CPU/GPU Monitors/Clocks for Temperature Control/Monitoring: Recommendations?

[RonKe]

 

Given the need to document and mediate high GPU temperatures, especially regarding NVIDIA GPUs with high failure rates, here are 2 programs that you might consider using.  Computer customer support from all OEMs is most often limited and unresolved.  We end-users must increasing troubleshoot our own systems with the assistance  of such programs and with the help of fora such as this Community.

I request that those users who have had experiences with these products or other programs could give their experiences.

"HWMonitor is a hardware monitoring program that reads PC systems main health sensors : voltages, temperatures, fans speed."   HWMonitor (32-bit & 64-bit versions) is free and only provides the basics so it is somewhat limited in utility.  HWM Pro incurs costs. 

HW is the program I recently installed.  Thanks to James_Cummins for providing the initial HW link.

http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php

"RightMark CPU Clock Utility (RMClock) is a small GUI application designed for real-time CPU frequency, throttling and load level monitoring and on-the-fly adjustment of the CPU performance level on supported CPU models via processor's power management model-specific registers (MSRs). In automatic management mode it continuously monitors the CPU usage level and dynamically adjusts the CPU frequency, throttle and/or voltage level as needed, realizing the "Performance on Demand" concept."

"Basic RMClock version is available free of charge for personal non-commercial use and for non-profit organizations. No registration or activation is required" 

Thanks to killaprofile for recommending RMClock, a program which I have not used.

http://cpu.rightmark.org/products/rmclock.shtml

Eventually, I will move this post to the Tips and Tricks section with modifications and based on the replies.  I encourage all those experienced users here to catalog helpful programs or workarounds to the Tips section once there are mentioned in the Software/Hardware/Other sections so those valuable recommendations do not get buried in this fast-moving forum.

Thanks. 

[James_Cummins · Accepted solution]

For chipset temp, nVidia System Monitor, part of nVidia System Tools (no need to install the other two parts of System Tools), will also work though it's a bit bloated to install compared to HWMonitor.  On the plus side it can display only what you want on top of other windows in a little panel.  "GPU" is the setting for the correct integrated video temp, not motherboard or chipset or whatever the other choice is.

The download link for that keeps changing, they don't have a generic home page for it so the link is found under the "Other Downloads & Support" heading at the bottom of their regular driver download page.   Some features in the rest of the System Tools package may not work or even give incorrect readings but with a recent vintage nVidia video driver the GPU temp should still be correct, and was confirmed to match the reading given by HWMonitor on my dv6000 series.

Direct link to the current version:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/nvidia_system_tools_6.03.html

[Wayne_Sallee]

I have tried both of those monitors, and neither one will show a GPU temp. I guess I have a defective GPU that does not show temps.

I have the Nvidia GeForce GO 6150.

Wayne Sallee

Wayne@WayneSallee.com

Message Edited by Wayne_Sallee on 12-02-2008 08:11 PM

[James_Cummins]

Wayne Sallee, a little more info about your system configuration might help. 

I had HWMonitor showing the temp in the factory restored Vista installation (but I don't remember if it was running the factory installed driver or a newer one) and in XP w/SP3.  Most likely you aren't running a recent enough nVidia video driver. 

In some of the older driver versions (before they switched from the pop up on the left menu design to the current control panel that opens a more regular looking windows window) the GPU temp even shows up in the nVidia Control Panel accessed off the Display Properties page in windows. 

If your system is even running it is unlikely a defective GPU would only not show temperature.  Even when mine was regularly corrupting the screen it showed temp.


You can get the newest nVidia driver available from laptopvideo2go, linked on the top right hand side of their homepage.

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/

Message Edited by James_Cummins on 12-02-2008 05:56 PM

[Wayne_Sallee]

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Message 3 of 4

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I have tried both of those monitors, and neither one will show a GPU temp. I guess I have a defective GPU that does not show temps.

I have the Nvidia GeForce GO 6150.

Wayne Sallee

Wayne@WayneSallee.com

Message Edited by Wayne_Sallee on 12-02-2008 08:11 PM

Kudos! Thanks!

12-02-2008 08:09 PM

(Separate tags with spaces)

 

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Re: CPU/GPU Monitors/Clocks for Temperature Control/Monitoring: Recommendations?   [ NEW ]   [ Edited ] Options      James_Cummins
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Posts: 67
Registered: 11-18-2008

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Wayne Sallee, a little more info about your system configuration might help. 

I had HWMonitor showing the temp in the factory restored Vista installation (but I don't remember if it was running the factory installed driver or a newer one) and in XP w/SP3.  Most likely you aren't running a recent enough nVidia video driver. 

In some of the older driver versions (before they switched from the pop up on the left menu design to the current control panel that opens a more regular looking windows window) the GPU temp even shows up in the nVidia Control Panel accessed off the Display Properties page in windows. 

If your system is even running it is unlikely a defective GPU would only not show temperature.  Even when mine was regularly corrupting the screen it showed temp.


You can get the newest nVidia driver available from laptopvideo2go, linked on the top right hand side of their homepage.

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/

Message Edited by James_Cummins on 12-02-2008 05:56 PM

Kudos! Thanks!

12-02-2008 08:39 PM

All Users' Tags:

• driver
• newest
• Nvidia
• video

 

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LOl look a my post time, and then my edit time of the above postp>

then look at the reply time and that edit time.

Something is a little goofy there.

.
Anyone got some bug spray? :-)

Wayne Sallee

Wayne@WayneSallee.com

Message Edited by Wayne_Sallee on 12-03-2008 10:03 AM

Message Edited by Wayne_Sallee on 12-03-2008 10:04 AM

Message Edited by Wayne_Sallee on 12-03-2008 10:05 AM

Message Edited by Wayne_Sallee on 12-03-2008 10:08 AM

Message Edited by Wayne_Sallee on 12-03-2008 10:09 AM

[Wayne_Sallee]

---

James_Cummins wrote:

Wayne Sallee, a little more info about your system configuration might help. 

I had HWMonitor showing the temp in the factory restored Vista installation (but I don't remember if it was running the factory installed driver or a newer one) and in XP w/SP3.  Most likely you aren't running a recent enough nVidia video driver. 

In some of the older driver versions (before they switched from the pop up on the left menu design to the current control panel that opens a more regular looking windows window) the GPU temp even shows up in the nVidia Control Panel accessed off the Display Properties page in windows. 

If your system is even running it is unlikely a defective GPU would only not show temperature.  Even when mine was regularly corrupting the screen it showed temp.


You can get the newest nVidia driver available from laptopvideo2go, linked on the top right hand side of their homepage.

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/

Message Edited by James_Cummins on 12-02-2008 05:56 PM

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I have the Nvidia GeForce Go 6150

I let XP update the driver, and it did, but still no temperature reading.

I went to Nividia web site, and could not even find a driver for it on the nvidia web site.

Nvidia states that it has to be downloaded from HP. I checked HP, and the driver that I had originaly is the latest driver from HP.

Wayne Sallee

Wayne@WayneSallee.com

Message Edited by Wayne_Sallee on 12-03-2008 10:40 AM

[CherylG]

Wayne, you can't get drivers from Nvidia _as James stated go to LaptopVideo2Go:

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/drivers/xp/178.15

[CherylG]

RonKe

HWMonitor works well for me.Not quite as advanced as Everest but  efficient for temp monitor and no bloat.Just unzip to a folder and run the.exe.Neat little app.

[RonKe]

CherylG,

Thanks for confirming that the HW Monitor easily works for you as well, because others will likely see your recommendation for this simple App and then use it for diagnostics to help us all with possible troubleshooting/problem solving.

Oh, and thanks for adding your signature! We all like to see what equipment Tenured Professors use

We appreciate your assistance throughout the Consumer and Business fora.

[James_Cummins]

Don't ever let XP update drivers, unless you like losing features and just can't find it anywhere else.  It will always be the same driver or a defeatured version of it compared to what you can get elsewhere.  Besides that, MS wants people using windows interfaces, not the driver development team's interface so even if they didn't strip a feature out of a driver you have no access to the feature.  nVidia will give you a canned response, as will HP, because they don't want to, nor can they give extra support for anything they have not tested themselves.  You now know where to get the latest drivers and they do support the mobile power management features.

You might as well uninstall the Physx from add/remove programs after the driver installs it, since 6150 (or most integrated video for that matter) will be playing anything that uses PhysX like a slideshow already, won't have any extra processing power left for physics calcs.