Core Temp

Core Temp is a free CPU temperature monitoring tool for Windows that shows per core temperatures in real time. It displays readings in the system tray so you can monitor thermals at a glance while working or gaming. Supports Intel and AMD processors. Free for personal use, with a paid version that removes the bundled offers during installation.

What it does

The main window shows each CPU core's current temperature alongside minimum and maximum recorded values since launch. The readings update every second. Core Temp reads the digital thermal sensor (DTS) built into modern processors, so the data is accurate and comes directly from the hardware. The top section identifies your processor model, platform, lithography, TDP, and the maximum safe temperature (Tj. Max).

The system tray integration is where most users spend their time. Each core gets its own tray icon showing the current temperature in a small number. You can configure it to show only the highest temperature across all cores if individual readings feel like clutter. The overheat protection feature (Options > Overheat Protection) lets you set a temperature threshold and an automatic action: log a warning, sleep, hibernate, or shut down the PC when that limit is reached. Temperature logging exports data to a CSV file for tracking thermal trends over time.

Who it is for

I always recommend Core Temp to anyone building a PC, overclocking, or troubleshooting thermal throttling. The system tray display is genuinely useful during gaming sessions, where you can spot overheating without tabbing out. If you need full system monitoring (GPU temps, fan speeds, voltages), HWiNFO or HWMonitor cover more ground. But for pure CPU temperature tracking with the lowest possible overhead, Core Temp does exactly what it needs to do and nothing more.