Core Temp is a processor temperature monitor for Windows. It reads thermal data from supported Intel, AMD and VIA processors and shows how the readings change as the CPU’s workload changes. Alongside temperatures, Core Temp displays processor information, operating frequencies and available power measurements.
Thermal sensors
Core Temp obtains temperature data from sensors inside the processor, reading values through CPU registers rather than relying on a motherboard’s external temperature sensor. On supported Intel processors, the sensor reports the distance from TjMax, the processor’s maximum junction temperature. Core Temp uses that difference to calculate the current temperature and can also display the remaining distance to the limit.
The available readings depend on the processor. Core Temp can show individual core temperatures on supported models, including most AMD Zen processors. Some older AMD families expose one temperature for the processor package, so a single reading covers the CPU rather than separating its cores.
Temperature display
The main window places current temperatures alongside minimum, maximum and average measurements. The polling interval is adjustable, allowing the displayed values to update more or less frequently.
Core Temp also places sensor readings in the Windows notification area. Its tray settings let you select which available sensors appear. A highest-temperature display follows the hottest core at that moment; it does not show the highest temperature reached earlier in the monitoring session. That earlier peak belongs to the Max field in the main window.
Frequency, power and VID readings
You can select a core for the frequency fields, and Core Temp includes effective core frequency measurements. Power fields vary with the processor: available values may cover the whole package or separate areas such as CPU cores and integrated graphics. These are processor power readings rather than a measurement of the entire computer’s electricity use.
Where a VID value is available, it represents the voltage requested for the processor’s current power state. It differs from VCore, the voltage actually supplied by the motherboard, which matters when interpreting readings on a machine with manually changed voltage settings.
Temperature logs
CSV logging records measurements for later examination in a spreadsheet. The log includes temperature, processor load and CPU speed data, allowing changes in those readings to be compared over time. Reading and logging intervals are configurable separately, so the display’s refresh rate need not determine how often a sample is written.
You can toggle logging or configure it to begin with Core Temp. Each logging session receives its own file named with the session’s starting date and time, and a folder setting controls where the files are saved.
Thermal alerts
Overheat protection uses a temperature setting to trigger a notification. Core Temp can also report overheat events to the Windows Event Log and execute a chosen file with arguments, allowing a separate action to accompany the alert.
The temperature display retains an exclamation mark when a core has reached a critical temperature during monitoring. A question mark has a different meaning: the sensor reading is invalid.
Core Temp Grapher and plugins
Optional additions use Core Temp’s readings in other displays. Core Temp Grapher, offered as a beta add-on, plots temperature and load for each processor core. RGBPlugins maps temperature to adjustable lighting colors and can vary LED intensity with CPU load.
The Remote Server plugin makes processor-status updates available to applications connecting over a network.
