Your CPU temperature explains the mystery FPS drops that hit 15 minutes into a session with no apparent cause. MSI Afterburner can display it as a real-time in-game overlay, but the tool won’t show CPU temps out of the box — it defaults to GPU monitoring, and CPU sensors need to be manually switched on. Some systems need an extra step when Afterburner’s native sensors can’t read the CPU at all.
This guide covers the full setup, clarifies the CPU Package vs CPU Core confusion that catches most players out, and provides the HWiNFO64 workaround for boards where Afterburner falls short.
Verified on MSI Afterburner v4.6.6 / RTSS 7.3.6 (March 2026).
Quick Start: CPU Temp Overlay in 5 Steps
- Download MSI Afterburner — keep RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) checked during install
- Open Afterburner → click the gear icon → go to the Monitoring tab
- Scroll to CPU1 Temperature or CPU Package Temperature → check its box → tick Show in On-Screen Display
- Switch to the On-Screen Display tab → assign a toggle hotkey (Scroll Lock works well)
- Launch your game → press the hotkey
If the overlay shows “—” instead of a number, jump to the HWiNFO64 section below.
Step-by-Step Setup
1. Install MSI Afterburner (Don’t Skip RTSS)
Download MSI Afterburner from MSI’s official site. During the install wizard, you’ll be asked whether to install RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) — leave this checked. RTSS is the engine that draws the in-game overlay; without it, temperatures can’t appear while you play. After installation, both applications appear in your system tray. Both need to be running.
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2. Enable CPU Temperature in the Monitoring Tab
Open Afterburner’s Settings (gear icon) and go to the Monitoring tab. The sensor list starts with GPU metrics — scroll down past those to find CPU metrics. Look for CPU1 Temperature (Intel) or CPU Package Temperature (AMD). Check the box next to it to enable it, then — with that row highlighted — tick Show in On-Screen Display in the sub-panel below the list [3].
To monitor individual cores, repeat the process for CPU2, CPU3, and so on. For most gaming sessions, a single Package temperature reading tells you everything you need.
3. Assign a Toggle Hotkey
Switch to the On-Screen Display tab and assign a key to “Toggle On-Screen Display.” Scroll Lock is a reliable choice — it’s almost never bound in games. Hit OK to save.
4. Test in a Game
Launch a game or run a short Cinebench benchmark. Press your hotkey. The overlay appears in the top-left corner showing CPU temperature alongside any other sensors you enabled. If nothing appears, check that RTSS is running in the system tray. If the temperature shows “—”, your board’s CPU sensors aren’t exposed to Afterburner — see the HWiNFO64 section below [4].
CPU Package vs CPU Core: Which Metric to Watch
The Monitoring tab lists both a CPU Package reading and individual CPU1 / CPU2 / CPU3… readings. These are not the same thing, and watching the wrong one gives you a false picture of your system’s thermal state.
| Metric | What It Reads | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Package | Highest temperature across the entire chip | Best single metric for gaming — this is what triggers throttling |
| CPU Core # | Individual core temperature | Useful if one core runs consistently hotter (indicates uneven cooler contact or paste distribution) |
Watch CPU Package. Core 0 might look comfortable while cores 4–8 are significantly hotter. CPU Package always reports the worst-case reading — the number that actually determines when the chip reduces its clock speed.
Temperature Zone Reference
Here’s how to interpret what you see on the overlay during gaming [1] [2]:
| Temperature | Zone | What It Means | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 80°C | Safe | Normal gaming range | Nothing needed |
| 80–90°C | Elevated | Normal under full load on modern CPUs | Confirm case airflow; check all fans are spinning |
| 90–95°C | Hot | Approaching throttle threshold | Reseat cooler; reapply thermal paste |
| 95°C+ | Critical | CPU is throttling — clock speed drops to reduce heat | Immediate action needed |
A note on CPU generation: Intel 13th/14th Gen chips (i9-13900K, i9-14900K) have a TJ Max of 100°C and are designed to run in the low-to-mid 90s during all-core loads — that’s within spec, not a sign of damage. AMD Ryzen 7000 chips throttle at 95°C. The same temperature reading means different things depending on which chip is in your machine [2].
When Afterburner Can’t See Your CPU Temps: HWiNFO64
Some boards — particularly older AMD AM4 systems and most laptops — don’t expose CPU temperature sensors to Afterburner’s internal hardware layer [5]. In practice, this shows up as “—” in the overlay even after correctly enabling the sensor. The fix is pairing RTSS (which came with Afterburner) with HWiNFO64:
- Download and install HWiNFO64 (free, from hwinfo.com)
- Launch HWiNFO64 in Sensors-only mode (tick the checkbox on the start screen)
- In the Sensors window, find your CPU section → right-click the CPU temperature row → enable “Show value in OSD (RTSS)”
- Press your overlay hotkey in-game — RTSS now reads CPU data directly from HWiNFO64
HWiNFO64 has broader hardware support than Afterburner’s built-in sensors and receives faster updates for new CPU families [5]. For Ryzen 7000 and Intel 13th/14th Gen systems, this combination is more reliable than Afterburner’s native sensors alone.
How Much Should You Monitor? A Player-Type Breakdown
The right monitoring setup depends on why you’re checking temperatures in the first place:
| Player Type | Recommended Setup | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Casual gamer | Check the Sensors window after a 30-min session (no OSD needed) | Peak CPU Package temperature recorded |
| Regular gamer | CPU Package + GPU temp in OSD | Glance at the overlay 15 minutes in |
| Optimizer / OC | Per-core temps via HWiNFO64 + RTSS | Core-to-core spread; flag any core consistently 10°C+ above others |
One timing note that trips up most players: CPU temperature keeps rising for the first 10–15 minutes of a session as the cooler, paste, and case reach thermal equilibrium. Your reading at minute two is not your sustained gaming temperature — always check after at least 15 minutes of continuous play before drawing conclusions [2].
Once you have temperature data, the PC optimization guide covers what to do if thermals are holding back your FPS. For a full breakdown of what every graphics setting does to CPU and GPU load, see Game Settings Explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does MSI Afterburner show CPU temperature by default?
No. Afterburner defaults to GPU monitoring. CPU temperature is available in the Monitoring tab but must be enabled manually. On systems where the sensor shows “—”, Afterburner’s hardware layer can’t read the CPU — use the HWiNFO64 method above [4].
What’s a safe CPU temperature while gaming?
Under 80°C is comfortable for most systems. Modern Intel 13th/14th Gen and AMD Ryzen 7000 chips are built to sustain temperatures up to their TJ Max (95–100°C) without immediate damage, but consistent operation above 90°C accelerates long-term degradation and causes measurable clock speed reductions [1].
Why does my CPU temperature keep rising mid-session?
Heat soak. The CPU cooler, thermal paste layer, and case all take 10–20 minutes to reach thermal equilibrium — your opening temperature is not your sustained temperature. If temps are still climbing past 20 minutes, degraded thermal paste is the most likely cause. Replacing it typically drops CPU temperatures by 10–20°C [2].