Question [NOOB Question] Why is GPU undervolting more complicated than CPU?

[admkhalid]

I already asked this question on r/undervolt subreddit and LTT Forum. But I haven't got any proper answer.

I know what undervolting is and the other basic stuff. I undervolted my CPU with Intel XTU. It was straightforward (just setting the voltage offset). I wanted to do the same with my GPU. Most of the guides I read/tutorials I watched were using MSI Afterburner. The process (as you may already know) involves adjusting a curve on a graph. Nobody explained how it would affect the voltage of the GPU. X was voltage and Y was frequency. I understand it represents the GPU will run at "y" MHz at "x" mV and x is variable at a given time. But I always thought that a constant voltage is applied through a digital circuit. That's how I understood CPU undervolting. It always runs at X volts with variable frequency at a given time and adjusted it run at (X - a) volts to reduce the heat output. This is why GPU undervolt doesn't make sense to me. OK. Let's say that the circuit is running at variable voltage. But the process only involves changing the frequency (Y) value. How does it change the overall voltage applied through the GPU? Doesn't changing the frequency affect the performance of the GPU? Is there anything that I'm missing about basic electronic physics?

Also Is there any "one-click" undervolt tool for GPUs, like XTU? All I had to do there was set the offset.



Thanks in advance.

 

[SpeedCola]

You don't need afterburner to undervolt, you can do it through the driver settings. You also don't need to bother undervolting anything under the last or last 2 frequency levels, as these are usually what all games will run at. Anything under that and you don't really have to worry about power consumption

 

[admkhalid]

You don't need afterburner to undervolt, you can do it through the driver settings. You also don't need to bother undervolting anything under the last or last 2 frequency levels, as these are usually what all games will run at. Anything under that and you don't really have to worry about power consumption

Don't see the options on nvidia control panel. Are you talking about AMD? If it's possible for nvidia through driver settings, please tell me how. And I'm not worried about power consumption. Just trying to reduce the heat output.