How To Check Your CPU Temperature? Ultimate Guides

Every few months or whenever you have performance problems, you should monitor the CPU temperatures on your computer.

Is your CPU overheating? Well, finding out isn’t that difficult. Similar to checking the oil in your automobile, you should check the temperature of your PC’s CPU every few months to make sure your system is operating at its best. You don’t have to do this every day.

Fortunately, it’s simple to monitor the temperature of your CPU without having to open your computer and insert a thermometer. Rather, all CPUs have integrated digital temperature sensors, which can be read by a little piece of software in Windows 10 or Windows 11, among other operating systems.

This is particularly true if you’re an enthusiast who aims for the best performance in CPU benchmarks or if you frequently put your system through extreme strain as you would with the finest CPUs for gaming. In the end, controlling CPU temperatures enhances dependability and performance. Downloading a straightforward tool to view your CPU temps, such as Core Temp or NZXT’s CAM, is the simplest approach to check your CPU temperature.

We’ll go over how to monitor the temperature of your CPU, what constitutes a safe operating temperature range, and what to do if it reaches a temperature that is too high below. In addition, we’ll also discuss how you can check Graphic card temperatures to make sure your computer is running efficiently. Keeping an eye on component temperatures is an important part of PC maintenance and can help diagnose potential overheating issues.

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How To Check Your CPU Temperature In Windows 10 And 11

Installing and utilizing monitoring software, followed by reading the output, is a simple way to check your CPU temperature. The same methods work for Windows 10 and Windows 11.

The finest tools for determining CPU temperature include Core Temp, NZXT’s CAM, AIDA64, HWiINFO, or HWMonitor, among the many CPU temperature monitoring apps available. The chipmakers have created AMD’s Ryzen Master and Intel’s Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU), which provide extensive options for detailed measurements if you’re overclocking your CPU.

These are simply two of many instances; in this case, we’ll walk you through the operation of NZXT’s CAM and Core Temp, since our testing showed them to be the simplest to set up and operate. Here is where you may download CAM.

Even if you don’t own any NZXT hardware, CAM functions incredibly well as a casual monitoring tool in Windows 11 or Windows 10. It is designed to be used with NZXT equipment. If you don’t want to create a user account, you can run the program in Guest Mode. If you don’t think you’ll use it frequently, you can also stop it from starting Windows automatically.

After installation, CAM provides a user-friendly user interface (UI). The CPU’s status is displayed in the first block (PC Monitoring), along with the load, temperature, clock speed, and cooler fan speed. Clicking on this block will provide you access to further information, as seen in the second picture in the album above.

As you can see, the CPU of this machine is currently at a healthy idle temperature of 36 degrees Celsius (C).

Additionally, CAM features an overlay that activates on its own when you launch a game while CAM is active. When playing your favorite game, this overlay can provide you with temperature readings and show you how your CPU is doing.

One of the greatest tools for monitoring CPU temperature in Windows 10 and Windows 11 is the Core Temp tool, which you can download here. This is a more straightforward tool with a simpler user interface. Just make sure that, while installing, the gratis option is not checked.

Each core’s temperature in your CPU may be found using Core Temp. The temperature of each CPU core in real time is displayed on the left side of the measurements, which are also visible on the taskbar. The Min and Max columns, however, which display the absolute lowest and absolute maximum temperatures observed during program operation, are of greater importance to us. Thus, for instance, the CPU in the graphic above is operating at a normal temperature because it has reached a maximum of 51C and a low of 32C.

You can launch Core Temp while you go about your daily business to monitor the CPU temperature of your computer. On Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can, however, measure the highest temperature achievable by running the Prime95 stress test for around 30 minutes (download here). Just be advised that this program may cause a blue screen of death (BSOD) due to the excessive strain it places on your computer.

Playing games for at least an hour and then checking the application to see the maximum recorded CPU temperature is the best approach to monitor the temperature of your CPU while gaming. If this number is 95C or higher, you should be concerned. Anything in the range of 80 to 95 degrees Celsius is ideal.

How To Check Your CPU Temperature In The Bios

The system BIOS or UEFI allows you to check the temperature of your CPU, however, be advised that this will only display the temperature of your CPU when it is idle. This implies that when you boot into Windows 10 or another operating system, your temperature will be significantly higher.

Entering the BIOS to monitor the temperature of your CPU is rather easy. For the majority of platforms, all you have to do is restart the computer and keep hitting delete or F2. Nearly all enthusiast or do-it-yourself motherboards have a CPU temperature listing in the BIOS, though not all motherboards have.

Once inside the BIOS, the temperature is displayed under the Hardware Monitor section, which goes by several names, including PC Health Status and Status. Once more, this should only be used as a guide for idle CPU temperatures. To obtain a better understanding of CPU temperatures while operating the PC, you should also check from within Windows 10 or Windows 11 (see below).

What’s A Safe Cpu Temperature?

Anything under or about 50C is considered a good temperature when the CPU is idling. When your CPU is under increased stress, such as when you’re playing a game, processing a movie, or performing other demanding tasks, it uses more power and heats up.

Assuming idle temps are OK, this “load temperature” is more significant than idle temps, therefore you should routinely check the temperature of your CPU when it’s under load to make sure it’s getting enough cooling.

Ideally, your CPU should not exceed 80C when under load; nevertheless, some CPUs in small-form-factor (SFF) PCs or gaming laptops may operate hotter.

Additionally, AMD’s Ryzen 5000 processors are made to run at up to 95 degrees Celsius when used with a stock air cooler, and the Ryzen 7000 series is made to function at 95 degrees Celsius even when a watercooler is used (however some models, such as the Ryzen 9 7950X3D chips, have a lower threshold of 89 degrees Celsius, so make sure to check).

In the meantime, normal operating temperatures for Intel’s top-tier Core i9 12th-Gen Alder Lake and 13th-Gen Raptor Lake CPUs will reach up to 100C. These temperatures are typical for these particular processors and within specification.

Because of this, even if the 80C barrier is a useful guideline, you should make sure that your processor stays below its safe operating temperature, known as the “TJ Max” (Temperature Junction Maximum). Although the TJ Max varies from chip to chip, most monitoring software provides a value, or you can visit the manufacturer’s page to review the chip’s specifications.

Older chips can tolerate temperatures up to 80C, but anything beyond 95C is usually dangerous. Some CPUs will now start throttling, which means the processor will slow down and lower its clock speed to prevent overheating and the possibility of your PC shutting off.

With a tool like Prime95 or AIDA64, more experienced users can stress test their CPU to 100% certainty that it can handle demanding workloads. Pay special attention to the CPU temperatures during a stress test, and stop testing if they rise too high (over 95C). A stress test should ideally last an hour, but after ten to fifteen minutes, your highest temperature will probably stabilize. Visit our guide on How to Overclock a CPU for more detailed tips on temperatures and overclocking.

How To Fix High CPU Temperatures

You should check your system to make sure the CPU’s cooling is sufficient if the temperature of your CPU rises above 80C when it is under load. The following is a list of items to check:

Is everything on your PC dust-free and clean, including the intake fans and filters and the radiator?
Are all the fans on your PC running at full speed?
When was the last time you cleaned the area between your CPU and CPU cooler with fresh thermal paste? Think about reapplying the thermal paste if more than three years have passed.
Does the cooling capacity of the CPU cooler model you have specified exceed the TDP rating of your CPU?

Since SFF PCs and laptops were never meant to be operated under heavy loads for prolonged periods, probably, there isn’t much cooling. For instance, the majority of laptops have incredibly small cooling systems that are effective for brief performance spikes but must be reduced to remain below the shut-off level during prolonged gaming sessions. Because gaming laptops have so many powerful cooling systems, they are frequently large and heavy.

However, if you believe your cooling system is sufficient for a full-size gaming PC, you could choose to reapply thermal paste to your CPU. After around three years, the performance of most thermal paste significantly deteriorates. Improve the cooling power and overall performance of the system by applying new paste (see this list of the best thermal pastes) and dusting the system. This holds for both custom-built and pre-built PCs.

Additionally, you should check that your cooler is sufficient as part of any PC tune-up. Many of the stock CPU coolers that are either installed in pre-built computers or come included with the CPU are insufficient to provide the maximum performance of the chip. This frequently pertains to Core i5 and higher processor Intel CPU cooling. To make sure that the cooler isn’t overloaded by the CPU when it is under heavy strain, you must use the stress testing procedures mentioned above to measure CPU temperatures under Windows 10 or Windows 11.