Adding a CPU temperature monitor to your Windows taskbar is a popular way to track your computer’s health and prevent overheating during heavy tasks like gaming or video editing. Because Windows does not have a built-in taskbar temperature gauge, you must use a lightweight third-party application to display this information.
The most common, reliable tools and the steps to set them up are detailed below. Option 1: Core Temp (Most Popular & Lightweight)
Core Temp is a small footprint program designed explicitly for this purpose. It reads the Digital Thermal Sensor (DTS) directly from your Intel or AMD processor for high accuracy.
Download and install Core Temp (uncheck any optional promotional software during setup). Launch the application, then go to Options > Settings. Click the Notification Area tab.
Select Highest temperature per processor (or select individual cores if you prefer multiple icons). Click OK or Apply.
Click the Up Arrow (^) on your taskbar to open the hidden system tray.
Click, hold, and drag the temperature number directly down onto your visible taskbar. Option 2: HWiNFO (Advanced & Highly Customizable)
If you want to monitor your CPU alongside your graphics card (GPU), RAM, or hard drives, HWiNFO is the industry standard tool.
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