HWMonitor is a great way to view an array of values from sensors from your computer components. Available as a standalone and portable application as well as an installable program, HWMonitor is lightweight and fairly user-friendly.

Pros #

Very little setup is required to get this thing up and going; even less with the portable executable!

From the makers of CPU-ID, the best possible attempt is made to identify and provide names such as “AMD Radeon HD 5700” which is better than “GFX”. Paying customers can designate custom names.

Voltages, fan speed, and temperature is displayed where applicable, useful, and available.

The maximum and minimum of any value for the session is recorded and displayed alongside the current value and can easily be reset.

Basic features are more than enough for the average user and are available for free.

Cons #

The interface is not very configurable, preventing the user from culling extraneous information from display by default. That said, users can hide certain categories by collapsing them.

HWMonitor does not allow users to manipulate fan speeds, but it is only a monitor, not a controller unless you cough up a fair sum.

Final Verdict #

The pros strongly outweigh the cons in this case as I would definitely recommend HWMonitor to anyone looking to keep an eye on their temperatures. Those looking to control those fans should seek another program or use this on the side unless they’re willing to cough up some money. Otherwise, check it out at its homepage at CPUID.