Can you lower the voltage on a Palit GTX 1050Ti Kalmx?
Can you lower the voltage on a Palit GTX 1050Ti Kalmx?
CPU undervolting proved effective (15C lower stress temperatures). I plan to apply the same approach to the GPU, particularly because it tends to overheat, reaching up to 87°C. This isn't a problem—it's expected from a fully fanless GPU housed in a case without fans.
I won’t modify the heatsink or paste since one of the heatsink screws has a warranty sticker, and I don’t want to void it. Changing the fan curve isn’t possible either, as my system is fanless. I’m concerned about losing performance by underclocking. Please don’t suggest this method.
I’ve looked online for GPU undervolting advice, but only found references related to AMD GPUs and MSI Afterburner, which seems to be specific to MSI cards.
I'm not sure I'm following this correctly. From your original message, you're trying to lower the voltage on your GPU to reduce heat, similar to what you've done with your CPU. However, you still face a high temperature problem, though it's currently within acceptable limits. People who adjust clock speeds or voltage usually aim to boost performance or maintain it under limited resources. You seem to be dealing with cooling issues—yet you don't have any solutions online that involve changing clocking or voltage settings. These methods are rarely used by regular enthusiasts and typically require specific hardware configurations.
Lowering the voltage beyond what your video card needs will reduce performance, unless it leads to total failure.
Your problem involves insufficient cooling in a case without fans. You should add fans or improve airflow for your setup.
Please share your rig's specifications so we can explore a suitable fix. If you have a pre-built system, providing the make and model details will assist in finding a solution.
Are you asking if it means understanding what undervolting is and that it can improve performance without affecting speed (which is why people prefer it over underclocking), and that it doesn't lead to stability problems if tested properly? If so, then just search for it (and maybe try it yourself—it really works). Or is it about my card being so tightly voltageed that you can't lower it by even a tiny amount? If that's the case, I respect the manufacturer's control over silicon variations.
Marek Ogarek:
Are you asking about the concept of undervolting? Do you think it's possible without affecting performance, which is why some people prefer it over underclocking? And if so, would it be safe to try it properly? If yes, then search for information (and maybe experiment yourself—it really helps).
Or is your card so tightly voltageed that even a tiny drop won't help? Then I respect the manufacturer's control over silicon variations. The unpredictability of this process is what makes it risky. You're trying to lower performance without losing speed and risking overheating if you push too hard. Your current setup isn't handling the heat well enough, especially since you're using a fanless design—possibly because you wanted silence.
Many people adjust voltage slightly to see how much performance they can maintain. But if you really want to reduce heat output significantly, you'll need to increase cooling beyond what's available. You might need to explore other cooling methods instead of relying on undervolting.
All in all, I asked for your rig's details so we could suggest a better solution. If you're not comfortable changing voltage, remember that altering electronic components can be dangerous. For optimal performance, your system needs proper cooling. Your rig is overheating. You need improved ventilation or a more effective cooling method. Fanless won't work, and undervolting isn't the best fix either.
1) It's not risky if you don't go too fast, at most you will get problems during stress testing, then reboot and change settings. Exactly 0% chance of destroying anything. Unlike overvolting or overclocking it can't fry any components.
2) Undervolting CAN drop temps by a significant amount, as exemplified by 15C drop on my CPU.
3) I just found out that the Palit's target temp is 83C and that according to NVIDIA's specs "Maximum GPU Temperature (in C): 97" https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/pro...-gtx-1050/
I guess it means I don't have to worry too much if an hour of FurMark only gets it to 88C. I'm just not used to such high thermal resilience. I guess technology does move forward.
Still, would be nice to drop it even further by undervolting, but we still don't have Pascal BIOS editor. Afterburner's Voltage/Frequency curve only goes down to 0.8V and my card doesn't even go that far regardless of temp (on second thought maybe it means it's factory undervolted? seems way lower that what most people are getting).
My rig is Seasonic 520W fanless PSU (with thermal failsafes, so I'm not worried about it overheating and anyway it is at the bottom so it gets cool air, my power draw is low and the efficiency is through the roof, so it's not like it has a lot of heat to dissipate), FX6300 (@ stock clock) with NoFan CR95C cooler and good paste (thanks to undervolting CPU only gets to 65C in one hour synthetic stress test), Palit 1050Ti Kalmx, MOBO is infamously hot GA-970A-UD3 (but thanks to undervolting NB and other parts I actually have lower MOBO temps than when I still used fans in my case), RAM is low speed so it shouldn't overheat.
Setup works by convection, so a very important part is having case with a lot of fan grills, most importantly two top fan grills.
EDIT:
Only real danger of undervolting is being unable to boot. For CPU/MOBO undervolting of MOBO without dual BIOS you just have to remove battery for a minute. Where it gets more dangerous is GPU BIOS flashing. (Not sure how to undo flash that doesn't let system turn on.) Still if you go really slow it will start crashing synthetic tests on higher voltages than voltages needed to fail a boot. Anyway what I wanted to do was find some software way to do it, because those are even safer.
After hours of googling since my original question I finally found it - Afterburner is totally safe, even if you go down too quickly, because you don't have to run it at startup for testing, so when something goes wrong it's easy to undo everything. Real shame they didn't fathom somebody wanting to undervolt it even below 0.8V.
I’m not sure I’m following this well. From your initial message, you’re aiming to lower the voltage on your GPU in order to reduce heat generation, and you’ve already managed that for your CPU as well. However, you still face a high temperature problem, although it’s currently within acceptable limits.
People who adjust clock speeds or voltage are usually trying to either boost performance or maintain it under limited resources. You’re dealing with cooling challenges... but you don’t seem to have any. You’ve found some online tips about tweaking clocking and voltage settings, but these aren’t typical solutions for most hobbyists. Those who do try often already have some kind of cooling system in place to handle the increased power or speed.
Undervolting your CPU can actually slow down its overall performance, even if you set it to stock speeds. When the system is pushed hard, you’ll likely see a drop in performance or even a reboot.
Your power supply is fine, but when we talk about thermal protection, it means the device will shut down if it overheats. The same applies to CPUs and GPUs. A NoFan cooler is acceptable, but you still need proper ventilation for the heat to escape. Good thermal paste aids in heat transfer to the heatsink, but it doesn’t solve the problem on its own.
The core issue here is that you’re trying to fix it with clocking and voltage adjustments, which isn’t ideal given your setup. You’ll need a fan to expel hot air effectively—either by adding one or improving airflow in your case. If you add multiple fans, proceed; otherwise, look for a better case design.
You might have overcomplicated your situation with this fanless build. Switching to clocking and voltage tweaks is only moderately helpful at best (read carefully), and staying just under the thermal limits isn’t sustainable long-term.
I understand the appeal of going fanless—quieter operation, fewer moving parts—but a fanless setup still requires adequate airflow. Otherwise, heat will accumulate, leading to shutdowns and potential failure. If you rely solely on convection for cooling, you really need that air movement to keep things stable.
Hi,
I was looking for silent PCs too, which is what I was trying to achieve when I built mine a few months ago.
I strongly suggest using two Quiet fans and attaching one to the GPU, plus at least one for the case with zip ties. My build is nearly inaudible up to about 10 inches/25cm close, and I have very good hearing.
This seems like the best balance between performance and longevity without sacrificing power!
Go for it—it’s definitely worth it. You can expect a -40 boost on your GPU.
Atten