Monitor your PC's temperature
Real Temp is a system monitoring application that keeps an eye on your Intel CPU temperature, so you can tell if you're over working your PC.
It's a tiny, lightweight application that won't put any more strain on your computer itself. It shows you the core temperature in the system tray, and has it's own window with more information. Perhaps the most interesting numbers here are the load percentage and distance to TJMax figures. The first simple tells you how much of your CPU's capacity is being used, and the second tells how many degrees Celsius you are from the default maximum (90°C, though you can change it).
You can set a temperature alarm, so if your system gets very hot it can execute a command for you. You need to specify this yourself, which may not be easy for less tech savvy users. It would be better if it could be set to close hung or idle applications when the alarm temperature it reached.
For more advanced users Real Temp had lots of configuration options, and is a pretty useful system monitor. However, while it's most useful with laptops, it has to be said you can usually feel and hear when a lap top is under stress!
Real Temp is a neat app that quickly gives you the low-down on how much strain you CPU is under.
