Unofficial MSI Afterburner Update Unlocks 36 GT/s Overclocking for Nvidia RTX 50-Series GPUs

The modification allows RTX 5080 users to maximize GDDR7 memory performance but raises concerns about hardware risks and availability.

An unofficial update for MSI Afterburner enables RTX 50-series GPUs to overclock GDDR7 memory up to 36 GT/s, exceeding Nvidia's factory specifications.
The update, developed by Alexei 'Unwinder,' requires replacing a database file and is compatible with MSI Afterburner version 4.6.6 Beta 5 Build 16555.
This development is particularly impactful for RTX 5080 users, whose 32 GT/s memory chips are down-clocked to 30 GT/s by default.
Overclocking to these levels carries significant risks, including potential hardware damage and system instability, especially given current GPU shortages.
Alternative tools like Asus's GPU Tweak III also support GDDR7 overclocking, offering enthusiasts additional options to push performance limits.