Table of Contents
Why Does Monitoring CPU Temperature Matter?
If you’ve just built a PC and want to extend its lifespan while keeping its performance as good as the first time you used it, monitoring your CPU temperature is one of the simplest ways to do so.
A hot CPU is no joke. If your processor gets too hot, it can slow down its performance, an issue known as “CPU throttling.” It can also cause random system crashes (BSODs) or even damage your hardware over time.
Unfortunately, Windows doesn’t display CPU temperature in the Task Manager, nor does it have a built-in tool to monitor it in real-time, which leaves many PC users wondering: how do you actually check CPU temperature?
The good news is that you can check your CPU temperature on Windows with various third-party tools and methods that are quick and easy to use.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the different steps to check CPU temperature on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, as well as what to do if your CPU is running hotter than it should.
Understanding CPU Temperature
Before we dive into different techniques and methods to check your CPU temps, you should first understand what CPU temperature actually means.
What Is CPU Temperature?
You know that electrical energy converts to heat energy, right? When your power supply delivers power to your system, the CPU uses that power to make your PC function, enabling you to do your daily tasks like checking your emails, playing a video game, or browsing the web.
As your CPU works, it generates heat, and that heat is measured as CPU temperature. The thing that keeps that heat under control is the cooling system, which can be an air cooling solution, a fan with a heatsink, or a liquid cooling solution.
What are The Safe CPU Temperature Ranges?
The ideal CPU temperature is not a strict rule for all CPUs in the market, but as a rule of thumb:
- Your CPU should be at 30°C – 45°C when idle, meaning that your PC is doing nothing, and all you see is your desktop background with no apps open.
- When you use your PC for office work (lightweight use), such as browsing the internet or creating documents using Microsoft Office, your CPU should be at 40°C – 65°C under normal conditions.
- If you are doing CPU-intensive tasks like playing a video game, video editing, or rendering a video, your CPU should not exceed 85°C during heavy workloads.
- If you see that your CPU exceeds 90°C, your PC is at risk of permanent damage. One way your CPU fights this danger is by limiting its core speeds as a countermeasure against the high temperature.
What are The Signs Of CPU Overheating?
A CPU that is overheating or running too hot can throw several noticeable hints and show obvious behavior patterns on your PC.
The most common sign your PC will throw at you is a decrease in performance; your PC won’t give you the same performance as when you first bought it, and you will notice that.
This outcome happens because your CPU reduces its speed with a process called “thermal throttling” to protect itself from overheating or after surpassing the TjMax (Thermal Junction Maximum) set by the manufacturer.
Another sign that is linked to high CPU temps is loud PC fans, which will run louder than usual as the cooling system tries to dissipate excess heat. If your fans didn’t make it, your PC will suffer from unexpected system crashes or restarts. Windows may deliberately shut down your PC to prevent permanent hardware damage.
In more severe cases, overheating can lead to a lot of blue screens of death or unexpected freezes, especially during CPU-intensive tasks. If you notice any of these symptoms regularly, it’s a strong indication that your CPU is running hotter than it should and needs immediate attention.
How to Check CPU Temp on Windows?
After you’ve learned what CPU temps are, the ideal CPU temp in different situations, and the CPU signs that shout: I’m overheating.
We will dive into all the possible yet easy ways to check your CPU temperature. Including taking advantage of your BIOS and using third-party freeware. We will go through the methods step by step so that anyone, including absolute beginners, can follow with me.
Method 1: Checking CPU Temperature Using Third-Party Tools.
One of the easiest ways to check your CPU temps is by using some of the best software out there, including HWMonitor, which I use myself, and Core Temp. These programs provide real-time CPU monitoring, including detailed core and per-core temperatures, and sometimes even fan speeds in RPM and core voltages.
Option 1: Using HWMonitor
HWMonitor is considered one of the most popular and easy-to-use tools for checking your CPU temperature on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. It provides real-time statistics for your entire PC and works by using hardware sensors, making it a great choice for beginners.
To use this tool. First, you must download it from its official website, which I’ll link here. You can either download a setup exe file, which will install the software for you, or you can download the zip file to have a portable version of the same program.
I chose to download it as an exe file; you would install it like any other software out there. Fortunately, there is no bloatware in this program; you can just click and spam “next, next, next” until the program is installed successfully.
Once HWMonitor is installed, you can open it from your desktop. To check for your CPU temp, look for the CPU sensors; there you’ll see the temperature of each core and the overall CPU temperature in real-time.
The same program will provide additional insights, including core and per-core voltages, overall utilization, and CPU clock speeds, among others.
As you can see, my CPU temp is: 39.8°C, and the things I do right now are writing this article you are reading and using the Chrome browser.
Option 2: Using Core Temp
Core Temp is another lightweight yet straightforward tool designed specifically for monitoring CPU temperature, unlike HWMonitor, which can track your hardware sensors and give other real-time stats of your motherboard, GPU, and storage, among others.
Core Temp focuses only on your processor, showing real-time, detailed core temperature readings. It works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 and supports a wide range of Intel and AMD processors. I have a Ryzen 5 8400f, and it’s working just fine!
To start using the tiny software, go to the official Core Temp website and download the latest version.
You can install the app like any other program you have installed before
But here is the twist. During the installation process, pay close attention, keep the first checkmark selected, which will create a shortcut on your desktop, and deselect all, including the “Goodgame Empire” bloatware.
After that, click Next to proceed with the installation, and finally click on Install.
Once the app is installed, you can now check your CPU temperature in real-time in the “Temperature Reading” section of the program or in your Taskbar.
As you can see, my CPU temperature is 42°C.
Option 3: Using MSI Afterburner
If you want to monitor your CPU temperature while gaming, you can use a tool I covered long ago.
MSI Afterburner is another popular choice for monitoring CPU temperature, especially among gamers. It’s used as a GPU overclocking tool, but it also provides real-time CPU temperature monitoring, which makes it a solid option.
It shows the stats as an overlay or OSD (On-Screen Display) in video games or applications, taking advantage of the bundled RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) to render it.
I’ve already covered MSI Afterburner in detail in another article, including how to download, install, and set it up for CPU usage and temperature monitoring. You can check out that full guide here.
Method 2: Checking CPU Temperature Using Your BIOS.
If you don’t want to install third-party apps on your machine, one of the most reliable yet difficult ways to check your CPU temperature, especially for beginners without any additional software, is using your motherboard’s BIOS.
Since this method runs on the firmware and outside of Windows, it shows accurate readings directly from your motherboard’s sensors without relying on third-party apps.
To see your CPU temps in BIOS. You must restart your PC As your PC is booting, you need to press the BIOS key repeatedly. The most common keys are Delete, F2, F10, or Esc, but it depends on your motherboard brand. Usually, the correct key appears briefly on the boot screen during startup.
I have a Gigabyte motherboard, and I must press the “Delete” key repeatedly during the power-on self-test (POST) to enter the BIOS. Once you are inside the BIOS menu, you need to look for a tab or section labeled Hardware Monitor, System Info, or something similar.
I have a Gigabyte motherboard, as I said, and I found my CPU temperature stats by going to the “System info” tab.
It may be different for you, that’s why I said it’s a difficult method, because every BIOS screen is different, so I can’t tell you the exact steps and where to look for your specific motherboard to find this kind of information. If this method didn’t work for you, kindly consider using the first method.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I check my CPU temperature on Windows?
You can check your CPU temperature through your BIOS firmware or by using third-party tools like HWMonitor, Core Temp, or MSI Afterburner.
What is a safe CPU temperature range?
A safe CPU temperature is typically 30°C – 45°C at idle, 40°C – 65°C under normal use, and should not exceed 85°C during heavy workloads. Temperatures above 90°C may cause long-term damage.
Can I check CPU temperature without third-party software?
Yes, you can check your CPU temperature in the BIOS/UEFI menu. However, this only shows idle temperatures, not real-time temps.
Why is my CPU temperature so high?
High CPU temperatures may be caused by dust buildup on your PC case, poor airflow to your PC, dried-out and old thermal paste, or running intensive tasks without proper cooling solutions.
What happens if my CPU overheats?
When a CPU overheats, it will throttle its performance to keep the temperature below the TjMax. In some extreme cases, it can cause your system to crash, throw a lot of blue screens at your face, or even result in permanent hardware damage.
