CPU temperature monitoring with PRTG

CPUs overheat for all sorts of reasons. The most obvious causes are poor air flow, high ambient temperatures, and cooling system malfunctions. But technical issues such as resource-heavy processes, outdated firmware, and poorly optimized hardware or software can also cause overheating by making the CPU operate inefficiently or work too hard.

A CPU is too hot if its temperature is higher than the maximum specified by the manufacturer. The limit varies depending on the make and model, but it's typically somewhere between 60°C to 90°C (if you're in the US, that's 140°F to 194°F). If a CPU goes over this limit for any sustained period of time, it can cause network disruptions and become a fire hazard. The device will also be less reliable and have a shorter lifespan.

Because it makes it easier to spot and address the causes of overheating – including those that might not be immediately obvious – before your device becomes unstable or, worse, dangerous. Alongside CPU temperature, PRTG also monitors other key variables that might damage your hardware and make your network less safe and reliable, such as humidity levels and the status of power distribution units and uninterruptible power supplies.

The PRTG core server runs on Microsoft Windows (Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows 11, or Windows 10 are recommended). With the help of our built-in multi-platform probe, you can also run PRTG on Linux and other Unix-based systems.

In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive.

On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.