How to Display CPU Temperature on Windows
Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.
How to Show CPU Temperature on Windows Desktop
Open Hardware Monitor is a free open-source software that makes it easy to monitor a number of hardware statistics for your computer. Here’s how to use it to get a CPUtemperature monitor widgeton your Windows desktop.
Step 1:Download and install theOpen Hardware Monitoron your PC.
Step 2:Launch the Open Hardware Monitor app and locate theTemperaturessection under your CPU.
Step 3:Right-click on the entry that you want to see on your desktop and select theShow in Gadgetoption. You can repeat this step for more entries if you want.
Note:You may see multiple temperature readings for your CPU as each CPU core has its temperature sensor and an independently positioned package sensor. Your motherboard may also have a number of CPU temperature sensors.
Step 4:Click theViewmenu at the top and selectShow Gadgetfrom the resulting menu.
Once you complete the above steps, you should see a small widget on your desktop that will display your PC’s CPU temperature. You can click and drag the widget to move it to your preferred location.
How to Get CPU Temperature Monitor Widget on Taskbar
While a desktop widget that shows CPU temperature is handy, Open Hardware Monitor can also show this information on the Windows taskbar. Here’s how:
Step 1:Launch the Open Hardware Monitor app and locate theTemperaturessection under your CPU.
Step 2:Right-click the entry you want to see on the taskbar and selectShow in Tray.
Step 3:Right-click on your taskbar and selectTaskbar settings.
Step 4:ExpandOther system tray iconsand enable the toggle forOpen Hardware Monitor.
And that’s it. You should now see the temperature of the CPU on the Windows taskbar.
How to Check CPU Temperature Without a Third-Party App
Prefer not to rely on a third-party tool to check the CPU temperature? No worries; you can also check your CPU temperature without these tools. However, it requires you toenter your PC’s BIOS/UEFI menu, which is not as quick as the methods mentioned above.
Step 1:Press theWindows + Skeyboard shortcut to open the search menu. Typerecovery optionsin the box and pressEnter.
Step 2:Click theRestart nowbutton next to Advanced startup.
Step 3:Click theRestart nowbutton.
Step 4:Wait for your PC to reboot, and a blue screen should appear. Select theTroubleshootoption to continue.
Step 5:Go toAdvanced options.
Step 6:Select theUEFI Firmware Settingsoption and then selectRestartin the following menu.
Step 7:Once you’re in BIOS, head to theH/W Monitorsection and look for theCPU Temperatureentry.
It is important to note that checking the CPU temperature in the BIOS or UEFI menu only shows the temperature when your computer is idle. The actual temperature when you boot up your PC and run applications will be much higher.
FAQs on CPU Temperature on Windows
While a good CPU temperature varies depending on your CPU’s specifications and current load, anything between 35-65°C (or 95-149°F) is acceptable when your PC is idle or under normal load. That said, temperatures around 70-85°C (158-185°F) are safe if you are gaming or performing other demanding tasks.
Cleaning the dust inside your CPU, using a cooling pad, updating drivers, and disabling unnecessary startup programs can help reduce the CPU temperature significantly on Windows.
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Last updated on 09 July, 2024
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