How to Check My CPU Temp on Windows Vista
An overheating computer can be unstable and, if left untreated, can eventually be permanently damaged by the excess heat. The dangers of overheating are compounded if you're overclocking your CPU, which entails running it faster than its designed speed. Because not all CPUs and motherboards report their temperature in the same way, specialized software tools are required to check your CPU's temperature in Microsoft Windows.
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Instructions
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Open a Web browser, and navigate to almico.com/speedfan.php to download Alfredo Milani Comparetti's SpeedFan monitoring program. SpeedFan is designed to read the temperatures reported by your CPU, motherboard and graphics card.
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Double-click the downloaded file beginning with "installspeedfan" and follow the on-screen instructions to install SpeedFan on your computer. Depending on the way you have configured Windows Vista, you may have to click the User Account Control pop-up window to confirm the installation of the software.
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Click on "Start" at the bottom left of your screen, then navigate to "Programs" and "SpeedFan." In that folder, click "SpeedFan" to start the program. It will take several seconds to identify your computer's thermometers and present their results.
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Check the number written next to "CPU:" on the "Readings" tab of SpeedFan to find out your CPU temperature. If your computer's CPU has multiple cores, each will have a separate temperature reading written next to the core number, starting with "Core 0:" because computers generally count from 0 rather than 1.
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