Motherboard Monitor

Motherboard Monitor

Motherboard Monitor’s documentation may not explain every detail of the program, but it is safe to call it a sensor monitor for your PC. The interface is a collection of dials, check boxes, and taskbar icons that read data from motherboard CPU temperature and fan speed sensors. While it isn’t a mess, it is difficult to accurately predict where to find settings and information.

Setup is not for novices. You first need to know the make and model of your motherboard and then be prepared to answer quite a few questions that may stump even some advanced users. If you’ve answered everything correctly, Motherboard Monitor places icons on your taskbar. (The icons depend on which sensors are available on your motherboard.)

The program stores data over time and can shut down overheated systems. You can fine tune the program, but the documentation is spotty. On our first test machine, Motherboard Monitor reported the temperature of our CPU and case at the freezing point of water. Adding to the disappointment, the program can’t determine if you’ve input the correct board manufacturer and revision. Many of our test machines had motherboards not recognized by the utility.

If you’re an advanced user who has overclocked your system, this program will help monitor your CPU. Everyone else has little use for Motherboard Monitor.