How to check your CPU temperature

How to check your CPU temperature

Check your CPU temperature:

¿Cómo verificas la temperatura de tu CPU? Bueno, no es difícil descubrirlo. Verificar la temperatura de la CPU de tu PC es similar a verificar el aceite de tu automóvil: no necesitas hacerlo todos los días, pero deberías verificar tus temperaturas cada pocos meses para asegurarte de que tu sistema funcione a su máximo potencial o para diagnosticar tu sistema si observas ralentizaciones drásticas del rendimiento. Afortunadamente, verificar la temperatura de tu CPU es fácil y no requiere abrir tu PC y colocar un termómetro en su interior. Cada CPU tiene sensores de temperatura digitales integrados, por lo que solo necesitas una herramienta de software para leer las mediciones en Windows 11 u otros sistemas operativos.

There are several excellent tools for this, here are some for download:

The easiest way to check your CPU temperature is to download a simple utility, such as Core Temp or NZXT's CAM, to view your CPU temperatures. Ultimately, keeping your CPU temperature under control improves performance and reliability. This is especially true if you regularly stress your system with heavy loads, as you would with the best gaming CPUs, or if you're an enthusiast who strives for the best performance in CPU benchmarks.

A continuación, explicaremos cómo verificar la temperatura de tu CPU, definiremos el rango sure de temperaturas para una CPU y describiremos qué hacer si las temperaturas de tu CPU son demasiado altas.

As Check your CPU temperature in Windows 10 and 11

Checking your CPU temperature is as easy as installing and using a software tool and then reading the output. There are several CPU temperature monitoring programs to choose from, with the best tools for checking CPU temperature being any of the following (click to download):

However, there are other tools you can use to monitor CPU temperature. If you are overclocking your CPU and want more detailed measurements, Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) and AMD Ryzen Master They are designed by chip manufacturers and also offer extensive tuning options.

These are just a few examples, but we'll show you how NZXT's CAM and Core Temp work because our testing found these two to be the easiest to install and use. You can download CAM here.

Si bien el monitor de temperatura de la CPU CAM está diseñado para usarse con los productos NZXT, funciona bien como herramienta de monitoreo informal en Windows 11, incluso si no tienes ningún hardware NZXT. Puedes usar el software en Modo Invitado para evitar la creación de una cuenta de usuario, y también puedes desactivar el programa para que no se inicie automáticamente con Windows si no planeas usarlo con frecuencia.

NZXT's CAM

Once installed, CAM offers a user-friendly interface. The first block (PC Monitoring) lists the CPU status, which displays load, temperature, clock speed, and cooler fan speed. You can click on this block to access more details. As you can see, the current CPU temperature of this system is 36 degrees Celsius (C), which is a healthy temperature for your CPU when it is idle.

CAM also has an overlay, which automatically turns on when you enter a game while CAM is running. This overlay can display the status of your CPU and show temperature measurements while you play.

You can also use Core Temp tool, one of the best CPU temperature tools for Windows 11, to monitor temperatures (download here). This is a simpler tool with a more basic interface. Just make sure to uncheck the freeware option during installation.

Core Temp provides temperature measurements for each core in your CPU. The left side of the measurements shows the real-time temperature of each CPU core, and you can also see the measurements in the taskbar. But we're most interested in the Min and Max columns, which show the absolute minimum and absolute maximum temperature recorded while the program is running. For example, the CPU in the image above has a minimum temperature of 32°C and a maximum of 51°C, both normal temperatures.

Core Temp tool

If you want to check your PC's CPU temperature during normal use, you can leave Core Temp running while performing common tasks.

However, if you want to measure the maximum possible temperature, you can check this by running a Prime95 stress test for about 30 minutes (download here). Just keep in mind that this program puts an extremely heavy load on your PC, so you might encounter a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).

The best way to check your CPU temperature while gaming is to play for an hour or more and then check your program to see the maximum recorded CPU temperature. You should be concerned if this figure is equal to or greater than 95°C. Anything between 80°C and 95°C (or more) leaves room for improvement.

As Check your CPU temperature in BIOS

You can check your CPU temperature in your system's BIOS or UEFI, but keep in mind that this will only show your CPU temperature when your system is idle. That means you'll see much higher temperatures when you boot into Windows 11 or other operating systems and the chip is under load. Not all motherboards include the CPU temperature in the BIOS, but almost all DIY or enthusiast motherboards do.

Es bastante sencillo ingresar al BIOS para verificar la temperatura de tu CPU. En la mayoría de las plataformas, simplemente reinicia el sistema y haz clic en eliminar o F2 repetidamente mientras se reinicia. Una vez que estés en el BIOS, verás la temperatura que aparece en la sección Monitor de hardware, que también puede denominarse Estado de salud de la PC o Estado, entre otros nombres similares. También deberías verificar desde Windows 11 para tener una mejor idea de las temperaturas de la CPU cuando usas la PC (ver más abajo).

That is it a safe cpu temperature?

When your CPU is idle but within the operating system (on desktop), an ideal temperature is anything below or around 50°C. Under higher loads, such as when gaming, rendering a video, or other intensive tasks, your CPU draws more power and therefore runs at a higher temperature. This 'load temperature' is more important than idle temperatures (assuming idle temperatures are okay), so you'll want to periodically check your CPU's temperature under load to make sure it's adequately cooled.

Under load, you want your CPU to stay below 80°C, although some CPUs can run cooler in gaming laptops or small form factor (SFF) computers.

Additionally, certain newer chips are designed to run at much higher temperatures, so it’s important to check your processor’s specs. For example, AMD’s Ryzen 5000 processors are rated to run at up to 95°C with a standard air cooler, while the Ryzen 7000 series is also rated to run at 95°C even with a water cooler (notably, some models, such as the Ryzen 9 7950X3D chips, have a lower threshold of 89°C – be sure to check).

Mientras tanto, los procesadores Intel Core i9 de 12.ª generación Alder Lake, 13.ª generación Raptor Lake y 14.ª generación Raptor Lake Refresh pueden funcionar hasta 100 °C durante el funcionamiento normal. Estas temperaturas están dentro de las especificaciones y esperadas para estos procesadores específicos.

As such, while the 80°C threshold serves as a good general indicator, it is important to ensure that your processor does not exceed its'TJ max' (Maximum Junction Temperature). This is the safe limit for any given processor. This may also be listed as the Union T or the Maximum operating temperature.

The TJ Max varies by chip, but most monitoring software lists the value or you can check the chip specifications on the manufacturer's page.

For older chips, you have some leeway to go above 80°C, but anything above 95°C is usually critical. At this point, some CPUs will start to throttle, meaning the chip will reduce its clock speed and slow down to ensure it doesn't overheat, and your PC may shut down.

More advanced users who want maximum confidence that their CPU can handle aggressive workloads should test their CPU to 100 % using a program like Prime95 either AIDA64. When running a stress test, keep a close eye on CPU temperatures and back off once they reach too high a level (above 95°C). We consider an ideal stress test to last one hour, though your maximum temperature will likely stabilize after 10-15 minutes. If you're looking for specific advice on temperatures and overclocking, check out our How to Overclock a CPU guide.

As Fix High CPU Temperatures

If your CPU temperature exceeds 80°C under load, you should check your system to ensure that CPU cooling is adequate. Here is a checklist of things to look for:

  • Is your PC clean and free of dust (including the radiator and intake fans/filters)?
  • Are all of your PC's fans spinning under load?
  • When was the last time you applied new thermal paste between the CPU and the CPU cooler? If it's been more than three years, consider reapplying the thermal paste.
  • Does your model's CPU cooler specify a higher cooling capacity than your CPU's rated TDP?

For SFF PCs and laptops, there may be minimal cooling, as the device was never designed to be used under high loads for extended periods of time. For example, most laptops come with very compact cooling solutions that work well for short-term performance boosts, but need to be throttled down during extended gaming sessions to stay below the shutdown threshold. Gaming laptops are often bulky because they are equipped with extensive cooling systems.

However, if you're running a full-size gaming PC and feel that its cooling should be adequate, you may want to reapply thermal paste to your CPU. The performance of most thermal pastes seriously degrades after about three years. Applying new paste (here's a list of the best thermal pastes) and cleaning the system from dust can deliver much better cooling power and significantly improved performance. This applies to both pre-built and custom PCs.

Additionally, as part of any PC tune-up, you'll want to make sure your cooler is adequate. Many of the stock CPU coolers that come bundled with the CPU or installed in pre-built systems aren't adequate to give you the full performance of the chip. This often applies to Intel CPU coolers on Core i5 and higher processors. You'll want to follow the stress testing steps outlined above to check CPU temperatures under load in Windows 10 or Windows 11 to ensure that the CPU isn't overwhelming the cooler when under heavy load.

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Health Massive
Health Massive
2 months ago

Your blog is a constant source of inspiration for me. Your passion for the topic is palpable and it's clear that you put your heart and soul into each post. Keep up the amazing work!