How to get CPU temperature alerts on Windows 10
If you have a laptop or desktop designed for heavy usage e.g., gaming or animation, it likely runs hot when you’re performing either of those tasks, or if you just have one too many Chrome tabs open. Hardware doesn’t damage easily if it gets a bit hot but if it gets too hot, your system might shut down and eventually, your hardware might be damaged. The trick is to keep an eye on your system’s temperature. There’s no shortage of apps that can measure your system’s temperature however not many will alert you when your CPU is running too hot. RealTemp is the exception. It can give you CPU temperature alerts when your system heats up.
CPU temperature alerts
Download RealTemp and install it. Run the app and look at the basic temperature settings that the app comes with. It has minimum and maximum temperatures set by default and you cannot change them however you can test them against a benchmark by clicking XS Bench.
Click the Settings button at the bottom to enable the CPU temperature alert. On the Settings window, enable the Alarm option and in CPU Temperature, enter the temperature that, when exceeded, will trigger the alarm. Click Apply and minimize the app to the system tray.
When your CPU exceeds the set temperature limit, you will hear a siren. The sound will not be accompanied with any sort of visual alert e.g., a toast notification however the alert will continue to sound at regular intervals to let you know your system is running hotter than you prefer it to.
We should warn you that before you use RealTemp to keep an eye on your system’s temperature, you should compare the temperature it reports with other apps that are built for monitoring a system. This app may, or may not, report the correct temperature and there might be some variance. If a little difference doesn’t bother you, you can leave your alarm settings the way they are. If the difference is huge, or you want a more precise alarm, you should change the value that triggers the alarm to make up for the discrepancy.
If you’re wondering how hot is too hot, that really all depends on your system. It shouldn’t consistently be running at 100 degrees but in many cases 70 is fine for when you’re running a game or rendering animation. Make sure system’s cooling is working and that it’s in a well ventilated position e.g., you should NOT have it resting on a cushion or carpet where the fans will be blocked.
