# NVCurve

NVCurve is a Linux-based voltage-frequency (V/F) curve editor and overclocking tool for NVIDIA GPUs. It brings per-point V/F curve control — similar to MSI Afterburner on Windows — directly to Linux, using undocumented NvAPI functions exposed through `libnvidia-api.so`.

## What It Does

At its core, NVCurve lets you adjust the frequency offset for any voltage point on your GPU's V/F curve. This gives you fine-grained control over how your GPU clocks at different voltage levels, enabling both performance-oriented overclocking and efficiency-oriented undervolting.

## Two Interfaces, One Tool

NVCurve provides two ways to interact with your GPU:

- **Web UI** — A modern React-based interface with an interactive curve graph, real-time hardware monitoring, point table editor, and profile management. This is the primary interface for most users.
- **CLI** — A Python command-line tool for scripting, headless systems, automation, and quick one-off operations. Works independently of the web server.

## Key Capabilities

- **Per-Point Curve Editing** — Adjust the frequency offset for any individual voltage point on the V/F curve.
- **Curve Flattening** — Select multiple points and flatten them to a common frequency using anchor-point targeting.
- **Live Monitoring** — Track GPU voltage, clock speed, temperature, and power draw in real time via NvAPI and NVML.
- **Profile Management** — Save, load, and switch between named profiles. Set a default profile that auto-applies on startup.
- **Multi-GPU Support** *(experimental)* — Manage multiple NVIDIA GPUs from a single server instance with a GPU selector in the web UI.
- **Snapshots** — Automatic snapshot-and-restore before every write, so you can always revert changes.

## Architecture

NVCurve consists of two components:

| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| **Python Backend** | Talks directly to `libnvidia-api.so` (via ctypes) and `libnvidia-ml.so` to read and write GPU hardware state. Exposes functionality through a FastAPI REST + WebSocket server. |
| **React Frontend** | Runs in the browser and communicates with the backend over HTTP and WebSockets. Handles curve visualization, point editing, live monitoring, and profile management. |

The backend keeps all privileged operations isolated from the browser. The CLI can operate entirely standalone, bypassing the server for direct hardware access.

## Important Notes

> **Experimental Software** — NVCurve uses undocumented NvAPI functions that may change between driver releases. It has been tested on a range of NVIDIA GPUs including RTX 5090 (Blackwell), but compatibility is not guaranteed on all hardware/driver combinations.

> **Read vs. Write Safety** — Read operations are generally safe. Write operations alter live GPU operational parameters. Always run the hardware compatibility check (`nvcurve setup`) before applying changes.

## Requirements

- **OS**: Linux
- **GPU**: NVIDIA GPU with a supported driver
- **Python**: 3.12 or later
- **Privileges**: Root access for hardware interactions (CLI prompts for `sudo` when needed)