9 best PC and laptop temperature monitoring apps

Eliminating heat problems is the surest way to destroy a laptop. Do you think your computer slows down because it's old? That is partly true, but not the whole reason.

Heat can seriously reduce the performance of computer components, with the hard drive being the most vulnerable. If your hard drive looks like it's about to fail, check the internal temperature first. Luckily, checking the temperature is easy using one of these free heat monitoring apps.

1. CrystalDiskInfo

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If the main concern about laptop temperature is the hard drive overheating, then there is no choice but CrystalDiskInfo. It's a dedicated utility for managing HDD and SSD health, so useful that many consider it a must-have diagnostic tool for Windows users.

With a clear and easy to use interface, you will have no trouble navigating all the information the application provides you, You can easily see the laptop's hard drive temperature at a glance. And with all the advanced features, CrystalDiskInfo is practical enough for advanced users, not just novices.

Notable CrystalDiskInfo features include:

1. Monitor temperatures for all system HDDs and SSDs.
2. Estimate the overall health of each drive.
3. In-depth diagnostics for all read/write drive values.
4. In-depth graphs for HDD and SSD values ​​over time.
5. Available in 32-bit and 64-bit, installable or portable.

2. Core Temp

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Core Temp is a fast, accurate and flexible laptop temperature monitoring tool. However, there is a caveat: The installer comes with bundleware! You can avoid it by unchecking, but you have to pay attention during installation. In return, the application has no ads.

Notable features include:

1. System tray icon with real-time information.
2. Select the sensor that will show up in the system tray icon.
3. There is a notification when the temperature is too hot.
4. Track system hardware details for reference.
5. Check for BIOS and driver updates.

3. HWiNFO

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HWiNFO is a lightweight diagnostic tool for real-time monitoring of hardware and system insights. HWiNFO is very easy to use. Plus, it's actively updated - new versions come out about every 1-2 months, which is great for advanced systems.

Notable features include:

1. System tray icon with real-time information.
2. Reports for CPU, RAM, HDD, SSD, battery, etc.
3. Allows remote monitoring of sensor data.
4. Available in 32-bit and 64-bit, installable or portable.
5. An MS-DOS version is available for older systems.

4. HWMonitor

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HWMonitor is one of the most reliable laptop temperature monitoring applications available today. The free version is more than enough for temperature tabs, but there is a Pro version with advanced features (for example, graphing) for €20.

Notable features include:

1. Read any sensor with voltage, temperature or fan.
2. Save monitoring data to the log for troubleshooting.
3. Check for BIOS and driver updates.
4. Available in 32-bit and 64-bit, installable or portable.

5. Macs Fan Control

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If you're running Windows on a Mac, things get a bit complicated because the hardware in a Mac has some proprietary issues.

The good news is that there's a free app designed just for you, and it's called Macs Fan Control. It's easy to use and highly recommended, and lets you monitor a variety of hardware temperatures.

Notable features include:

1. System tray icon with real-time temperature.
2. Select the sensor that will show up in the system tray icon.
3. Set custom fan min/max RPM based on sensor values.
4. Sensor support for third-party HDDs and SSDs.
5. Support all models: iMac, MacBook, Mac Mini, Mac Pro.

6. SpeedFan

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In addition to the possibility of hardware damage, high system temperatures are also problematic because they cause the laptop's fan to work too hard. Continuously working fans wear out faster, but more importantly, fast spinning fans will be louder than usual. That is one of the reasons you should invest in a suitable laptop cooler.

Of the many ways to get rid of laptop fan noise, the easiest is to use SpeedFan to manually control fan revolutions per minute (RPM). The great thing is that SpeedFan also has features for temperature monitoring, so it's like a 2-in-1 - just not as advanced as the others above.

Unfortunately, Speedfan hasn't received an update in years at the time of writing, but it's still a good hardware monitoring tool.

Notable features include:

1. System tray icon with real-time information.
2. Read any sensor with voltage, temperature or fan.
3. Set custom fan min/max RPM based on sensor values.
4. Adjust and correct incorrect temperature readings on the sensor.
5. Value over time graph for troubleshooting.

7. Open Hardware Monitor

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Open Hardware Monitor is similar to HWiNFO and HWMonitor, except it is open source. In fact, Open Hardware Monitor is considered a "dead" project, as it hasn't received an update since 2016 (which has prevented Open Hardware Monitor from working with some of the latest hardware).

However, in early 2020, Open Hardware Monitor updates started rolling out, updating the laptop temperature monitoring tool for the latest CPUs, GPUs, and other hardware.

Notable features include:

1. Reads most sensors with voltage, temperature or fan.
2. Save sensor data to the log for troubleshooting.
3. Display data on remote web server.
4. Portable so no installation is required.

8. NZXT CAM

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NZXT CAM is a hardware and temperature monitoring tool with a smooth user interface and plenty of options.

You may note the name of the developer, NZXT. NZXT manufactures a wide range of PC hardware and so NZXT CAM works very well with their hardware. For example, you can use NZXT CAM to control case lights, fan speed, power voltage, etc. if supported.

Notable features include:

1. Reads a variety of temperature, fan and speed sensors.
2. NZXT compatible hardware control.
3. Customizable user interface.
4. Display detailed system specifications.
5. Gaming overlay optional.

9. MSI Afterburner

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Yes, MSI's popular overclocking tool, Afterburner, also serves as a GPU and CPU temperature monitor. What sets MSI Afterburner apart is the handy temperature overlay that helps you monitor your temperature while gaming, streaming, etc. Having those temperature gauges in sight means you'll Don't accidentally overheat your hardware!

Notable features include:

1. Temperature monitoring for GPU and CPU
2. Built-in overclocking functions
3. OC Scanner One Click Overclock Tool
4. Floating display on screen
5. Custom fan profiles to help with cooling

Make sure you check the CPU and other hardware temperatures when the laptop is idle (with no apps running) and under load (with performance-heavy apps running). High idling temperatures can degrade like high spikes under load.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 21 May 2022