# Hardware monitoring software **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 8, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardware-monitoring-software/599021 "2011-10-08T20:02:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardware-monitoring-software/599021/1 "2011-10-08T20:02:18Z")
Looking for good, free, hardware monitor, specifically to monitor CPU temp and fan speeds, for Windows 7. There are plenty out there but I don’t know which ones are flakey or riddled with spyware, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardware-monitoring-software/599021/2 "2011-10-08T20:23:07Z")
CPUID’s HWMonitor is what you want. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardware-monitoring-software/599021/3 "2011-10-08T22:42:50Z")
Seems to do the job. I wasn’t happy that it wanted to install a freaking toolbar by default (especially an [ask.com](http://ask.com) toolbar) but at least it let me uncheck that. Other than the install, no complaints so far. CPU is running cooler than I thought. I must have done something right for a change. 😛