GPU Fan Control

Fan Control reads GPU sensors through NVIDIA’s NVAPI and AMD’s ADLX libraries, the same interfaces used by GeForce Experience and Adrenalin. Depending on the card you will see a core temperature, a hotspot (junction) temperature and, on cards with GDDR6X or HBM, a memory temperature. Core temperature is the usual input for the fan curve. If your card’s memory runs hot, build a Mix curve that takes the maximum of a core-based curve and a memory-based curve so the fans respond to whichever is the problem.

When a third-party app takes over, the driver accepts a percentage and applies it to all fans on the card (per-fan control is exposed on some newer NVIDIA models). The card keeps enforcing a floor, typically about 30%, and manages its own zero-RPM mode below a firmware temperature. Fan Control is aware of this: when your curve outputs 0%, the app releases control so the card can decide whether to stop its fans based on temperature and power draw. Whether it actually stops depends on the card’s own rules, for example how many monitors are connected.

• NVIDIA GeForce: minimum command around 30%, fan-stop usually available below roughly 45 °C, and high idle power from multi-monitor setups can keep fans spinning.
• AMD Radeon: a similar minimum percentage, a zero-RPM threshold shown as a dotted line in Adrenalin’s fan chart, and the important caveat that a fan command resets Adrenalin tuning profiles.
• Both: temperature reading never triggers these side effects; only actively driving the fan does.

The documentation covers the exact driver behavior for each vendor.

1. Create a Graph curve using the GPU core temperature.
2. Set 0% for everything at or below the card’s fan-stop temperature so idle stays silent.
3. Step straight up to the driver minimum, about 30%, just above that point; values in between are ignored anyway.
4. Rise gently through the 50s and 60s, reaching 70 to 80% by around 80 °C, then 100% a few degrees before the card’s throttle point.
5. Add a response time of two to three seconds and a little hysteresis so loading screens do not cause audible surges.

Cards with large coolers can often hold gaming temperatures in the 60s at 50% fan speed; small dual-slot designs may need a steeper curve. Let a 15-minute game session show you where the balance is.

• Some laptop and mobile GPUs expose no fan control at all; see the laptop guide.
• Cards using a custom fan controller from the board partner may only report temperature through the driver.
• Multi-GPU systems show each card as its own set of sensors and controls.
• The card’s own protections remain active: if the GPU hits its thermal limit it will throttle regardless of what any software requests.

If the graphics card shows temperatures but no fan control, update the graphics driver first, since the ADLX and NVAPI components ship with it. Close MSI Afterburner, EVGA Precision or Adrenalin’s tuning tab, because only one application can own the fan. On AMD systems make sure the Adrenalin software is installed and not just the bare driver. Finally, confirm you are running the latest Fan Control release, as new GPU generations often need an updated LibreHardwareMonitor.

• CPU fan control
• PWM fan control for case fans
• Fan Control for Windows 11