Checking your laptop’s temperature is the first step in diagnosing loud fans, slowdowns and sudden shutdowns. Windows doesn’t show CPU temperature by default, but free tools do it in seconds.
In this article
The quickest check: Task Manager (GPU only)
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Performance → click your GPU. On laptops with a dedicated graphics card, the GPU temperature appears at the bottom. Task Manager doesn’t show CPU temperature.
Best free tools for Windows
HWiNFO (most detailed, our pick)
- Download it from the official site, hwinfo.com (avoid third-party download sites).
- Run it and choose Sensors-only.
- Look for CPU Package (Intel) or CPU (Tctl/Tdie) (AMD), plus GPU Temperature. The “Maximum” column records the peak while you game or work.
- Check the Thermal Throttling rows. “Yes” means the laptop is slowing itself down because of heat.
Core Temp (simplest)
A tiny app that shows CPU temperature per core and can display it in the system tray.
HWMonitor
A simple list of every temperature sensor, with min/max values.
Manufacturer apps
Gaming laptop apps like Armoury Crate, Lenovo Vantage/Legion Space, Omen Gaming Hub and MSI Center show CPU and GPU temperatures and let you adjust fan modes.
On a Mac
macOS doesn’t show temperatures. Free apps such as Stats (open source) or paid ones like iStat Menus display them in the menu bar. Apple silicon Macs run cool for most tasks, and fanless MacBook Airs slow down gracefully under long heavy loads rather than overheating.
What’s a normal laptop temperature?
| Situation | CPU | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Idle / browsing | 35–55°C | Thin laptops may idle a little higher. |
| Heavy work (exports, compiling) | 70–90°C | Normal for most laptops. |
| Gaming laptops under load | 80–95°C | Common and within spec, though not ideal long term. |
| Danger zone | 95–105°C+ sustained, with throttling | Chips throttle or shut down to protect themselves. Time to clean and improve airflow. |
Modern processors protect themselves, so high temperatures rarely cause instant damage. But constant heat speeds up battery wear and makes the laptop slow and loud. Laptop GPUs typically run 70–87°C under gaming load.
If your laptop is running hot
- Check Task Manager for a runaway process using lots of CPU at idle.
- Clean the vents and fan.
- Use it on a hard surface and raise the back.
- Follow the full guide: how to stop laptop overheating.
