Monitoring hardware sensors and health

When it comes to managing and maintaining a computer, monitoring hardware sensors and health should be at the top of your list. This task is especially important for those who work with critical systems, as it allows you to prevent costly hardware failures and reduce downtime.

In this blog post, we�ll explore all aspects of monitoring hardware sensors and health, covering topics such as:

  • What are hardware sensors and health
  • Why you should monitor hardware sensors and health
  • How to monitor hardware sensors and health

Let’s dive into each of these topics in more detail below.

What are hardware sensors and health?

Hardware sensors are components that are integrated into a computer’s motherboard or installed as separate hardware devices to monitor various aspects of the system. These sensors detect and measure system components such as temperature, fan speed, voltage, and power usage.

The system’s health refers to its overall state of being in terms of performance, stability, usability, and security. The more sensors integrated into a system or device, the better the health management of that system.

Why you should monitor hardware sensors and health

Monitoring hardware sensors and health is essential to maintaining the optimal functioning of your computer. There are several reasons why this is important, such as:

  • Preventing hardware failures: By monitoring the sensors, you can detect when system components are overheating, experiencing voltage drops, or other problems that could cause a hardware failure.
  • Maximizing performance: In addition to preventing failures, monitoring sensors can help maintain optimal performance by identifying bottlenecks before they affect system performance.
  • Minimizing downtime: Continuously monitoring hardware health allows users to identify system bottlenecks and performance issues before they impact the functionality. This means less system downtime and interruption of business operations.

How to monitor hardware sensors and health

Monitoring hardware sensors and health can be done using various tools and methods. Below are some of the most common methods:

  1. BIOS/UEFI Settings

Most computers have a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), which allows you to access the hardware settings of the system. These settings will include information and options related to the computer’s hardware sensors and health. You can use this information to monitor the components’ performance and configure settings such as fan speeds, voltage, and more.

  1. Third-Party Software

Third-party software packages like HWMonitor, Open Hardware Monitor, or SpeedFan can monitor hardware sensors and health effectively. These software packages allow users to view crucial system component information in real-time and even to set targets for parameters like system temperature.

  1. Operating System Utilities

Most operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and macOS provide a range of utilities that allow you to view hardware sensor information. These utilities include Task Manager in Windows, System Monitor in Linux, and Activity Monitor in macOS.

In addition to these methods, monitoring software tools can provide alerts and notifications when critical thresholds are reached. Through these tools, users can be notified via email, text message, or other custom methods via integrations like IFTTT.

Code snippets

Below are simple code snippets in Python that illustrate how you can read hardware sensor data using the Open Hardware Monitor application and manipulate the data:

from pywin32 import com_client
wmi = com_client.GetObject("winmgmts:")
sensors = wmi.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Sensor")
for sensor in sensors:
    print(sensor.Name)
    print(sensor.Value)
    print(sensor.SensorType)

Additional Resources

Do you want to level up your knowledge on monitoring hardware sensors and health? Check these resources below:

  • Hardware Sensor Monitoring Tools for Linux
  • How to Monitor PC Hardware Status with the Open Hardware Monitor
  • Using WMI to Monitor Sensor Data in Windows
  • AWS Trusted Advisor automatically checks system performance and health