Maintaining a stable temperature for the central processing unit (CPU) is a fundamental part of computer maintenance. The central processing unit (CPU) is essentially the “brain” of your computer, as it is responsible for doing countless computations, prioritizing activities, and transforming raw input into useful information.
But First – What’s a “Bad Temperature”?
What constitutes a safe or dangerous temperature for a CPU is not always evident. Do you know if a 30°C idle temperature for your processor is good or bad? What about temperatures of 40, 50, 60, and 70 degrees Celsius?
The maximum optimal temperature for your processor can be found on the product page for your individual CPU, which can be located through a web search.
You should try to maintain your CPU below the maximum operating temperature specified for it, which may be labeled as “Maximum Operating Temperature” or “T Case.” Generally speaking, if you see “T Junction” (as seen above), you should maintain temperatures at least 30 degrees Celsius lower than what is specified. (In the aforementioned scenario, our goal will be to maintain an environment with temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.) In any case, you shouldn’t have any problems as long as this is the average temperature of your computer.
A key factor in this context is the presence or absence of gaming. The graphics processing unit (GPU) and central processing unit (CPU) both get a workout when playing graphically demanding current games. Again, CPU temperature restrictions vary widely; however, it is not unusual for temps to reach the 80s while under severe gaming stress. As long as the temperature stays below 90 degrees Fahrenheit, there is no need for alarm; however, laptop users may feel the heat.
Now that we know the maximum allowed temperature, we can go on to check the CPU temperature in Windows 10 and 11. A third-party program is needed to monitor the CPU temperature so that this can be done.
1. Ryzen Master (AMD Ryzen CPUs only)
Perhaps only those fortunate enough to own a Ryzen CPU will find this useful, but if you do, you’ll find it’s the most precise method available for monitoring your processor’s temperature. The reason for this is that it reads the CPU temperature using an AMD-exclusive approach that is not available to other CPU monitoring applications.
This makes perfect sense, considering the prevalence of Ryzen Master’s use as an overclocking software and the consequent importance of accurate CPU temperature data.
To check the current temperature, all you have to do is launch the app.
2. Throttlestop
Here at Make Tech Easier, we’ve written at length about how wonderful the undervolting utility Throttlestop is. As evidence, please refer to our underwriting instructions. Undervolting your CPU with this lightweight program will only lower heat and prevent throttling, maximizing your processor’s performance.
If you’re looking for a way to lower your CPU temperature, undervolting is a viable option, and Throttlestop can serve as a temperature monitor for your processor as well.
First of all, the temperature of each individual core can be seen in the main Throttlestop window, and you may also have the temperature of your CPU shown in the system tray.
You can do this by selecting the “CPU Temp” box in the middle of Throttlestop after clicking the “Options” button at the program’s bottom.
Now, whenever you use Throttlestop, a small number will appear in the system tray to inform you of the current temperature of your central processing unit (CPU).
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3. HWMonitor
This program does a lot more than merely keep tabs on your CPU’s temperature, but it displays everything you need to know, and then some, on a single screen. Just scroll down in the main HWMonitor window until you see your CPU and its specifications listed.
Each core’s voltage, CPU use, and, most critically, core temperature, will all be displayed. It shows not only the current temperature but also the lowest and highest recorded values.
Since everything is shown on that one screen, there isn’t a lot of room to explore here. It’s possible to activate a dark mode for nighttime monitoring sessions, toggle on a status indicator, and save a log of monitoring data with the Ctrl + S keyboard shortcut.
4. MSI Afterburner
MSI Afterburner is a great temperature monitoring application that was developed with gamers and overclockers in mind. Keep in mind that MSI Afterburner isn’t compatible with all processors; in particular, it is known to hide temps from AMD processors.
After you have downloaded, installed, and opened Afterburner, you will see a graph on the main screen detailing the current state of your graphics processing unit (GPU), central processing unit (CPU), and other hardware.
If the temperature setting doesn’t appear, your CPU may not be compatible. Select the arrow with three dots to reveal further options underneath the Monitoring tab:
A directory of add-ons has just been loaded for your perusal. You can connect MSI Afterburner to a third-party program that keeps tabs on your processor’s temperature, or you can activate the program’s native support for reading temperatures by selecting the “CPU.dll” option.
Afterburner’s “Settings” menu has a “Monitoring” option, which is where you may rearrange the order of the graphs to make CPU temperature more prominent. You can select which widgets you wish to see on the home screen and rearrange their order by dragging and dropping them in this menu. All you have to do is click OK after repositioning the “CPU1 temperature,” “CPU2 temperature,” and other CPU temps near the top of the graph. Your selections will be shown in the order you specify on the main menu.
The CPU temperature can be displayed in the corner of the screen anytime the OSD shortcut is used by checking the “Show in On-Screen Display” box. (In Afterburner’s preferences, select the “On-Screen Display” tab to assign your preferred hotkey for this.)
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5. Open Hardware Monitor
With Open Hardware Monitor, you can easily get all the data you require in one convenient location. Everything from the temperature of your central processing unit and graphics processing unit to the voltages being used and the speed of your system fans will be displayed. As a result, you can monitor the temperatures of your entire system using this powerful tool.
The temperature of your central processing unit can be found in the subheading that contains the name of your CPU. The temperature of each core in your processor will be displayed.
Temperature readings from many of these tools can be displayed in the system tray. For jobs that put a heavy strain on your computer’s resources, this allows you to monitor temperatures without switching back and forth between the active window and the system monitor. Right-click the CPU temperature reading and select “Show in Tray” to have it appear in the system tray.
If the reading is buried under the “extra icons” section, you can move it to the primary active tray by dragging and dropping it there. Therefore, it will always remain visible so long as the taskbar is displayed.
6. Core Temp
Core Temp is a nice option in Windows 10 and Windows 11 if you want something that is more narrowly focused on the processor. The name of your CPU, the number of cores it employs, and most crucially, its temperature, are all displayed. The maximum T Junction temperature for your processor is also displayed as “Tj. Max.” above the temperature readings.
Having the temperature displayed in the system tray is a handy feature, and it should be enabled by default. Select “Options,” then “Settings” if it isn’t already.
Select “Temperature,” “Enable Windows 7 Taskbar features,” “OK,” and finally the “Windows Taskbar” tab.
7. Speccy
Speccy, another all-in-one suite, offers a variety of system diagnostics, including the ability to monitor the CPU temperature in Windows 10 and 11. As soon as you launch Speccy, you’ll be presented with a comprehensive overview of your laptop’s temperature. Keep this program in mind for every time you need to research your computer, whether it’s the OS or the motherboard.
Select “View,” then “Options,” to add the current temperature to the tray.
Start by selecting “System tray,” then “Minimize to tray,” “Display metrics in-tray,” and finally “CPU.”
Even when Speccy is minimized, you may now continue monitoring your CPU temperature.
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Help! My Processor Is Too Hot!
Don’t freak out if you try one of the above and find that your processor is running hot. Many methods exist for reducing the processing speed of your device to a more manageable level. If your CPU is running too hot, you may want to try some of the methods we suggested in our post on cooling it down.
Checking the Heat
The processor is a crucial component of your laptop, therefore any issues with its temperature should be addressed immediately. However, you can make sure your computer’s processor is operating at the proper temperature by using a third-party tool to monitor the temperature of your computer’s CPU on Windows 10 and 11.
You want to perform more upkeep on your laptop, right? Then read our guide on how to check whether a USB drive is bootable in Windows 10 as well as our guide on installing unsigned drivers in Windows 10.
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