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Core Temp Gadget is a free Windows gadget that displays the temperature and load of your CPU's cores as well as basic information about your processor and platform. To use it, you must have ALCPU's Core Temp installed and running. Core Temp is a small, free application that extracts critical data from sensors and displays it in a compact interface. Core Temp Gadget simply displays data from Core Temp in an unobtrusive desktop gadget.
Core Temp doesn't have to be running to download and install Core Temp Gadget, but the utility must be running to port data to the gadget. Core Temp identified our processor by model, platform, frequency, VID, Revision, CPUID, and Lithography standard as well as number of cores and threads and each core's temperature and load. We minimized Core Temp and turned to the gadget. It displayed our processor data in a compact but colorful view that included the CPU maker's logo. Beneath this were three graph lines coded in different colors--one each for each core's temperature, load, and activity, plus another for RAM use--and at the bottom a moving graph displayed the data. Unusually for a gadget, this one offers quite a few options, including displaying the clock speed in gigahertz, changing colors, enabling items to display, and configuring the graphs. As with all Windows gadgets, we could drag it around wherever we wanted on the desktop and access its settings by right-clicking the desktop and selecting Gadgets.
We're quite familiar with Core Temp, which is a terrific little tool for keeping an eye on your system and a must for overclockers and tweakers. Core Temp Gadget is one of the best little desktop tools we've tried, and one that provides crucial warnings when things aren't working as they should. Even if you don't overclock your system or even peek beneath the hood, it's educational to see what's up with your CPU.
Publisher's Description
From ALCPU:
The original Core Temp Gadget, brought to you by Core Temp's developer, Arthur Liberman. Monitor your processor temperature, load, frequency and VID settings with a visual representation via a graph at the bottom of the gadget. Settings: - Adjust the zoom to change the size of the gadget. - Show or hide the graphs and text fields. - Graphs can display core load or core temperatures. - Select colors for the cores. Colors can be selected automatically or manually, a different color per core or a single color for all the cores. By clicking on the resize button (dock/undock in Vista) you can quickly show or hide the graphs. Uninstalling the gadget: 1. Close all instances of the Gadget. 2. In Vista - Restart Windows or Kill the "sidebar.exe" process by using the Task Manager. In Windows 7 - Right click Desktop, View, uncheck "Show Desktop Gadgets". 3. Start Sidebar again from the Desktop context menu (right click Desktop). 4. Uninstall the Core Temp Gadget.
What's new in this version:
- New: Option to change from the default Navy Blue background.
- New: Support for multiprocessor systems, the gadget will list all cores in the system.
- New: User defined minimum temperature value when graphs are in temperature mode.
- Fixed: Spacing issues when zoom is less than 100% and gadget is on the right.
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All versions:
3.0 starsout of 20 votes
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Current version:
2.8 starsout of 16 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Works great"
Version: Core Temp Gadget 2.7
Pros
Give's me necessary info to protect my computer.
Cons
Can't think of any cons.
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"Good but stay away from RC5 version..."
Version: Core Temp Gadget 2.7
Pros
Shows CPU cores temperatures... if you have Intel CPUs
Cons
RC5 version causes Windows x64 (7 and 8) to FREEZE!!! whether you have Intel I3,5 or 7 family or AMD FX family.
About the temps, if you have AMD's you'll have to guess the bias and set it on the program. The programmer refuses to fix the issue arguing it's AMD's fault, then how the BIOS or AMD Overdrive read the temperatures correctly? The answer: a LAZY programmer.Summary
RC3 also freezes the CPU, but more randomly and if you leave the computer unattended.
I understand the programmer needs money but forcing the user to download the installer, thanks to the Bundle payload it's unfair.
YES, you download only the InstallIQ installer, you never download the real installer only the enveloper of the bundle software.
Still looking for a better option... -
"DO NOT download this!"
Version: Core Temp Gadget 2.7
Pros
None--I didn't keep it long enough to find out.
Cons
It carries malware with it upon download. First, it asked me if I wanted to install a toolbar before I downloaded it. I unchecked that box. Then, as it was installing it, it started Firefox and asked if I wanted to install the "Price Peep" add-on. I closed the browser, but "Price Peep" showed up in my list of programs nonetheless, as did a program called "Strong Vault". When I tried to uninstall "Strong Vault", a window popped up asking me if I wanted some unnamed, numbered program to make changes to my hard drive. I selected "Cancel" of course, but then the uninstaller didn't get rid of the program. I'm on the 'net looking up how to root out this turd at this moment. Any program that installs other unrelated software without my permission is a no-go for me. Bye-bye, Core Temp!
Summary
I'm disappointed in cnet for featuring this download on this site. I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt and assume that neither cnet nor the Core Temp programmers had any knowledge of the Sneaky Pete hitchhikers, but this download should be removed immediately until the problem is fixed.
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"Don't listen to the other "installs spyware" reviews"
Version: Core Temp Gadget 2.7
Pros
Works absolutely perfectly
Gives me exactly what I wanted and even more
Goes into detail
Minimises to a helpful system tray display
This is a must-have app for every computerCons
None, bar the installation.
Summary
This is a perfect app and does exactly what it intends to.
It doesn't deserve any of the flak it's getting by other reviewers.
It's free to download, which means it's most likely I(pretty much guaranteed)to be getting paid for by the ads it places in the installation.
It doesn't force you to download anything, if you have half a brain and can actually read the installation wizard it'll work perfectly.
With 200,000+ downloads you can be assured this has no viruses or spyware, anyone who says otherwise is completely computer illiterate (reinforced by the fact half the people reviewing 1* couldn't even install it), even claiming 'spyware' on something like this is stupid.
Seriously, even this retard below me posted a 1* review, with his "Pros" being that HE NEVER EVEN INSTALLED IT.
I'M SORRY SIR, HOW DO YOU EVEN FUNCTION. THAT'S LIKE SAYING THAT DISNEYLAND WAS AMAZING, YET NEVER ACTUALLY HAVING BEEN THERE.
It seriously annoys me that *profanity* like him would post bad reviews on something they've never tried, massively lowering the overall score on it because they were just too dumb to even install it. This is a very good product, and deserves praise. Not unjust judgement from retarded, computer-illiterate fools. -
"It loads crap software as add ons"
Version: Core Temp Gadget 2.7
Pros
None, I never installed it.
Cons
I abandoned the install as soon as it started to install unwanted software.
Summary
Don't bother
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"Spyware and Junk"
Version: Core Temp Gadget 2.7
Pros
None at all
Cons
Will hijack your computer
Summary
Like other reviewers say, I had to uninstall tons of Spyware and reconfigure my browser to get rid of the junk it forces. In the end, it didn't even work.
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"Does its Job"
Version: Core Temp Gadget 2.7
Pros
Reads temp of processor cores and makes the temperatures available for a desktop widget to display.
Cons
The widget only uses one core temperture.
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"Tries to install TONS of JUNK!"
Version: Core Temp Gadget 2.7
Pros
Once I got through the laborious installation process, it seems to work as advertised.
Cons
The installer tries to install no less than 8 different adware programs. It tries to install toolbars, it tries to change your home page, it tries to change your default search engine... It's RIDICULOUS! You have to read everything carefully because some things you have to "check" to prevent from installing, other things you have to "uncheck". If you don't pay attention you'll end up installing junk you don't want.
In not for Fred_3000's warning I might have clicked through some of that stuff. thank's Fred!Summary
It does what it says it does, I just think the company is unscrupulous. They would get better reviews and make more money if they dropped all of the adware and simply charged $2 or $5 for their simple little app. I'm obviously not going to pay $19.95 for a CPU thermometer, but I'd gladly pay $2 to $5. Android apps make tons of money for their developers, and they are dirt cheap. Trying to trick me into installing adware makes me distrust the developer.
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"SPYWARE!!!"
Version: Core Temp Gadget 2.7
Pros
Seemed to actually function as advertised once I installed it. It did report a believable core temperature.
Cons
This program will install spyware on your computer! Thank god I had a virus protection program which stopped a self-protection process the spyware initiated once I tried to remove it.
Summary
Do not use this as it has spyware! I had the naive belief that cnet actually checked these downloads for spyware but sadly it seems I am wrong. I will no longer download anything from this site.
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"Won't install"
Version: Core Temp Gadget 2.7
Pros
It's free, and worth every penny.
Cons
A waste of my time, which is worth more than I paid for this app.
Summary
Despite their claims that it will work with Windows XP (see website) and that Windows "should" recognize the .gadget extention, it doesn't.
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