GPU fan speed from the BIOS?
No. The BIOS controls the motherboard’s fan connectors, such as the processor and case fans, not the graphics card’s own fans. For those, see our guide to setting a fan curve in the BIOS.
Does a lower fan speed shorten the card’s life?
Running a few degrees warmer within the normal range is fine. What matters is avoiding very high temperatures for long periods. If anything, slower fans wear their bearings less.
Why do my settings reset after a graphics driver update?
Driver updates can reset AMD Software’s tuning to its defaults. After an update, check your fan settings and apply them again if needed.
Is MSI Afterburner safe to use?
Yes, when you download it from MSI’s official website. Avoid download sites that bundle it with other software.
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