How to build a PC from scratch: a beginner's guide | Digital Trends
Here's everything you need to know. This includes a look at all the required components, important safety gear, and how to install every piece of hardware.
eye on your system temperatures
With some luck and a lot of attention to detail, you should have a fully operational system. Keep an <anchor>eye on your system temperatures</anchor> for a few days to make sure all the coolers are working correctly, and if an error message pops up, take care of it accordingly. After a few weeks, you’ll get the hang of your machine and be more confident in what you can push it to do. If something breaks or needs an upgrade, you’re fully equipped to deal with it.
How to check your CPU temperature | Digital Trends
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# How to check your CPU temperature

By
[Jon Martindale](https://www.digitaltrends.com/users/jonmartindale/)
Updated April 23, 2024

![asus rog strix gd30ci review acer cpu](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Acer-Rog-Strix-Review-CPU.jpg?fit=720%2C720&p=1)
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Checking your CPU's temperature is a great way to make sure that your processor is running at peak performance, as a processor that's too hot can cause all kinds of [common PC problems](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/pc-troubleshooting-guide/), from throttled performance to crashes. There are a number of different ways to check your CPU temperature, and you may have some of the applications installed already.

Contents

- [How to check your CPU temperature on Windows](#dt-heading-how-to-check-your-cpu-temperature-on-windows)
- [How to check your CPU temperature on Mac](#dt-heading-how-to-check-your-cpu-temperature-on-mac)
- [How to check your AMD CPU temperature](#dt-heading-how-to-check-your-amd-cpu-temperature)
- [How to check your Intel CPU temperature](#dt-heading-how-to-check-your-intel-cpu-temperature)
- [Frequently Asked Questions](#dt-heading-frequently-asked-questions)

Whether you're looking to troubleshoot a PC problem or are interested in testing your processor's performance, here are the best ways to check your processor's temperature.

Recommended Videos

### Difficulty

Easy

### Duration

10 minutes

### What You Need

- Desktop PC or laptop


![HWInfo sensor status page.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
screenshot / Digital Trends

## How to check your CPU temperature on Windows

A classic PC-monitoring solution, HWInfo can tell you everything about the various components in your system, from the voltages they require to the temperatures they run. It doesn't feature any sort of overclocking tools, and its interface is bare-bones, but it's detailed, lightweight, and whether you want to know an overall CPU temperature or its per-core temperatures, you have all the information you need on a single window.

**Step 1:** Download HWInfo from the [official website](https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html), then install it like you would any other application.

**Step 2:** When you launch HWInfo, if you only want temperature information, select _Sensors Only_. Otherwise you can access the entire suite of tools, and look in detail at all of your system components.

**Step 3:** Scroll down the list of sensors and look for the CPU section. It should have your CPU model listed there — not sure what CPU you have? [Here's how to find out](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-find-out-what-cpu-your-computer-has/).

Your CPU will be listed in degrees Celsius, as Current, Minimum, Maximum, and Average, letting you know how your CPU temperature changes over time and workload. You should also see the Tdie temperature, CPU die average temperature, as well as temperatures for different core types on an Intel CPU, or different core complex dies on an AMD processor (if you have more than one).

Depending on your CPU generation and model, you may also have access to CPU hotspot temperatures, L3 cache temperatures, and IOD temperatures. If you want to view individual core temperatures, select the small arrow next to _Core Temperatures_.

![TG Pro tracking application.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
screenshot / Digital Trends

## How to check your CPU temperature on Mac

G Pro is our top pick for checking your CPU temperature on a Mac. This is an app that lets you monitor the internal temperature of your computer while controlling the fan.

Apple has verified the TG Pro app and confirms that all macOS updates will support it. It is also compatible with the latest Apple M1 and M2 processors, as well as the classic Intel MacBooks.

**Step 1:** Download [TG Pro from its official website](https://www.tunabellysoftware.com/tgpro/), and install it like you would any other application.

**Step 2:** TG Pro can also be used to adjust your system's cooling, including manually tweaking fan curves, letting you take control of your system's temperatures, whatever you're up to.

![AMD Ryzen Master settings.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
AMD

## How to check your AMD CPU temperature

AMD's Ryzen Master is its general CPU information tracking and overclocking tool and is a great way to check your CPU's temperature if you're running an AMD Ryzen processor.

**Step 1:** [Download and install Ryzen Master](https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/ryzen-master) from the official website.

**Step 2:** When you run the application, at the top of the screen you'll see a breakdown of your processor's statistics, including its temperature, voltages, usage, and more. You can also look at individual cores by clock and temperature, should you want to deep dive into your AMD CPU's information.

![Intel XTU status screen.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
screenshot / Digital Trends

## How to check your Intel CPU temperature

If you have an Intel Core processor, then Intel's Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) is arguably the best way to check how hot your processor is running. Although designed primarily as an overclocking tool, Intel XTU comes with a number of built-in monitoring functions as well.

**Step 1:** Download Intel XTU from the [official website](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/17881/29183/intel-extreme-tuning-utility-intel-xtu.html?) and install it like you would any other application.

**Step 2:** While booting it up, you'll be presented with a lot of information, but in the lower panel of the main screen, you'll see a few pieces of key information about your CPU. Most important for this particular guide is the package temperature and associated graph. That's your CPU temperature.

If your processor is running particularly hot, you may also see the "Thermal Throttling" indicator say "Yes," in which case your processor is deliberately running slower than it can to keep temperatures from exceeding safe operating thresholds. If that's the case, you should try to [improve your CPU cooling](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-aio-coolers/), as it will make your CPU perform better.

**Step 3:** You can also see how hard your CPU is working by its CPU Utilization percentage. The higher that is, the more your CPU is having to do. If you want to see how it does under stress, you can use XTU's built-in CPU benchmark under the relevant left-hand tab.

If you want to explore overclocking, check out our [guide to CPU overclocking](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-overclock-your-cpu/).

Now that you know how to check your CPU temperature, you know half the equation when it comes to overclocking. Unsure if it's right for you? Check out our guide about [whether it's worth it to overclock](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/should-you-overclock-your-pcs-processor/).

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How hot should my CPU be?

This depends on which CPU you have, as some have different temperature thresholds and some have more aggressive throttling than others. For the most part, anywhere under 80 degrees when fully loaded is fine, although the latest generations of CPUs can operate at up to 95 degrees without impacting performance.

Check our out guide to [how hot your CPU should be](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-hot-too-hot-your-cpu/), for more information.

### How do you lower your CPU temperature?

You can improve CPU cooling to lower its temperature by increasing the size of its heatsink, increasing the airflow to it, or by lowering its speed so it doesn't work as hard. The former means buying a new cooler, [like an AIO](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-aio-coolers/), and you can improve airflow by raising fan speeds, [improving cable management](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/cable-management-tips/), or adding more fans to your case.

To make your CPU run a little slower, you can underclock, or better yet [undervolt it, to lower its working temperature](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-undervolt-cpu-guide/).

#### Editors’ Recommendations

- [AMD’s new CPU could silently replace the Ryzen 7 7800X3D](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/amd-releases-new-zen-4-cpu-micro-center-exclusive/)
- [Your AMD Ryzen CPU is about 10% slower than it should be](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/amd-zen-5-zen-4-windows-update-boosts-performance/)
- [Zen 5 was a letdown, but it may not have been entirely AMD’s fault](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/ryzen-9000-ryzen-7000-performance-affected-by-windows-bug/)
- [SSD buying guide: how to pick the right SSD for your needs in 2024](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/ssd-buying-guide/)
- [How to clear your RAM cache (and why you probably shouldn’t)](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-clear-ram-cache/)

Topics

- [AMD](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/amd/)
- [How-To Guides](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/how-to/)
- [Intel](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/intel/)

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[Jon Martindale](https://www.digitaltrends.com/users/jonmartindale/)

Computing Coordinator

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Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…

- [Computing](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/)

How to share an external hard drive between Mac and Windows

![The WD Easystore 14TB External USB 3.0 hard drive on a desk next to a monitor and near a plant.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)

While using a Windows PC over a MacOS system (or vice versa) was once fairly limited in terms of crossover, such towering walls no longer exist. Still though, if you’ve ever wanted to use the same external hard drive with both Windows and MacOS, you know how big of a burden this process can be.

Incidentally, the term "external hard drive" generally refers to portable storage devices. They're as fast as the best SSDs, but you can connect them to your computer using a USB cable.

[Read more](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-share-external-hd-mac-windows/)

- [Computing](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/)

The best SSDs for 2024

![samsung introduces its own 256gbit 48 layer nand chip solid state drive](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)

With pricing lower than ever, running your PC or device on a solid-state drive (SSD) is a must. Forget hard drives for anything but long-term storage, and learn what an SSD is and what installing one can do for performance.

SSDs aren't just for PCs, either. You can install an SSD in your PlayStation 5, and the Steam Deck is just begging for a bigger SSD for larger game libraries.

[Read more](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-ssds/)

- [Computing](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/)

How much RAM do you need for a laptop, gaming PC, or tablet?

![ram prices are increasing until third quarter 2017 corsair vengeance led ddr4 memory](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)

Random access memory, usually shortened to RAM or simply “memory,” is one of the most important parts of any computing device. Modern PCs, tablets, and phones typically have from 2GB up to 32GB, though some have even more. But how much RAM do you need, exactly?

Adding more RAM to your computer won't make it run faster if you already have enough, though, and wastes money you could spend elsewhere on upgrading your PC. Games that require 16GB of RAM won't necessarily run faster if you have 32GB -- although making sure background tasks have enough memory is a good way to improve performance in demanding applications.

[Read more](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-much-ram-do-you-need/)

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