

Other components can get warm, most notably the graphics card (if you’ve got one – most laptops won’t have), but it’s the processor we’re most concerned with.


When we talk about taking your PC’s temperature, we’re generally talking about measuring the temperature of the processor. Here’s how to do it and to find out what a safe running temperature is. But if your computer is constantly crashing or there’s a funny smell seeping out of the box, it might be wise to take its temperature. Normally it’s nothing to worry about – laptops and PCs have built-in safeguards to prevent serious overheating. Worried your PC is running too hot? It’s easy to get paranoid when you’ve got a searingly hot laptop burning a hole in your trousers or the fan noise from your desktop computer is drowning out the roadworks outside.
