We show you how to perform a CPU temperature check in Windows 10 and evaluate three pieces of software that are up to the job.
Whether you’ve just installed a new CPU cooler or you’re simply curious, it’ a good idea to keep an eye on your CPU temp (Core temp). Though processors in many modern laptops have good specs, that matters little if they run into thermal throttling.
What´s the common CPU temperature range?
Intel does not provide temperature ranges for each processor. According to the company, operating ranges below the protection points are highly dependent on system configuration and workload. However, the following average temperature ranges for current CPUs should can give you a basic idea of when your CPU is running cool, normal, warm, or hot.
- 80°C Hot (100% Load)
- 75°C Warm
- 70°C Warm (Heavy Load)
- 60°C Norm
- 50°C Norm (Medium Load)
- 40°C Norm
- 30°C Cool (Idle)
When a processor gets too hot, it slows its clock speed down, impacting performance and sometimes causing lag. This can often be remedied by adjusting fan speeds, but first, you need to use a CPU temperature monitor to check your core temp. Today we’re going to show you how to check CPU temp with a CPU temperature monitor in Windows 10 to take that part out of the equation.
The best CPU temp monitors
There are various third-party apps that allow you to check and monitor CPU temperature in Windows 10, including Core Temp, which pretty much does what it says on the tin. Here’s a roundup of each of them:
Check Your Processor Temperature with Core Temp
Core Temp is a popular CPU temperature monitor, and for good reason. It’s lightweight with minimal bloat and an easy-to-read interface. It can also show the temperature of each core in your system tray, so you don’t even need to open the app to check.
Clicking one of the tray icons opens that app for a more detailed readout. You can see the power details, processor model and specs, TDP, and min/mad temperature and load of each core. It’s particularly important to pay attention to the T.j Max temperature, which is the maximum temperature the CPU manufacturer has rated it to run. It’s dangerous to exceed this temperature, and you should generally aim for at least 10-20 degrees below that for longevity reasons.
Use SpeedFan as a Temp Monitor
If you followed our fan adjustment guide or have just changed your fans in the past, there’s a good chance you already have SpeedFan installed. The software isn’t strictly created for monitoring, but it does the job just fine, giving a simple readout of overall core temp.
It also provides some information about voltage, which can be relevant, as well as a chart of CPU temps, which can be very useful. The only downside here is that it didn’t detect all of the cores on our test machine, but your experience may vary.
Monitor Windows 10 CPU Temperature and PC Temperature with HWMonitor
If you want something a bit more in-depth, HWInfo provides very detailed monitoring of your entire PC. It includes individual readouts for each component, and the CPU is obviously included in that.
You’ll see an accurate readout of core temp even on AMD systems, with current, minimum, and maximum CPU temperatures nicely displayed. It also gives information like your processor mode, power, utilization, and clock speeds.
However, its HW Monitor’s ability to display the temperatures of other hardware that makes it one of the best CPU temp monitors. You can utilize it as an all-in-one solution to keep an eye on hard drive, GPU, and motherboard temps to do a general PC temperature check. While you’re there, you can also use it as a way to check which GPU you have.
On top of all that, HW Monitor shows voltages, fan speeds, clock speeds, and other useful information. This makes it a very strong choice, but you’ll still have to boot up SpeedFan if you actually want to change anything.
Here’s how to Check the CPU Temperature in Windows!
We usually focus on software to improve the system performance, but it was the hardware that decided how fast your computer will be. It doesn’t matter whether you are using a premium tool or free tool to improve the system performance; if you don’t care about the hardware, you will end up with disappointments.
Talking about the hardware of a computer, it was the CPU that handles all data processing stuff. Just like RAM and HDD, the processor is equally important. One of the most common issues that users face is the CPU overheat. While you use your computer, the CPU keeps on accumulating head. If it gets heated above the limit, the CPU will fail.
So, it’s always best to keep a check on the CPU temperature while using the computer. Therefore, in this article, we have decided to share a few best working methods to check the CPU temperature on the Windows 10 computer. With these tools, you can actively check the CPU temperature in real-time.
Check the CPU Temperature in Windows
You must know before that what is the better temperature range under which the CPU does not exhaust or show any damaging signs. The more prominent temperature for the laptops is 30 degrees to 60-degree Celsius, while above that temperature will invite troubles.
Using the Open Hardware Monitor tool
Open Hardware Monitor is a great solution for the Windows users as through this you will be able to quickly get the whole information regarding the temperature and various other aspects related to the CPU of Laptop or of Computer.
This app shows the core temperature information of your device, the whole load temperature as well as the temperature at which it will be stable. You will get to see the full list of options telling you about the various temperature levels of your PC or laptop computer.
To remain attached to the temperature information and get access to it quickly you need to open this app and then pin it to the taskbar. Just right click on the software icon and then select the option Pin to Taskbar. The quick launch option will be added instantly.
There are although several apps on the internet that can be used for getting access to the Temperature details of the computer but Open Hardware Monitor is the most reliable and accurate one and it does show the detailed info too. Start by using it or go for any other app for the purpose and keep on checking your device so that it may not burn!
Using Core Temp (open hardware monitor)
Core Temp is a simple and lightweight app that runs in your system tray and monitor’s the temperature of your CPU. The best thing is that it doesn’t consume many resources and it also comes with a few customization options.
Step 1. First of all, download and install Core Temp on your Windows 10 computer and launch it. (Make sure to uncheck bundled tools that comes with the software)
install Core Temp
Step 2. Once launched, it will automatically detect your Processor and will show you the Model number and Platform. You can see the Core temperature at the bottom.
The CPU Model
Step 3. Now for customization options, you need to click on “Settings” and then go to “Display” tab. There you can set the color as per your wish.
Core Temp’s customization options
Step 4. Simply minimize the app and then open the system tray. There you will see the current CPU temperature.
That’s it, you are done! This is how you can use Core Temp to show CPU temperature on Windows 10 computers.
Using HWMonitor
Well, HWMonitor is one of the best and advanced CPU temperature monitoring tool that you can use today. The great thing about HWMonitor is that it shows the temperature of Motherboard, graphics card, CPU, and hard drives. HWMonitor is also one of the most advanced CPY temperature monitoring tools that you can use today. Apart from just showing the temperature of different components, it also shows fan speed and some other important values.
Step 1. First of all, download HWMonitor on your Windows 10 computer. You can get the download link from here.
Using HWMonitor
Step 2. Once downloaded, open the app and install it usually. The tool might ask you to grant the admin access. So, make sure to allow the admin access.
Step 3. Now open the tool, and it will show you the table of temperatures. You will get to see a similar interface.
HWMonitor
Step 4. To check the CPU Temperature, you need to expand your processor. Now you will get to see the CPU Core temperature.
expand your processor to see the CPU core temperature
That’s it, you are done! This is how can use HWMonitor to see temperatures of different components in your system. The app also packs a few other exciting features which you can explore while using the app.
Best Windows CPU Testers
Just like the above three software, there are lots of other Windows CPU Testers available on the web. These tools will let you know the temperature of the CPU and other components. So, let’s check out the best Windows CPU testers.
1. SpeedFan
It is one of the best and most used CPU temperature checkers for Windows 10. The great thing about SpeedFan is that it can monitor fan speeds, voltage, and processor temperature as well, Not just that, but SpeedFan also access the S.M.A.R.T information to check the hard disk temperature as well.
2. Real Temp
As the name of the utility says, Real Temp is an app that is meant to monitor the temperature of various components. Guess what? it can check the temperature for all single, dual and quad-core processors. Not just that, but Real Temp also shows the load of the processor.
3. CPU Thermometer
Well, CPU Thermometer is lightweight and it’s incredibly easy to use. Guess what? CPU Thermometer can show you the temperature of each CPU core. Not just that, but the CPU Thermometer also allows users to switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius as well.
So, this article is all about how to check the CPU temperature on Windows 10. I hope this article helped you! Share it with your friends also.
Does your PC feel sluggish, start slowing down while performing some intensive tasks such as video editing or gaming?, then overheating of the CPU and its cores may be the culprit behind it. Eccentrically, Windows does not have any in-built tools that could let you monitor your CPU temperature. While this task could be accomplished by visiting the BIOS settings, it could be a lot of hassle. In this post, I will guide you on how to monitor CPU Temperature on Windows 10.
How to Monitor CPU temperature in Windows 10
Monitoring the CPU temperature on Windows 10 cannot be done directly by the Task Manager, and hence some additional software is needed to observe it directly on Windows 10. Here is the list of software and methods we will follow:
- HWiNFO Diagnostic Software
- NZXT CAM
- Open Hardware Monitor
Make sure to use the 64-bit version if your computer supports it.
1] HWiNFO Diagnostic Software
HWiNFO is a free in-depth monitoring software for Windows that allows monitoring of every single component. Users could install this as a standalone application or use it as a portable software on any device. It categorizes the hardware components into sections and displays information. Download the app from the official website, install it on the PC, and run it in Sensor’s only Mode. Once opened, scroll down to the CPU Section to find the CPU and the core’s temperature.
2] NZXT CAM
One of the most visually appealing and clean applications with simple and easy to read user-interface, NZXT CAM is yet another monitoring software for Windows. While allowing to read the CPU Temperatures, the app also allows for GPU Overclocking, Custom Cooling Curves, and lots more. You can download it from the official website.
Once downloaded and installed, open the application. Under the PC Monitoring Menu of the NZXT application, you’ll find a section for CPU with the temperature, clock speed, and the load mentioned.
3] Open Hardware Monitor
The Open Hardware Monitor is a freeware with the code being Open-source; this application allows users the ability to monitor CPU temperatures, voltages, fan speeds, and lots more. The individual core clock speeds and temperatures are displayed as well. Download and Install from the official website.
Once downloaded, extract the zip file and run the application, On the home screen you’ll find a clean UI with all the components of your machine listed. You” find all the CPU Temperatures under the Chipset’s Name -> Temperatures.
How AMD reports temperature for CPU?
AMD Chipset’s report temperature under two different categories, one being the “TDIE” Reading, which reports the temperature based on How the Program is reporting the information and is pretty close to what AMD’s Ryzen Master reports, which is the amount of actual Die on the machine.
The second category being, “TCTL,” is the measure of the Control Temperature reported to the cooling system, which carries an offset to guarantee universal fan speed behavior among AMD’s chipsets.
Am I not getting any CPU temperature reading?
If you are worried that you aren’t able to read the CPU Temperature from any of these apps mentioned above, we do recommend you check the BIOS for temperatures. If your BIOS can display the temperatures, but none of the third-party applications, there’s a high chance that there is a BIOS update available, and we would recommend installing it first.
Additionally, if both the BIOS and the applications aren’t able to read the CPU Temperature, then there may be a possibility that the Sensor has either stopped working or has some issues.
FAQ: CPU temperature Monitoring Windows 10
How can I see my CPU temp in Task Manager?
In the Task Manager on Windows 10, it’s possible to find the CPU Load and utilization, but it’s not yet possible for Windows 10 to read the CPU Temperature. However, you may be able to monitor the GPU Temperature though it.
What is normal CPU temp? How hot is too hot for the CPU?
Anything under 60° C is normal for a machine to run, but if the temperature surpasses the mark and reaches under 70° C, it could be possible that there may be some dust in the Fan, and we would recommend cleaning it. Any temperature above 75° C could be too hot for a PC, and we would recommend using a CPU Cooler and cleaning the CPU Fans.
Does Windows 10 have a built-in temperature monitor?
Yes, but partially, Windows 10’s Task Manager can monitor the GPU’s temperature but not the CPU’s. You have to either check that in the BIOS or use a third party application.
I hope this post was easy to follow, and you were able to monitor the CPU Temperature in Windows 10. With that said, How many of you prefer Overclocking the CPU?
by Bill White 3 years ago
How to monitor CPU and GPU temperature
In one of our previous articles, we told you how to overclock your hardware. However, pushing your hardware components to a better performance and speed might also increase your computer temperature and even damage your PC parts in the process. This is why it’s important to use a hardware monitoring utility to keep track of the performance of your system and check the current CPU and GPU temperatures, fan speeds, etc.
A default solution, but a rather tiresome one, is using the BIOS. Users with Windows 7 or Windows 10 PCs need to restart their computers, hit the F2 key, head to Hardware Monitor window, and access the information they need, such as system temperature. Personally, I prefer using a third-party program to find the aforementioned hardware details, without restarting my PC every time I notice my computer isn’t running at its full potential. Applications like Open Hardware Monitor, SpeedFan, and HWMonitor are some of the best GPU and CPU heat monitoring tools for Windows. They all are feature-rich, simple to handle, and provide you with accurate data.
Tutorial assets
You will need to download one the following software to follow along with this tutorial.
Check CPU and GPU temperature
You can use any of the aforementioned programs to check the GPU and processor temperature on your Windows PC. These applications let you see the CPU temperature details, the current fan speeds, information about RAM usage, etc. Here I will show you how to check CPU and GPU temperatures with Open Hardware Monitor, an effective system monitoring utility that is open source and easy-to-use.
Launch Open Hardware Monitor on your PC.
Check the real-time GPU and CPU temperature info on the main window of the app.
Open Hardware Monitor
Optional: The application provides you with a quick solution for sharing the fetched information with a member of a computer service team. You can export the offered report as a TXT file.
Test your hardware temperature under load
How hot should a graphics card be? What are the values of a safe operating temperature for CPU? One way to find out the answers to these questions is to stress-test your hardware components. Programs like HeavyLoad enable you to test PC resources like CPU, GPU or hard disk to find out if your computer will run reliably under heavy load. Here’s how to use the aforementioned app to test your hardware temperature under load:
Launch the utility on your PC.
Go to the main menu of the app and access the Test Options panel. Select the “Stress CPU” and “Stress GPU” options.
Selecting Stress Options In HeavyLoad
Click the button that’s under the File panel to start the stress test.
Software to reduce hardware temperature
Pushing your laptop or desktop PC to its limits will most likely increase the hardware temperature. One way to stop a computer from overheating or to reduce your laptop temperature is by using a fan control software, like SpeedFan. Besides helping you adjust the speed of your fans to reduce noise, this PC cooling utility also enables you to monitor the performance of your system. The application provides you with S.M.A.R.T. info, displays hard disk temperatures, etc.
Here’s what you need to do in order to cool down a laptop with SpeedFan:
Launch the app on your PC.
SpeedFan
Make the necessary modifications in the Configure window of the app and click the “OK” button to apply the new changes.
SpeedFan Configure Window
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s very simple to monitor CPU and GPU temperatures on your Windows PC. However, taking the matter into your own hands to reduce the obtained temperature values is quite risky, especially if you’re a beginner. So, pay extra attention if you decide to configure your hardware settings without requesting assistance from a specialized PC service worker.
No matter whether you have a laptop or a PC, keeping the temperature of your components in check is essential.
Usually, you get to know the health of your system by gauging the temperature because most of the problems start from overheating.
In this article, we shall help you check the temperature of your computer components.
Use Intel/AMD Utilities
Depending on the processor you have on board, you can choose to use the utility programs developed by the manufacturer.
For Intel processors, you can use Intel Extreme Tuning Utility. And, for AMD processors, you will find an AMD System Monitor.
These utilities might give you other features – but it may not be intuitive enough or if you want to get more details on the voltage/temperature of all the components individually, you can try the next solution below.
Use HWMonitor
HWMonitor is the simplest (and the most useful) software you will find to view the voltages, temperatures, and fan speed. Simply download the setup file available for free through their official download page. You can also opt for the pro version for some extended features.
Use Your Motherboard’s Utility Software
Depending on your motherboard, you can download the software utility by your manufacturer to check the temperature of your computer components.
For instance, there’s an App Center software for Gigabyte motherboards where you can use the System Information Viewer to check the temperatures and other relevant details. Similarly, you will find utility tools for MSI, ASUS, and so on.
You can also set a warning limit for temperatures – as you can see in the image above.
You might be able to use the tools no matter what motherboard you have – but we would recommend you download the utilities by your motherboard manufacturer.
What’s The Ideal Temperature For Your Computer Components?
Normally, without intensive tasks, if the temperatures you observe are well-below 55 °C , you have nothing to worry about.
And, in case you are playing a game, processing a video or performing any resource-intensive task, note that the temperature does not exceed 80 °C .
It is also worth noting that you need a good case for your PC for the best airflow/cooling. If it’s a laptop, you can refer to one of our older articles highlighting the reasons why your laptop overheats.
If you are not sure how to choose a good case/cabinet/chassis for your PC, take a look at this video below:
Wrapping Up
Now that you know how to monitor and check your system’s temperature, you should keep a close eye on it whenever you perform a resource-intensive task just to be sure.
If you notice abnormal temperatures for a specific component, go ahead and contact the manufacturer to get advice on aftersales support to help fix the issue.
Home > Blog > [2020] 5 Best CPU Temperature Monitor Tools for Windows
[2020] 5 Best CPU Temperature Monitor Tools for Windows
Is your computer suffering from overheating? Why not get yourself a CPU temp monitor? This article introduces 5 best CPU temperature monitor tools for your Windows PC. Let’s read and get a reliable tool to keep an eye on CPU temp as well as your computer.
by Jeremy | Jun 18, 2020
The overheating is one of the common reasons that causes computer processors’ damage. Fortunately, there are more and more people realizing the importance of the temperature monitoring. If you have no idea about how to monitor computer temperature or how to make the right choice among multiple temp monitor tools, here it is.
In the following article, we put the emphasis on monitoring CPU temp, and introduces 5 best CPU temp monitor tools in 2020. They are Smart Game Booster, Speedfan, HWMonitor, Real Temp, and AID64 Extreme. Let’s see how these CPU temperature monitor tools help our computers avoid the overheating issue, and live healthy lives.
Best CPU Temperature Monitor Tools in 2020
[Editor’s Choice] Best CPU Temp Monitor for Gamers
Among multiple programs, we highly recommend you use Smart Game Booster as your CPU temp monitor on Windows. We all know that CPU usually running too hot especially when gaming, while Smart Game Booster is designed for gamers and it helps acquire in-game temperatures.
Smart Game Booster not only monitors your CPU & GPU temps inside the game, but also displays all the details of the temperatures of motherboard as well as fan speed. Once any of your hardware gets overheated and raise to an unnormal temperature, this temp monitor will give you a warning alert, effectively helping the hardware and your computer from being damaged and data loss. More importantly, its CPU temp monitor feature is completely free to use, and the interface of Smart Game Booster is top and user-friendly.
By using Smart Game Booster, you can make full use of its other advanced features, including 1-click game boost, overclock, disk defrag, free driver updater and so on, to get the better PC performance and gaming experience.
Smart Game Booster 4
- Overclock Hardware
- Boost Game Speed
- Monitor PC Temperature
- Increase Game FPS
Free Download Windows 10/8/8.1/7/Vista/XP
Speedfan – Popular CPU Temp Monitor
Speedfan is one of the most popular CPU temp monitors in the marketplace. The tool has very typical Windows XP interface, but don’t worry, the tool is updated on a regular basis and it provides helpful features for you to monitor CPU temperature and fan speeds. Besides the CPU temp monitor, we use its “change fan speed” function as the main feature, just like its name.
Speedfan can access digital temperature sensors on computer and change fan speeds based on the system temperatures. You are allowed to change parameters for the maximum and minimum fan speed: raise the speed to 100% when CPU gets overheated; lower the fan speed for reducing noise. In this way, you easily control the fan speeds for better performance. Speedfan is 100% compatible with Windows PC, and it works fine with all Windows OS versions.
HWMonitor – Hardware Monitoring Tool
For anyone who is looking for a great CPU temp monitor tool, HWMonitor is one of the best CPU temperature monitor programs for computers’ elements like temperatures, voltages and fans speed. It is developed by CPUID, a reliable and well-trusted software provider. Due to its frequent updates, HWMonitor supports the latest CPUs and works perfectly on Windows computers.
With this CPU temp monitor, you are able to check the temperatures of CPU, GPU, motherboard and voltages. The values will be displayed in 3 sets: current value, maximum value as well as minimum value, which makes pretty easy to catch up the situation of your PC system. If you only want a tool to monitor CPU temperature, this one is good. If you higher requirements, HWMonitor does contain the unavailability of some advanced features like fan speed control or temperature warning alarm, and it cannot meet your needs very well.
Real Temp –CPU Temperature Monitor for Intel Processors
If your computers are equipped with Intel processors, then this Real Temp is your CPU temp monitor. As one of the best CPU temperature monitor tools, Real Temp is well designed and developed for monitoring all Intel single, dual, quad core and core i5, i7 processors.
Based on temperature data gathered using a Fluke 62 IR Thermometer, Real Temp can keep track of and display your CPU temperature in real-time. Additionally, it offers useful high temp alarm and shutdown features as well.
Like we reviewed, Ream Temp is for monitoring Intel core-based processors. If your computers are running on Pentium or AMD processors, you have to look into other CPU temp monitor programs.
AIDA64 Extreme – Comprehensive Monitor Tool
No doubt, AIDA64 is another great option of monitoring CPU temperature. But in fact, it offers more than just CPU temp monitor, this feature-rich program is mostly used by power users. For example, if you have demands on overclocking your computer, you’ll like and take advantages of AIDA64 Extreme premium features.
AIDA64 Extreme supports over 250 various sensor devices to monitor temperature, fan speeds, voltages and etc. Besides this, the main features include 50 pages of information on hard configuration, stress testing module, the most accurate hardware detection capability, benchmarking, software audit and much more.
Bottom Line
Hardware overheating issue can cause very bad results, and everyone (especially gamers who expect top gaming experience) should realize that CPU temp monitoring is essential. We hope the 5 best CPU temp monitor tools listed above can really help you out.
PSU or power supply unit gets heated sometimes when we have been using the computer for a prolonged period of time. Now it is the concept of science that heat energy generated within any device just means that the half of energy being provided to the particular system or appliance is getting wasted in the form of heat as it gets generated from the same power that we fetch the system with. The best solution in such a time is either to switch off the system or to position an air ventilation or air conditioning system in that area, but to know when the PSU gets heated, we should have a working way to monitor the PSU temperature and in order to do the same, you can bring following tips in use:-
How to Monitor PSU Temperature
1. Generally your system gets shutdown:-
The best ever feature of our system’s PSU is that it will automatically shut down the system when it experiences a heat build-up. Simply all the computer systems are designed in such a way that they get switched off with rise of temperature of those components whose temperature can’t be monitored with software’s.
2. Use temperature monitor application:-
Though there is no such applications which can make us measure PSU heat directly, but surely there are some applications which can help us measure CPU temperature, Graphic card temperature and obviously the hard disk temperature as well. CPU core temperature is somehow related to the PSU temperature as well.
3. Mandatory while gaming:-
When you are playing heavy and bulky games on your system, it is but obvious that your system is supposed to meet hangs as well as rise of temperature. If the RAM of your computer is not as high as the dedicated RAM limit for playing the game, your system’s PSU is likely to meet the rise of temperature and if you are operating multiple applications at the same time, PSU temperature is still likely to rise because of less availability of free RAM.
4. Check exhaust air temperature with a thermometer:-
The best way to check the PSU temperature is to open up the CPU cabinet and check it yourself, but you can’t always manage to open the CPU cabinet and thus in such cases you can easily bring a thermometer near the exhaust unit to measure the temperature of exhaust air which will be the same for your system’s PSU as well.
5. Bring your hand ahead the fan:-
There is a space for CPU fan at the back portion of every laptop which is located at any point on the back portion of your laptop base. You can bring your hand just after this space to check if the system has got heated up or not. You can use a CPU cooling pad in order to keep your system temperature under control.
6. Motherboard monitor app:-
The PSU temperature is also connected directly or indirectly with the temperature of your computer’s motherboard as well. There is an application called Motherboard monitor available on internet which can be downloaded and bought in use to monitor PSU temperature by monitoring the motherboard temperature this way.
Per-core CPU temperature readings provided by the Core Temp app.
Core Temp’s Settings menu allows you to tweak exactly what you’ll see in the system tray, and how you’ll see it, but the default configuration makes it dead-simple to see if your CPU is overheating or performing as expected.
Core Temp isn’t the only option though. HWInfo is an in-depth system monitoring tool that provides deep details about every piece of your PC’s hardware. If you choose to run it in sensors-only mode, scrolling down to the CPU section—the dedicated section, not the CPU temperature portion of the motherboard listing—reveals current temps and other nitty-gritty details.
Brad Chacos/IDG
NZXT’s Cam monitoring software.
NZXT’s Cam software is another popular option with a diverse skillset. Its slick interface is easier to read at a glance than those on most other monitoring tools, and the program shows all sorts of useful info about your CPU, graphics card, memory, and storage. Cam also includes an in-game FPS overlay and overclocking tools, among other features. You can use NZXT’s Cam mobile apps to keep tabs on your software when you’re away from your PC, too.
Open Hardware Monitor and SpeedFan are other well-regarded monitoring tools that can track system information. You’ve got options! But for simply checking your computer’s CPU temperatures, Core Temp’s straightforward focus can’t be beat.
Brad Chacos/IDG
If monitoring software (like HWInfo here) displays two CPU temperatures for Ryzen processors, look for the “Tdie” reading.
Finally, note that if you’re running an AMD Ryzen system, you may see two different CPU temperature readings. You want the “Tdie” reading, depending on how the program you’re using displays the info. It’s a measurement of the actual heat on the die. The alternative “Tctl” reading is the control temperature reported to your cooling system and sometimes includes a temperature offset to ensure universal fan speed behavior between the various Ryzen chips. Any of the programs above that list a single temperature account for the offset already.
Is my CPU too hot?
The maximum supported temperature varies from processor to processor. Most of the free monitoring software mentioned above lists the information as “Tj. Max.” That stands for the temperature junction, or the highest operating temperature of the hardware. If you don’t see the information for some reason, search the CPU World website for your CPU’s model number to find the information. Every program listed above displays your processor’s model number, so it’s easy to find.
But that’s the maximum temperature—the point at which your processor freaks out and shuts down to avoid damage. Running anywhere near that hot regularly is bad for the long-term life of your hardware. Instead, follow this general rule of thumb regarding CPU temperatures under load.
- Under 60° C: You’re running great!
- 60° C to 70° C: Still running fine, but getting a bit warmer. Consider cleaning the dust out of your PC if CPU temperatures continue to creep up over time.
- 70° C to 80° C: This is hotter than you want to run unless you’re pushing an overclock. If you’re not, definitely check to make sure your fans are working and there aren’t dust bunnies clogging up your system’s airflow.
- 80° C to 90° C: Now we’re getting too hot for long-term comfort. Check your hardware for broken fans or dust build-up, and if you’re overclocking, dial back your settings—especially the voltage if you’ve tweaked it. One notable exception: We sometimes see more powerful laptop processors hit the low 80s during gaming sessions when plugged in, at which point they start throttling back performance. This is expected, but if temperatures cross 85° C, be concerned.
- Over 90° C: Danger, Will Robinson!
How to lower your CPU temperatures
If you’re regularly encountering high CPU temperatures, there are some steps you can take to try and fix the issue.
Alex Cocilova/IDG
Roll up your sleeves.
First, clean out your PC. High CPU temperatures are often caused by years of dust and grime built up inside a PC, clogging fans and crucial air pathways. Local hardware stores usually charge outrageous prices for canned air, but you can pick up a bottle for about $7 on Amazon , or four for $18 . PCWorld’s guide on how to clean your PC can walk you through the process. While you’re at it, check to make sure that all your fans are working correctly, and that none of the vents in your PC are blocked.
Hopefully that fixes the issue. If not, more intensive steps are in order. The thermal paste that transfers heat from your CPU to its cooler might have dried out if you’ve had your PC for a few years. That can cause temperature spikes.
Removing the old thermal paste with rubbing alcohol and a applying fresh layer can potentially help lower temperatures by a large amount. TechAdvisor has a helpful, illustrated article on how to remove and apply thermal paste, and you can find small syringes of thermal paste by respected brands like Arctic and Noctua for under $7 on Amazon. (I’ve been a happy Arctic Silver 5 user for years now.)
Thomas Ryan/IDG
If all that doesn’t help, your cooling solution simply might not be capable of keeping up with your CPU’s heat output, especially if you’re pairing a stock cooler or a modest third-party cooler with higher-end chips—and doubly so if you’re overclocking. Buying a new CPU cooler may be in order.
The Cooler Master Hyper 212 ($30 on Amazon ) is a solid, affordable air cooler. With its larger heatsink and fan, it’s a solid step up over stock AMD and Intel CPU coolers. Moving up in size and price, the Noctua NH-D14 ($75 on Amazon ) is one of the most effective air coolers ever to hit the streets, but its large size might block memory access or not even fit in smaller cases.
Closed-loop liquid cooling solutions (CLCs) provide far cooler temperatures than air coolers with minimal hassle. The 120mm Corsair H80i v2 ($95 on Amazon ) is a great entry-level CLC, but if you plan on overclocking, consider moving up to the Corsair H100i v2 ($109 on Amazon ) and its larger 240mm radiator, which can accommodate even fierce overclocks. We’ve been using one inside PCWorld’s dedicated graphics card benchmarking system for years now.
If you have a laptop or desktop designed for heavy usage e.g., gaming or animation, it likely runs hot when you’re performing either of those tasks, or if you just have one too many Chrome tabs open. Hardware doesn’t damage easily if it gets a bit hot but if it gets too hot, your system might shut down and eventually, your hardware might be damaged. The trick is to keep an eye on your system’s temperature. There’s no shortage of apps that can measure your system’s temperature however not many will alert you when your CPU is running too hot. RealTemp is the exception. It can give you CPU temperature alerts when your system heats up.
CPU temperature alerts
Download RealTemp and install it. Run the app and look at the basic temperature settings that the app comes with. It has minimum and maximum temperatures set by default and you cannot change them however you can test them against a benchmark by clicking XS Bench.
Click the Settings button at the bottom to enable the CPU temperature alert. On the Settings window, enable the Alarm option and in CPU Temperature, enter the temperature that, when exceeded, will trigger the alarm. Click Apply and minimize the app to the system tray.
When your CPU exceeds the set temperature limit, you will hear a siren. The sound will not be accompanied with any sort of visual alert e.g., a toast notification however the alert will continue to sound at regular intervals to let you know your system is running hotter than you prefer it to.
We should warn you that before you use RealTemp to keep an eye on your system’s temperature, you should compare the temperature it reports with other apps that are built for monitoring a system. This app may, or may not, report the correct temperature and there might be some variance. If a little difference doesn’t bother you, you can leave your alarm settings the way they are. If the difference is huge, or you want a more precise alarm, you should change the value that triggers the alarm to make up for the discrepancy.
If you’re wondering how hot is too hot, that really all depends on your system. It shouldn’t consistently be running at 100 degrees but in many cases 70 is fine for when you’re running a game or rendering animation. Make sure system’s cooling is working and that it’s in a well ventilated position e.g., you should NOT have it resting on a cushion or carpet where the fans will be blocked.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
