How to Check Your CPU Temperature
Your computer is made up of several different hardware components, the most important of which is the processor. The processor acts as the brain of your computer and therefore you need to keep it in top condition to get the best performance from your computer. One way to monitor your processor’s performance is to monitor its temperature. There are several ways to check your CPU temperature, but you’ll have to download a third-party app.
How to Check CPU Temperature in Windows
Whether you need to troubleshoot your computer or just want to keep things under control, monitoring your CPU temperature is a great way to ensure your computer runs as smoothly as possible. One of the best apps I’ve always used is Core Temp . It is available as a free program that gives you a simple and easy way to check your computer’s CPU temperature.
All you have to do to start using Core Temp is download the app and install it. You’ll then be able to see information about your processor model, the frequency it runs at, and even a breakdown of the temperatures of your processor’s different cores.
There are other options, such as HWMonitor , which can provide much more detailed information about your system. It’s a little more complicated, so I don’t recommend using it unless you’re familiar with the inner workings of your computer. I still prefer to use Core Temp most of the time as it is extremely lightweight and displays all the basic information you need. Core Temp also works with all major processor types, including AMD and Intel.
Of course, you can also use special programs for AMD and Intel processors. Intel processor users can try Intel XTU . This overclocking program not only gives you complete control over your PC’s performance settings, but also displays all the information you could need about your CPU temperature. AMD users can use AMD Ryzen Master to check CPU temperature, voltage, etc. Again, be careful with the settings you play with as you could damage your CPU if you don’t know what you’re doing.
How to Check CPU Temperature on Mac
Like Windows, Mac doesn’t offer any way to monitor your CPU temperature directly within the operating system, so you’ll have to download a third-party app. One of the best for Mac is TG Pro. This app is truly Apple tested and even allows you to control the fans on your Mac to help with temperature control.
You can download TG Pro from the official website. Once installed, open it and you will see a window with a lot of information. It’s not as easy to read as Core Temp, which I recommend for Windows users, but it gets the job done. The downside is that the program costs $29.99, but can often be found on sale for $10.
As I noted above, TG Pro will allow you to see the temperature of your processor, and will also give you additional control over fan curves (fan speeds) so you can further cool your processor if necessary. However, be careful with these settings as incorrect settings can cause your CPU to overheat, causing problems with your Mac.
How hot should my CPU be?
Depending on what processor you have, temperature ranges may vary slightly. However, the standard shutdown temperature below which you need to stay under heavy loads is 80 degrees Celsius. However, some later generation processors can safely operate at temperatures up to 95 degrees Celsius without causing any significant performance issues.
However, just because they are designed to go that high doesn’t mean you’ll want them to go that high. For the most part, you should aim to keep your CPU temperature between 40-45 degrees Celsius when idle. Also keep in mind that running your processor at higher temperatures for long periods of time will wear down the processor, which could cause it to start having problems sooner rather than later. Thus, it is always a good idea to monitor the temperature of your CPU so that you can troubleshoot temperature issues if necessary.
If you really need to lower your CPU temperature or just want to make it more efficient and cooler, you can always consider larger heatsinks, better cooling systems (like faster fans with better airflow), or if you’re talking about a desktop computer, maybe you can even invest in water cooling.