GPUs are generally designed to endure some tough heat. Getting hot on occasion is very common and could be because of poor ventilation or a myriad of different reasons. While it doesn’t mean it will eventually explode like a volcano, it should never be ignored.
Over time, heating issues will throttle your GPU performance. The best way to avoid it is by regularly cleaning the PC and maintaining good hygiene. Fortunately, checking your GPU’s temperature isn’t difficult and hardly takes more than 5 minutes.
How to Check Your GPU Temperature
Periodically checking the temperature is necessary unless you want the GPU to abruptly shut down while playing games or video editing. There are several ways to check how your GPU is doing in terms of heat, by downloading third-party apps, or using the easiest way built-in within your Windows PC.
Here is list of things you can try,
Check Through Task Manager
You can check your GPU temperature by using the task manager on Windows 10, something that wasn’t possible with previous versions of Windows. Likewise, this method will not work for someone who has a Windows 10 build older than 18963.
To check your GPU temperature with Task Manager,
- Open Task Manager (you can use the shortcut key Ctrl + Shift + Esc)
- Click on More Details located at the bottom
- Select Performance
- Scroll down on the left side and pick your Graphics Card
The option is available for discrete graphics cards that support version 2.4 of WDDM. You may not be able to check the temperature of your iGPU this way, but there are other things you can try.
Use NVIDIA GeForce Experience
This is for NVIDIA GPUs only, obviously. All you need is the GeForce Experience app. You can easily download the app if you haven’t already through Nvidia.com.
Once you’ve installed it, follow these steps,
- First, you need to turn on the overlay
- Settings > HUD Layout > Performance > Advance
- Then just select where you want the performance stats to be displayed on your screen
Once enabled, you should see a small window appear on the side of your screen that will show some metrics regarding your GPU—including temperature.
Use the shortcut of Alt + R to remove or bring forth the overlay at your will.
Check Temperature for AMD GPU
AMD also supports overlays that will let you monitor all performance indexes including temperature. Similar to the counterpart, you can check by downloading Radeon Software.
- Open Radeon Software > Head to Performance section > View GPU temperature located near the bottom
If you wish to create an overlay instead, press Alt + R and then select all the details you want to be displayed, make sure to choose the temperature. Once all is set, use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + 0 to bring the tool whenever you want.
Other third-party apps
The above three usually should be enough for all your GPUs, but they aren’t the only choices you have. There are plenty of good apps that provide good details on your GPU’s health—more than just temperature.
There are plenty of them, but below are the five best and the ones you should be looking into the most.
You can pick anyone that piques your interest. Most people use MSI, but others are equally good and accurate. There is also no need to search for “how to check the temperature” with these apps as the steps are usually straightforward. In most cases, you should see them right away once you open them.
Now that you know how you can check if your GPU has a potential fever, there are likely some burning questions.
How hot is too hot?
The ideal temperature is around 60 °C to 70 °C. There are some GPUs that can withstand temperatures as high as 100 °C, but anything above 90 °C isn’t good for your PC.
Always monitor your temperature. If it fluctuates too much, like 65 at one point and then 100, and again 70, or something like that, it is a sign of something being wrong.
If some games/tasks increase the heat beyond the average temperature, stop doing it or see if everything is okay with your GPU. If you have integrated graphics, you can also disable your GPU and play games that don’t require a graphics card.
Why does it get so hot?
Generally, there isn’t a definite reason why your PC is suffering from heating issues. It might be because your hardware is old or dust has accumulated in your fan reducing the cooling power and bringing your PC’s temperature up.
How to help heat issues?
In most cases, heating is inevitable once your system ages. You can, however, delay it from happening sooner by following some precautions.
- Maintain proper ventilation
- Regularly clean your fan and your PC
- Keep your surroundings clean from dust
- Check for any wiring issues
- Try to avoid things that reduce GPUs lifespan
- Regularly check the temperature and act promptly when you see an issue
- Change thermal paste when you can, usually every alternative year
Threat your PC nicely, and it’ll pay back with longer durability.
What if I already have a heating issue?
Once your PC starts having heating issues, there is no point of return. All the precautions mentioned above are something you can do, and unless your GPU is badly damaged, it should return to a normal temperature again.
No need to get all frightened, even if it is heating up like hell. Cook some omelets and continue playing GTA. Most GPUs will automatically shut down before reaching the blast point, so you’re safe. Relax until you get the “WARNING!” and it shuts off.
In all seriousness, the moment you notice the temperature is not feeling normal, see what’s wrong. Whether it is air flow, dust, or just aging, the faster it returns to normal, the quicker you can play your favorite games.
