How to Check Your PC's FPS & CPU Temp: 7 Free Tools for Gamers
You just bought a new game or a new graphics card. The first questions you ask are: "How well is it running?" and "Is it overheating?"
Knowing how to monitor your PC's performance is a critical skill for any gamer. You need to see your FPS (Frames Per Second) to measure smoothness and your CPU/GPU Temperatures to make sure you aren't damaging your hardware.
Here are 7 of the best free tools to monitor your system.
1. MSI Afterburner (The #1 Choice for Gamers)
This is the gold standard. While it's famous for overclocking, its real value for most people is the RivaTuner Statistics Server that comes with it. This lets you put a beautiful, customizable on-screen display (OSD) over your game.
What it shows: Everything. FPS, CPU temp, GPU temp, RAM usage, clock speeds, and more.
Best For: Serious gamers who want a permanent, real-time overlay in their games.
2. Windows Game Bar (The Easiest & Most Obvious)
You already have this. On Windows 10 and 11, just press Win + G. A "Performance" widget will pop up.
What it shows: A simple graph of CPU, GPU, and RAM usage, plus an FPS counter.
Best For: Quick, simple checks without installing any new software.
3. NVIDIA GeForce Experience (For NVIDIA Users)
If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, you already have this installed. The in-game overlay is powerful and easy to use.
What it shows: Just press Alt + R to see a clean, simple overlay with FPS, latency, and performance stats.
Best For: NVIDIA users who want a simple, one-key solution.
4. AMD Radeon Software (For AMD Users)
AMD's Adrenalin software is the direct competitor to NVIDIA's. It also has a powerful, built-in performance overlay.
What it shows: Press Ctrl + Shift + O to toggle the overlay, which shows FPS, temps, and more.
Best For: AMD users. The built-in tools are all you need.
5. HWMonitor (The "Full Sensor" Readout)
HWMonitor is different. It doesn't show an overlay in-game. It's a tool you run after your gaming session to see what happened.
What it shows: A detailed, tree-like list of every single sensor in your PC. It's the best tool for checking your "Min" and "Max" temperatures after a long gaming session.
Best For: Troubleshooting and getting a deep, detailed health check of your hardware.
6. Speccy (The "What Hardware Do I Have?" Tool)
Made by the creators of CCleaner, Speccy is the easiest way to see what's inside your computer.
What it shows: A clean, one-page summary of your PC (e.g., "CPU: Intel Core i7," "RAM: 16GB"). It also shows live temperatures.
Best For: Beginners who don't even know what components they have.
7. FRAPS (The Old-School Classic)
FRAPS is the original FPS counter. It's old, simple, and hasn't been updated in years, but it's famous for one thing.
What it shows: A simple, yellow FPS number in the corner of your screen. That's it.
Best For: Pure minimalists who only want to see their FPS and nothing else.