If you’re regularly encountering high CPU temperatures, there are some steps you can take to try and fix the issue. This is expected, but if temperatures cross 85° C, be concerned. One notable exception: We sometimes see more powerful laptop processors hit the low 80s during gaming sessions when plugged in, at which point they start throttling back performance. Check your hardware for broken fans or dust build-up, and if you’re overclocking, dial back your settings-especially the voltage if you’ve tweaked it. First start the server application on your Windows computer to be monitored and select the data you want to display in the settings. 80° C to 90° C: Now we’re getting too hot for long-term comfort.If you’re not, definitely check to make sure your fans are working and there aren’t dust bunnies clogging up your system’s airflow. 70° C to 80° C: This is hotter than you want to run unless you’re pushing an overclock.Consider cleaning the dust out of your PC if CPU temperatures continue to creep up over time. 60° C to 70° C: Still running fine, but getting a bit warmer.Instead, follow this general rule of thumb regarding CPU temperatures under load. Running anywhere near that hot regularly is bad for the long-term life of your hardware. Every program listed above displays your processor’s model number, so it’s easy to find.īut that’s the maximum temperature-the point at which your processor freaks out and shuts down to avoid damage. If you don’t see the information for some reason, search the CPU World website for your CPU’s model number to find the information. Max.” That stands for the temperature junction, or the highest operating temperature of the hardware. Most of the free monitoring software mentioned above lists the information as “Tj. The maximum supported temperature varies from processor to processor. We’ve included information on how to do that after the software recommendations below. With that info in hand, you’ll know whether you’ll need to take more active steps to cool things down. Fortunately, several free programs exist that make it easy to see your processor’s temperature. You could dive into your system’s BIOS to find the information, but that’s a lot of hassle to find a simple sensor reading. Melting one of the best CPUs around is always a bummer.īizarrely, Windows doesn’t offer any way to check your computer’s CPU temperature. Keeping tabs on your CPU temperatures is crucial when you’re overclocking your PC’s processor, too-you don’t want to accidentally push the performance pedal too far to the metal when you’re supercharging your pricey 6.2GHz Intel Core i9-14900KS or AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, after all. Card reader (SD/SDHC, CF, etc.): Your computer uses these to read from portable storage like SD cards.Is your computer’s CPU too hot? If your PC starts spontaneously shutting down, locking up, or acting sluggish during intense tasks, overheating could be the issue, especially when the intense summer heat is scorching.Optical disk drive (e.g., BD/DVD/CD drive): This feature is less common in newer computers, but they provide a place to enter a music, movie, or data disk for your computer to read.They're faster, quieter, and more expensive than HDDs, though both do the same job. Solid-State Drive (SSD): Newer SSDs store information on chips.Hard Disk Drive (HDD): An HDD is an older version of the hard drive it stores information like apps and documents on a physical disc that your computer reads with an arm that travels across it (similarly to a record player).Video card: This component handles drawing graphics in games and displaying videos.

It's usually a cord that plugs into the wall and a 'power brick.'

Power Supply Unit (PSU): The PSU is the means through which your computer draws power.Your computer spends RAM to run those programs and process information. Random Access Memory (RAM): RAM is the memory your computer uses to work it's different from the storage that holds your files and programs.Central Processing Unit (CPU): The CPU interprets and executes most of your computer's commands.Motherboard: The motherboard (also known as a logic board in other devices) coordinates all of the other hardware.

Pc hardware monitor on phone