Heim
- windows
- October 19, 2021
- de JOSNA
Hardware monitoring is very important for high-end computers, especially those that have a built-in gaming system. As you may already know, gaming peripherals like high-end CPUs, graphics cards, and RAM sticks are very powerful and require a lot of power to run. Add to that the high-end pricespersonal computerComponents have increased a lot recently due to the global shortage of silicon, which is an essential element for these components.
Therefore, it is very important to take proper care of these parts of the computer and make sure that they function as they should, even under heavy use. Today we are going to talk about one of the most popular hardware monitoring software from MSI called MSI Afterburner. This should be a familiar program to many users, as the MSI includes a driver CD with the software.GPUs made by MSI.
Even if you are not familiar with the software, don't worry. Today we are going to cover all aspects of the software in our guide so that you can install and customize it to your liking. To get all the necessary information about MSI Afterburner, you should read our guide till the end.
contour
MSI Afterburner Overlay Customization Guide
MSI Afterburner is one of the most popular hardware monitoring software and is currently used by most of the professional gamers and content creators. So it is great to have this software installed on your system and manage your hardware with it.
MSI Afterburner allows you to monitor various parameters of the hardware installed in your systems, such as:Graphic card,TAKE, and even the speed of the fan installed on your graphics card. You can also control GPU parameters such as core voltage, core clock, and even graphics memory clock. Therefore, software is very important for those who overclock computer components.
Installation and initial configuration
Before using the software, you must download, install and configure the initial settings of the MSI Afterburner software. See how you can do this.
- Download the MSI Afterburner software from the link provided here.
https://www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner/graphics-cards
- The MSI Afterburner setup also includes the Rivatuner Statistics Server software, which you can install at the same time. It is a frame rate monitoring software along with a built-in screen recorder. It is not strictly necessary, but you can also install it for complete monitoring.
- After downloading the installation, extract the zip file and double-click the .exe file to start the installation.
- During the installation, you will be prompted to select the components to install. Enable or disable the Rivatuner statistics server and click Next, depending on your needs.
- Now select the destination folder and start the installation. Wait for the program to install.
- After installing the software, you can start the program from the installation screen by clicking "Run or MSI Afterburner' and click Finish.
- Now just click on the gear icon on the left to open thesettings page.
- Now go to "surveillance” and check the parameters you want to monitor with the software.
- Also, be sure to select theshow no OSDoption and click Apply.
- You can also arrange the parameters in a specific order by simply dragging the parameters within the list. The overlay within a game or show must appear in this exact order.
changing colors
Many users like to customize the theme of the monitoring software to match the theme of their settings and the games they usually play. You can also do this on MSI Afterburner by following these steps.
- In the Monitoring section, scroll down until you find theShow in OSD optionand clicksmall boxpresent on the right.
- Here you can manage the parameters for each of the overlay options.
- To change the colors, open this section and click the buttongroup coloroptions
- You can now see all the parameters you selected earlier that should be displayed on the overlay.
- You will see a color code in front of each parameter. Just double click on it and select the color from the list.
- You can also code a specific color that you want in the overlay.
- You can also change the color of dynamic values in this section. To do this, just click the buttonSystemfarbe option 0available in the Color Library section.
- Now you can choose the color you like best in theRGB color paletteavailable here.
- To change the color of the value, just click on itcolor option valueand choose the color you like best. clickApplyto save the changes.
- In addition to the values, the overlay parameter also provides the units. To change the color of the units, open the Unit Color option and select the color as before.
grouping
Pooling is a great feature of the MSI Afterburner overlay as it allows you to pool similar resources together. For example, you can group GPU-related parameters, such as usage, temperature, and speed, and put them on a single line. This makes the overlap shorter but still more complete.
- To group different parameters in the overlay, go to the top of the monitoring section.
- Here you can find the list of all visible parameters. Now just arrange the parameters you want to group.
- Now select the parameter below and scroll down until you find itOverride group name option.
- Click the check box to enable the pool and rename the Main Hardware section.
- For example, if you group the GPU memory clock by usage, simply name the GPU in the group.
- Now perform the same action for all similar parameters and click Apply.
rename
Group names, values and even the main hardware can be changed in the MSI Afterburner software. So you can rename the sections however you want to see them in the overlay. This makes the overlay easy to understand even when you're focused on the game.
- There is an option to replace the group name, which we saw in the previous steps.
- To change the group name, simply click the box next to the option and type the text you want to appear in place of the group name.
- Instead of the terms, you can enter the name of your graphics card or CPU, for exampleGraphic cardy CPU.
- It is very beneficial for those who record reference videos and post the results online. Provides instant confirmation of which GPU, CPU, and RAM are being used at the time of the benchmark.
add graphic
In addition to the metrics, MSI Afterburner also provides a graphical representation of performance directly on the overlay. This allows you to gain more insight into your hardware's performance, as you can check for performance drops at specific points in the game.
- To add a graphic to the overlay, simply select the frame rate parameter from the list.
- Now scroll down the app and find the overlay options. Before appearing in the on-screen view, you will see a selectable option.
- After clicking on it, a small drop-down menu will appear, allowing you to choose between Text, Graphics, and Simultaneous Text and Graphics.
- After selecting the graph option, you will see a horizontal graph along with the FPS value at the bottom of the graph.
- You can also change the color of the chart using the small box on the right side of this option.
- It is recommended to change the color of the chart to something that is easily recognizable, even on a light background.
unit size
Each of the overlay parameters contains specific units at the end. For example, speed is displayed in units of MHz and usage is displayed with a % sign. While it is recommended to leave the unit text at its default value, you can still change the size of the text.
- To change the unit size, go to the Unit Size option in the Active Layout Properties window.
- Now click on it to find additional drive size options.
- Here you will find the dropdown menu with options to change the size of the drive.
- Here you get 3 options that are standard, 50% larger than standard, and 50% smaller than standard.
- Select the appropriate option for your use and click Apply to save the changes.
Change font and size
Many users use a custom font on their computer. Well, you can even use the same font on the MSI afterburner overlay. However, you need to open the RivaTuner software to change the font overlay and font size.
- After opening the RivaTuner software, look for the Raster 3D option.
- Here you can select the font of your choice for the overlay. Also, you have the option to change the font size and style such as bold and oblique bold.
- You'll also find a small preview at the bottom of the window to give you an idea of your selection.
- Once you are done with the font and style, just click OK to save the settings.
positioning
Depending on the game you are playing, you may need to change the position of the MSI Afterburner performance stats overlay. By default, it's in the top-right corner of the screen. However, some games display a part of the HUD in this section that may require you to change the position of the overlay.
- To adjust the position, simply open the RivaTuner software.
- Here you will find an option to manually adjust the horizontal and vertical coordinates of the value.
- You also get a preview of the results to check if the values are correct or not.
- Once you've found the perfect position, simply tap Enter to save your changes.
Distance
In the overlay, there are multiple invisible columns that exist between multiple values, creating a visual difference between them. You can adjust this distance manually through the MSI Afterburner software.
- To adjust the spacing, simply reopen the MSI Afterburner software and go to the Select Screen Display option.
- Click the small box on the right side of the checkbox again.
- After that you should find the Alignments library option to manage the spacing.
- There are 2 options available in the Alignments library option. Select the Alignments 1 option to change the spacing.
- You can now enter and save a value in this option. Remember that smaller values decrease the space between characters.
Shortcut keys to toggle screen display
Finally, let's talk about the hotkeys that you can also press while playing the game to quickly turn the overlay on or off. The default key may interfere with a specific game feature that you may want to change as soon as possible to avoid game crashes.
- In MSI Afterburner settings, open the Display tab.
- In this section, the first option allows you to change the hotkey overlay.
- To change the hotkey, simply click the box opposite the Toggle Screen Display option and press the keys you want to use for the overlay.
- The hotkey will appear in the field as soon as you press it.
- Now click Apply to save the changes.
conclusion
Downloading and installing hardware monitoring software like MSI Afterburner is easy. However, it becomes a bit difficult to customize the software to your liking. While the default options are good enough for most users, some may want to customize various options such as colors, size, and overlay placement. For that, we offer almost all the customization options available in MSI Afterburner. After following our guide, you can easily configure the MSI Afterburner overlay the way you want.
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