How to Monitor CPU and GPU Temperatures on Ubuntu with Sensors, Glances, and i7z

Even with rapid advances in technology, laptop overheating remains a common issue, and monitoring hardware temperatures helps diagnose the cause.

1. lm‑sensors

lm‑sensors is a simple CLI utility that displays current readings from all sensor chips, including the CPU. It is pre‑installed on many Linux distributions such as Ubuntu. If not present, install it:

sudo apt-get install lm-sensors

Detect the sensors on your system:

sudo sensors-detect

After detection, view temperature and fan information: sensors Example output:

dell_smm-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
Processor Fan: 2515 RPM
CPU:               +55.0°C
Ambient:            +38.0°C
SODIMM:             +42.0°C

coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
Package id 0:      +56.0°C (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 0:            +54.0°C (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 1:            +52.0°C (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 2:            +56.0°C (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 3:            +51.0°C (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)

2. Glances

Glances is a cross‑platform system monitoring tool written in Python that uses the psutil library. It can display a wide range of metrics—including CPU usage, memory, load average, process list, network interfaces, disk I/O, sensor data (CPU temperature), battery, Docker containers, and more—through a curses UI or a web interface.

Install Glances on Ubuntu:

sudo apt install glances -y

Run Glances and press f to view sensor information:

glances

3. i7z

i7z reports real‑time details about Intel Turbo Boost CPUs (i3/i5/i7), including current frequency, multiplier, temperature, and C‑state residency.

Install i7z on Ubuntu:

sudo apt install i7z -y

Run i7z with root privileges: sudo i7z Example output (truncated):

Conclusion

By installing and using lm‑sensors, Glances, and i7z, you can effectively monitor CPU and GPU temperatures, fan speeds, and other hardware metrics on Ubuntu, helping you identify and address overheating issues.