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The fix depends on which graph is missing: Afterburner’s separate Hardware Monitor graph, the in-game RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) overlay, or a recorded benchmark chart. For the normal MSI Afterburner in-game graph, open Settings → Monitoring, select Frametime, enable Show in On-Screen Display, choose text, graph (or the available graph mode), assign the OSD hotkey, and confirm that RTSS is installed and running.
Afterburner selects and supplies monitoring values; RTSS normally draws the in-game overlay. Testing those paths separately is the fastest way to locate the failure.
First, identify the graph you mean
- Hardware Monitor graph: the separate graph shown by MSI Afterburner outside the game.
- RTSS OSD graph: the graph drawn over the game. This normally requires both Afterburner and RTSS.
- Recorded benchmark graph: a history or capture chart from tools such as CapFrameX or PresentMon. This is a different workflow, not an Afterburner OSD problem.
MSI describes RTSS as necessary for Afterburner’s normal in-game monitoring and OSD workflow, while Afterburner’s own monitoring window can display selected values separately. See MSI’s Afterburner support guide and OSD walkthrough.
Quick fix for the in-game frametime graph
- Install MSI Afterburner from MSI’s official page or the official Guru3D distribution. During setup, make sure RivaTuner Statistics Server is selected.
- Open Afterburner and click the gear icon.
- Open Monitoring.
- Select Frametime in the monitoring list.
- Enable the monitoring checkbox beside Frametime.
- Enable Show in On-Screen Display.
- Change its display mode to text, graph or the available graph option.
- Click Apply.
- Open Settings → On-Screen Display, assign a key to Toggle On-Screen Display, launch the game, and press that key.
- Confirm that RTSS is running in the Windows system tray.
For the first test, keep the OSD simple: select Framerate, Frametime, GPU usage, GPU temperature, and CPU usage. Too many sensors can make the graph difficult to see.
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What frametime shows
FPS tells you how many frames are delivered per second. Frametime tells you how long each frame takes, normally in milliseconds. A perfectly consistent 60 FPS corresponds to about 16.7 ms per frame; 144 FPS corresponds to about 6.9 ms.
An upward spike means that one frame took longer than its neighbors. Repeated or large spikes can provide evidence of uneven frame delivery even when the FPS counter looks acceptable. FPS is an average-like rate, so it can hide variation that a frametime graph makes visible.
However, the graph is not a complete measurement of everything you see. V-sync, G-SYNC or FreeSync, frame caps, the compositor, capture method, polling intervals, and the display’s presentation path can affect perceived motion. A flat graph does not automatically prove perfect smoothness, and every spike is not necessarily caused by the GPU.
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Test the Hardware Monitor before troubleshooting the OSD
- In Settings → Monitoring, select Frametime.
- Open Afterburner’s separate Hardware Monitor.
- Run a game or benchmark and watch the graph.
| Result | Likely direction |
|---|---|
| The separate graph works, but the in-game graph does not | Investigate RTSS, the OSD mode, the hotkey, the game profile, or the game hook. |
| Neither graph works | Check Frametime selection, monitoring checkboxes, the application restart, and whether the game is producing samples. |
| FPS appears but Frametime is blank | Frametime may not be selected independently, may still be text-only, or may not be exposed correctly by that game or API. |
| The graph is visible but appears flat | Check the scale and confirm that the game is actually rendering changing scenes before treating it as a failure. |
Why FPS appears but Frametime does not
Each metric has its own monitoring and OSD settings. In Settings → Monitoring, verify all of the following specifically for Frametime:
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- The item is selected in the monitoring list.
- Its monitoring checkbox is enabled.
- Show in On-Screen Display is enabled for Frametime, not just Framerate.
- The display mode is text, graph or graph, rather than text-only.
- You clicked Apply after changing it.
Restart Afterburner after applying the setting and test another game. A common configuration mistake is enabling graph mode for Framerate while leaving Frametime unselected or text-only.
Why the OSD appears but the graph does not
If FPS or another statistic is visible, RTSS is at least rendering some overlay content. Check the Frametime-specific settings first:
- Confirm that Frametime itself is enabled for OSD output.
- Confirm the display mode is graph-capable.
- Check whether the graph is positioned outside the visible screen area.
- Review RTSS’s OSD size, position, and presentation settings.
- Temporarily disable another overlay that could be covering it.
- Check the correct monitor if you use multiple displays.
Afterburner controls which values are sent; RTSS controls much of the overlay’s presentation, including placement and sizing. MSI’s OSD documentation explains this division.
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When no OSD appears at all
If not even FPS or GPU temperature appears, the problem is probably broader than the Frametime sensor. Check these in order:
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- Color Control: 4000:1 Contrast Ratio, 300 nits Brightness & 110% sRGB color coverage, Low Blue Light, Anti-Flicker/Anti-Glare, HDR Mode(can be enabled in the OSD menu only when connected via an HDMI port). If color not showing great on games, try to change color setting or just turn on the HDR mode.
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- Confirm RTSS was installed with Afterburner.
- Launch RTSS directly and confirm it is running.
- Confirm a key is assigned to Toggle On-Screen Display.
- Check that the game’s executable appears in RTSS.
- Test the global RTSS profile before creating a custom profile.
- Close competing overlays temporarily.
- Test a non-protected game or benchmark.
- Restart both Afterburner and RTSS, then launch the game again.
Some games, rendering modes, anti-cheat systems, and overlay combinations can restrict or interfere with third-party hooks. This behavior is application-specific rather than a universal rule about every anti-cheat system.
When the Hardware Monitor works but the in-game graph does not
This usually means frametime data is available and the failure is in the OSD or game-hook path. Use this order:
- Confirm RTSS is running.
- Confirm the OSD hotkey and press it after the game has fully loaded.
- Check the actual game executable in RTSS, not only its launcher.
- Test windowed or borderless mode.
- Run Afterburner and RTSS at the same privilege level as the game.
- Temporarily disable other overlays.
- Test another game or benchmark.
- Repair or reinstall RTSS if no application can display an OSD.
A game may use separate launcher, anti-cheat, and rendering executables. Adding only the launcher may not create a working profile for the process that renders the game.
Zero, flat, or game-specific graphs
The graph shows zero
Check whether the game is actually being hooked, whether the correct application profile is active, and whether you are viewing the correct GPU or process. Also check whether the graph is configured for one display path while you are watching another.
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Reports of the OSD and separate Hardware Monitor showing different results exist, but they are anecdotal rather than universal. Treat the two displays as separate failure points instead of assuming one proves the other is working. See the discussion at Blur Busters Forums for examples, not a guaranteed fix.
The graph is flat
First verify that the game is running, the graph scale is readable, and the scene is changing. A highly consistent workload can produce a nearly flat graph. A long history window can also compress small variations, while a short spike may be visually easy to miss.
A flat result is evidence about the samples being displayed, not absolute proof that the monitor is presenting every frame perfectly.
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It works in one game but not another
That points toward a per-game RTSS profile, rendering API, fullscreen or borderless mode, an incorrect executable, or an application-specific overlay restriction. Test the other game in borderless mode, add its main rendering executable to RTSS, and compare with a known-working title.
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It stops after an update
Recheck the profile, restart both applications, and test with the global RTSS profile. Avoid immediately replacing configuration files, editing the registry, rolling back drivers, or disabling security software. Those are advanced, version-specific steps and should not be first-line fixes.
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Use MSI’s official Afterburner page or the official Guru3D distribution. MSI warns that lookalike Afterburner download sites may provide modified or malicious installers. Prefer the stable release unless you specifically need a beta hardware-support fix; release availability can change, so verify the current listing on MSI’s page.
When to use another tool
| Tool | Best use | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Afterburner + RTSS | Quick live FPS, frametime, temperature, and utilization overlay | Depends on a working overlay hook and may conflict with game restrictions or other overlays. |
| CapFrameX | Repeatable captures, CSV data, percentiles, 1% lows, and intermittent-stutter analysis | It is a capture and analysis workflow rather than a minimal live overlay. Its documentation warns that overlapping PresentMon-based monitoring tools can conflict. |
| PresentMon | Lower-level frame-presentation metrics, realtime metrics, overlays, and per-frame CSV capture | More technical to configure and interpret than the standard Afterburner OSD. |
CapFrameX is based on PresentMon and uses RTSS for its overlay; see its project documentation for capture and conflict guidance. Disable overlapping monitoring tools while testing rather than running several PresentMon-based collectors together.
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Final diagnosis
| Symptom | Most likely fix |
|---|---|
| No OSD at all | Install or launch RTSS, check the toggle hotkey, profile, privilege level, and hook compatibility. |
| OSD exists but no Frametime | Select Frametime separately, enable its OSD checkbox, and choose text-and-graph or graph mode. |
| Hardware Monitor works but OSD does not | Focus on RTSS, the application profile, overlays, rendering mode, and hook compatibility. |
| Both graphs are missing | Recheck monitoring selection, restart Afterburner, test another game, and verify the installation. |
| Graph shows zero | Check the hooked executable, process or GPU selection, active profile, and application compatibility. |
| Graph is flat | Check graph scale and scene activity; do not automatically interpret flat as perfect presentation. |
| Only one game fails | Investigate that game’s executable, API, display mode, profile, and overlay restrictions. |
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