How to monitor the GPU temperature on Windows PCs

The GPU aka Graphics Processing Unit aka Graphics Card is usually the largest and hottest component in your PC. It’s large and runs hot because it’s generally the component that does the most work when gaming, editing video, or rendering 3D visuals. Monitoring the temperatures of the GPU isn’t critical in most cases as GPUs are well equipped with powerful fans.  

However, you might want to monitor temperatures when your system is unstable or you’re facing graphical issues such as glitches, an unexpected drop in performance, or some other such issue. Here are several methods by which you can monitor your GPU: 

Task Manager

The simplest method for monitoring GPU temperatures is by using the task manager. To access Task Manager, hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc, open the performance tab, and scroll down to GPU. If your processor has an integrated GPU, you will see that GPU is also listed. 

ALSO READ: How to choose the best laptop graphics

Other means of accessing Task Manager include hitting Ctrl + Alt + Del or right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting Task Manager. 

Task Manager is great for getting quick information at a glance, but it doesn’t help when you want to log temperatures over the day or monitor temperatures while gaming or running some other full-screen app. 

Default apps from device manufacturers

Both Nvidia and AMD have their software suite for monitoring temperature. In Nvidia’s case, this is GeForce Now, and AMD uses AMD Software: Adrenaline Edition. Opening either app – depending on which brand GPU you use – and navigating to the performance or device manager tab will show you current GPU temperatures as well as more information on clock speed, average frame rate when gaming, and more. These are free and powerful tools for monitoring GPU temperatures and performance. 

HWMonitor

A great third-party tool for precise monitoring and logging of GPU data is HWMonitor. It’s a free app and available here for download. HWMonitor monitors every single sensor on your device, including the multiple temperature sensors on your GPU – most apps including Task Manager give you an average temperature figure.

ALSO READ: Gamers, here are 5 Windows 11 tips that you need to know about 

The data that HWMonitor generates can seem overwhelming to the layman, but it’s also an extremely useful diagnostic tool for when you want to isolate a problem. It takes a little effort to understand, but putting in that effort is worth it in the long run. 

MSI Afterburner

One of the best tools you can get for monitoring GPU stats in real-time i.e. when gaming, for example, is by using another free app called MSI Afterburner. MSI Afterburner is primarily an overclocking tool for GPUs, but it comes bundled with the RTSS Rivatuner Statistics Server – the name is a mouthful – which is an excellent tool for viewing performance stats in real-time as an overlay over whatever you’re working on or playing. 

To access the overlay, open MSI Afterburner > Settings > On-Screen Display (OSD). Note the shortcut keys needed to toggle the OSD. It’s usually Ctrl + Alt + F1, but you can modify it to anything you choose. Pressing the shortcut keys while gaming will overlay relevant performance data in one of the corners of your display.  

Heading to the Monitoring tab in settings will present you with a list of sensors that are monitored and reported in the OSD. If you only want to see GPU temperatures, select GPU temperature and enable ‘in OSD’ in properties. Restarting the OSD with the shortcut key will give you that information while gaming. 

MSI Afterburner also logs data for you to track separately, and you can even correlate the data with other factors such as clock speed to determine if your GPU is overheating. 

ALSO READ: What is a graphics card?

Familiarising yourself with monitoring tools is one of the first steps you’ll take towards better understanding your PC and the components that help it run. Observing and tracking data over time will let you know when your PC is acting up, if a component is failing, or when a simple cleaning can help. Use these tools, get to know your PC better, and learn how to maximise your PC’s performance.