How to Check Laptop Temperature (CPU and GPU)
Quick Answer: Windows 11 shows your GPU temperature in Task Manager under Performance, but it has no built-in CPU temperature reading. For the CPU, install a free tool such as HWMonitor, HWiNFO or Core Temp and read the CPU Package temperature. On a laptop, 35 to 50 degrees Celsius at idle and 70 to 85 degrees while gaming are normal. Anything that stays above 95 degrees under load needs attention.
Which temperature should you read?
A monitoring tool shows a long list of sensors, and only two matter for most people: the CPU Package temperature for the processor, and the GPU Temperature for the graphics chip. GPU Hotspot usually sits 10 to 15 degrees above the main GPU reading.
Method 1: Check GPU temperature in Task Manager (no download)
This is the fastest check, and it needs no install. It only covers the GPU, so use it for a quick sanity check.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click Performance in the left sidebar.
- Click GPU 0. On a laptop with two graphics chips, the dedicated card matters for gaming.
- Read the Temperature figure on the right.
If no temperature shows up, your graphics driver may be old, or the laptop may only have integrated graphics. Update the driver from the laptop maker’s support page first. A reading of 40 to 50 degrees at idle and 70 to 85 degrees in a game is normal. Our guide to what a good GPU temperature is for a gaming laptop explains the exact ranges by card generation.
Method 2: Check CPU and GPU temperature with HWMonitor
HWMonitor from CPUID is the best first tool for most people. It is free, and it shows the CPU, GPU, fans and voltages on one screen.
- Download HWMonitor from cpuid.com and install it. The current version is 1.66.
- Open HWMonitor and expand your processor name.
- Open the Temperatures section and read CPU Package. That is the headline CPU number.
- Scroll to your graphics card section and read GPU Temperature.
Watch the Min and Max columns, not just the live value. The Max column after a full gaming session is the number that matters, because brief spikes are normal. If the Max stays under 90 degrees after an hour of gaming, your cooling is doing its job. The same screen also shows graphics memory, covered in our guide to checking VRAM on your laptop.
Method 3: HWiNFO for the full picture and logging
HWiNFO is the most detailed free monitoring tool on Windows. It shows nearly every sensor in the machine, flags thermal throttling directly, and can log a whole session to a file.
- Download HWiNFO from hwinfo.com and install it. The current stable version is 8.50.
- Launch it and tick Sensors-only in the startup window, then click Run.
- Find the CPU section and read CPU Package or Core Max. On AMD laptops it may be labelled CPU (Tctl/Tdie).
- Find the GPU section and read GPU Temperature and GPU Hotspot.
- To catch throttling, watch the Thermal Throttling flags and clock speeds during a game. If the CPU is rated for 4.5 GHz boost and holds only 3.2 GHz at its limit, it is thermally limited.
HWiNFO is the right tool when a laptop stutters and you need proof of why. Start logging to CSV before a long session, then review the log afterwards. Heat and power are linked: every watt the GPU draws becomes heat the cooling system must move out, which is why our explainer on what TGP means in a gaming laptop matters here.
Method 4: Core Temp for a quick CPU-only reading
If you only care about the processor, Core Temp is the simplest option. It is a small app that reads the thermal sensors inside the CPU and shows a per-core temperature in the taskbar. Download it from alcpu.com and open it. It also has an overheat protection setting that can warn you, or shut the machine down, when a temperature you choose is crossed. Set it sensibly: a warning at 95 degrees is reasonable, while a warning at 70 degrees will go off every time you open a game.
Method 5: Check temperature in BIOS or UEFI
Every laptop can show its CPU temperature in the BIOS or UEFI firmware, with no software at all. Restart the laptop and press the setup key during boot, usually Del, F2 or F10. Look for a Hardware Monitor, PC Health Status or System Information page. The catch is that this reading is taken at idle, so it tells you the baseline, not how the laptop behaves in a game. It is still useful when Windows will not boot and you suspect overheating. If the BIOS already shows 70 degrees at idle, the vents or the fan need attention.
How to check laptop temperature on a Mac
macOS has no built-in temperature readout. Activity Monitor shows CPU load and energy impact, which helps you find the process making the machine hot, but it never shows a degree figure. Stats is the free, open-source choice: it lives in the menu bar and its Sensors module reads temperature, fan speed and power. iStat Menus is the polished paid option, with per-core readings, graphs and alerts. TG Pro is the temperature specialist, with per-core readings on Apple Silicon Macs and automatic fan control, for 10 dollars one time.
What is a normal laptop temperature?
Laptops run hotter than desktops by design, so do not judge a laptop by desktop numbers.
| Part and situation | Normal | Warm but OK | Too hot |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU, idle or light use | 35 to 50 C | 50 to 60 C | Over 60 C at idle |
| CPU, gaming | 70 to 85 C | 85 to 92 C | Over 95 C sustained |
| GPU, idle or light use | 30 to 45 C | 45 to 55 C | Over 55 C at idle |
| GPU, gaming | 65 to 80 C | 80 to 85 C | Over 88 C sustained |
The hard limits come from the chip makers. Intel laptop processors throttle at 100 degrees, AMD Ryzen laptop chips at 95 degrees, and Ryzen X3D variants at 89 degrees because the stacked cache is more heat sensitive. NVIDIA laptop GPUs start throttling around 83 to 87 degrees. These are ceilings, not targets.
How to read the numbers without panicking
One hot reading is not a diagnosis. Check the temperature twice: once at idle, and once under load after 15 minutes of gaming or rendering. A brief spike to 95 degrees when a game loads is normal. A sustained 95 degrees with falling clock speeds is not. If the frame rate drops as the temperature climbs, the chip is protecting itself, and that is the moment to act. Also check whether the fans are actually spinning: a laptop that is hot and silent has a fan problem, not a settings problem. If the machine is hot and loud, background apps may be adding to the load, and our guide to reducing CPU usage while gaming covers that side.
What to do when your laptop runs too hot
Start with the free fixes, in order. First, clean the vents: hold the fan still, then blow the dust out with short bursts of compressed air. Never let the fan spin freely while you blow air through it. Second, lift the rear of the laptop by a couple of centimetres so air can reach the intake vents underneath. A book or a small stand does the job. Third, close background apps before gaming, especially browsers with hardware acceleration and chat apps.
If the simple fixes are not enough, a cooling pad helps on laptops with bottom intakes. You can check current laptop cooling pad options on Amazon if your laptop has vents on the bottom.
On an older laptop, dried thermal paste is a common cause. Replacing it can drop load temperatures by 10 degrees or more, but it means opening the machine, so it is a job for a repair shop if you are not comfortable doing it yourself. The same applies to a rattling or dead fan. Heat also ages the battery faster, so a laptop that runs hot all day is worth fixing for the battery too. Our guide to limiting battery charge to 80 percent covers the other half of keeping a laptop battery healthy. For the full set of cooling habits, see our guide to keeping a gaming laptop cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check my laptop temperature in Windows 11?
Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, click Performance, then GPU, to see the GPU temperature. For the CPU, install HWMonitor or Core Temp and read the CPU Package temperature.
What is a normal temperature for a gaming laptop?
At idle, 35 to 50 degrees for the CPU and 30 to 45 degrees for the GPU are normal. While gaming, 70 to 85 degrees for the CPU and 65 to 80 degrees for the GPU.
Is 90 degrees Celsius bad for a laptop CPU?
Not on its own. A brief spike to 90 degrees is normal. It becomes a problem when the temperature stays above 90 to 95 degrees for long sessions, or when the clocks drop and the frame rate falls with it.
Why is my laptop so hot when gaming?
Gaming loads the CPU and GPU at the same time, and a thin chassis has little room to shed that heat. Dust in the vents, a laptop sitting flat on a bed or blanket, and background apps all make it worse.
Can I check laptop temperature without installing anything?
Partly. Task Manager shows the GPU temperature with no install, and the BIOS or UEFI shows the CPU temperature at idle. For a live CPU reading inside Windows, HWMonitor or Core Temp is needed.
The Verdict
Checking laptop temperature takes five minutes, and one free tool is all most people need. HWMonitor gives the clearest first answer, HWiNFO gives the full story when something is wrong, and Task Manager covers the GPU. Measure at idle and under load, watch the Max column, and judge the laptop by sustained temperatures, not by a single spike. A gaming laptop that sits between 70 and 85 degrees while playing is doing its job. If it lives above 95 degrees, clean the vents, lift the rear, and check the fans before you blame the hardware. When you buy your next machine, check the cooling before the spec sheet, which is why our RTX 4050 vs RTX 4060 laptop comparison looks at the whole machine, not just the GPU name. If budget is the limit, our picks for the best gaming laptops under $700 show which cheap machines still cool properly.
