Do you have an old PC that occasionally shuts down or feels sluggish during day-to-day usage? If yes, then it might most probably be due to your CPU overheating, a common issue that once diagnosed can be fixed with some tweaks if you’re a PC enthusiast.
However, in order help out our average PC users out there we have created this how to guide that explains how one can measure their PC’s CPU temperature along with some tips to prevent overheating.
How to Measure CPU Temperature
There are multiple ways to check your PC’s CPU temperatures but some of them are pretty invasive and require you to go to your PC’s BIOS settings. But luckily you can get the same functionality by installing a CPU monitoring utility called Core Temp as shown in the steps below:
- Go to Google Chrome or your favourite web browser and search for Core Temp or click this link: https://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/
- On the download page click download and wait for it to complete.
- Once the download is completed, install in on your system by clicking on Run.
- After installing the app you will see multiple numbers appear along the right side of your taskbar, each number corresponds to a CPU core’s temperature whereas the yellow one shows the clock speed of your CPU.
- Double-click on any number to open a more details regarding your current CPU temperatures as well its power consumption.
- In the new Core Temp window click on Options and then settings to configure it as per your requirements. You can go to General and then click on “Start Core Temp with Windows” to launch Core Temp automatically every time you log in. Additionally, you can also enable more stats on the taskbar by going to Notifications Area and clicking the check boxes listed under “Extra Icons”.
Tips to Stop Your PC From Overheating
- Upgrading PC’s Cooling: Mostly applicable to desktop, one of best yet complex way to stop your PC from overheating is to upgrade its cooling capabilities which includes adding more fans to your PC case, adding an AIO cooler, using heatsinks and so on
- Replacing the Thermal Paste: Applicable to both laptop and desktop, repasting or the process of replacing thermal paste helps improve your CPU’s heat dissipation power by acting as a conductor to transfer heat directly to the heatsinks and cooling fans.
- Cleaning Off the Dust Build-up: Dust build-up is one of the major factors that leads to overheating and cleaning it off can lead to much better airflow.
- Other General Tips: Try moving your laptop or PC to an flat surface such as your table top or floor rather than placing it on a soft surface such as a carpet for better airflow.
