For my preferences I use msi afterburned and hwinfo. I have not had any problems with these two programs. Answer from Barlus00 on reddit.com
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Reddit
reddit.com โ€บ r/buildapc โ€บ is open hardware monitor safe? serious.
r/buildapc on Reddit: Is open hardware monitor safe? Serious.
November 18, 2024 -

Looking to find a CPU temp monitor tool for my grandparents Intel pentium g5400 since and adrenaline only supports and hardware, and only shows temps for the wx 4100 I have in it. I know there is a program called cpuz but I'm just looking for something safe and I can put onto it since I'm trying to figure out if the GPUs 85c temp under full load affects the CPU near it. The desktop is a hp slimline that you find at a Walmart as a reference to the desktop if anyone asks why the GPU reaches 85c under full load, HP only made one intake vent on the cover shell, hence the 85c on the wx 4100.

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Tom's Hardware Forum
forums.tomshardware.com โ€บ home โ€บ components
Open Hardware Monitor? | Tom's Hardware Forum
October 31, 2015 - I've used Open Hardware Monitor, it's open sourced (not regularly updated though), has almost the same sensors like HWmonitor, in addition it has a Tray icon, always on top customizable desktop gadget, graph plot, can hide sensors, set fan RPM manually, logging and remote.
Discussions

Is this OpenHardwareMonitor Trojan warning from Windows Security legit?
That's not a trojan, but rather a very vulnerable driver. It was used to get low level access to get and set junk like fan speeds. Since openhardwaremonitor is kind of dead, I suggest switching to LibreHardwareMonitor, which offers the same features, but is still maintained, and had WinRing0 replaced with PawnIO. More on reddit.com
๐ŸŒ r/WindowsHelp
5
2
March 26, 2026
[Discussion] Open Hardware Monitor is the greatest temperature monitoring tool I've ever used!
Hi everyone, Just wanted to suggest to everyone, with new and old builds alike, to use Open Hardware Monitor to monitor your system temperatures andโ€ฆ More on reddit.com
๐ŸŒ r/buildapc
5
5
September 2, 2014
Heads up if using OpenHardwareMonitor - Defender reported a Trojan virus
I use OpenHardwareMonitor to keep an eye on CPU and GPU temps during flight. Iโ€™ve recommended it often here to others. Today I got this notification from Windows Defender: I googled it and found that other people using OHM, as well as LibreHardwareMonitor and FanControl software, are reporting ... More on forums.flightsimulator.com
๐ŸŒ forums.flightsimulator.com
19
0
September 5, 2025
Is Open Hardware Monitor dangerous? Why are opinions divided in the community tab? 13 voted that this file is dangerous, and 17 voted that it is safe. Why is this file posted on Malshare? The summary in behavior tab also contains the note "3 Detections: 1 MALWARE 1 TROJAN 1 EVADER".
OHM is open source and it's safe. https://github.com/openhardwaremonitor/openhardwaremonitor this is the reason there was 17 vote that it's safe. 13 other vote are just deadbrain. More on reddit.com
๐ŸŒ r/antivirus
1
1
April 10, 2024
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Open Hardware Monitor
openhardwaremonitor.org
Open Hardware Monitor - Core temp, fan speed and voltages in a free software gadget
The Open Hardware Monitor is a free open source software that monitors temperature sensors, fan speeds, voltages, load and clock speeds of a computer.
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Openhardwaremonitors
openhardwaremonitors.com โ€บ home โ€บ guide โ€บ is open hardware monitor safe to use?
Is Open Hardware Monitor Safe to Use?
October 2, 2024 - However, like any software, itโ€™s crucial to download it from official sources to avoid malware or corrupted files. Stick to the official website of Open Hardware Monitor or reputable repositories to ensure youโ€™re getting the legitimate version.
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MalwareTips
malwaretips.com โ€บ home โ€บ adware โ€บ openhardwaremonitor.exe: what it is & should i remove it?
OpenHardwareMonitor.exe: What It Is & Should I Remove It? | MalwareTips Blog
July 9, 2023 - Research and choose a tool that best suits your needs and preferences. No, OpenHardwareMonitor.exe is not considered malware. It is a legitimate executable file associated with the Open Hardware Monitor software.
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PC Risk
pcrisk.com โ€บ removal-guides โ€บ 9896-open-hardware-monitor-ads
Open Hardware Monitor Ads - Easy removal steps (updated)
December 31, 2021 - Note that this application is legitimate, however, cyber criminals have managed to modify the source code to continually generate intrusive online advertisements and collect personally identifiable information.
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Windows Report
windowsreport.com โ€บ software โ€บ download open hardware monitor for windows 10
Is Open Hardware Monitor safe? [download & review]
October 4, 2023 - Not only this program can help you monitor most (if not all) of your sensor-friendly hardware components, but itโ€™s also entirely free, safe, and requires no installation whatsoever.
Find elsewhere
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CNET
download.cnet.com โ€บ open-hardware-monitor โ€บ 3000-2094_4-75217106.html
Open Hardware Monitor for Windows - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download
February 25, 2026 - The Open Hardware Monitor is a free open source application that monitors temperature sensors, fan speeds, voltages, load, and clock speeds of a computer. It supports most hardware monitoring chips found on today's mainboards like the ITE, Winbond, and Fintek families.
Rating: 4.5 โ€‹ - โ€‹ 11 votes
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GitHub
github.com โ€บ HardwareMonitor โ€บ openhardwaremonitor
GitHub - HardwareMonitor/OpenHardwareMonitor: Open hardware monitor - system sensors monitoring application for Windows ยท GitHub
OpenHardwareMonitor has a history of being falsely flagged as malware by antivirus vendors (including Defender). This is likely due to its behavior, such as creating a task with administrator privileges to auto-start the application after login, ...
Starred by 195 users
Forked by 18 users
Languages ย  C# 97.0% | C 1.4% | C++ 0.9% | Python 0.3% | JavaScript 0.1% | HTML 0.1%
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AlternativeTo
alternativeto.net โ€บ software โ€บ open-hardware-monitor โ€บ about
Open Hardware Monitor: Monitors temperature sensors, fan speeds, voltages, load and clock speeds, with | AlternativeTo
September 1, 2022 - The Open Hardware Monitor is a free open source software that monitors temperature sensors, fan speeds, voltages, load and clock speeds of a computer.
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Reddit
reddit.com โ€บ r/windowshelp โ€บ is this openhardwaremonitor trojan warning from windows security legit?
r/WindowsHelp on Reddit: Is this OpenHardwareMonitor Trojan warning from Windows Security legit?
March 26, 2026 -

I have used the (open source) program to monitor temps since 2019, without any apparent issues, originally on Windows 10, and now on 11, as I upgraded the machine. This came in a notification out of nowhere today.

I know the program doesn't receive any updates, since 2020, but I don't need anything fancy.

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Open Hardware Monitor
openhardwaremonitor.org โ€บ downloads
Downloads - Open Hardware Monitor
Downloads that improve system stability mirror health resources that improve daily confidence. Just as monitoring prevents overheating in PCs, proper treatments can help prevent issues from escalating in personal care. Open Hardware Monitor demonstrates how transparency builds reliability, a ...
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Microsoft Flight Simulator Forums
forums.flightsimulator.com โ€บ user support hub โ€บ hardware & peripherals
Heads up if using OpenHardwareMonitor - Defender reported a Trojan virus - Hardware & Peripherals - Microsoft Flight Simulator Forums
September 5, 2025 - I use OpenHardwareMonitor to keep an eye on CPU and GPU temps during flight. Iโ€™ve recommended it often here to others. Today I got this notification from Windows Defender: I googled it and found that other people using OHM, as well as LibreHardwareMonitor and FanControl software, are reporting the same detection since yesterday.
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Open Hardware Monitor
openhardwaremonitor.org โ€บ documentation
Documentation - Open Hardware Monitor
The Open Hardware Monitor is a free open source application that monitors temperature sensors, fan speeds, voltages, load and clock speeds of a computer.
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GameFAQs
gamefaqs.gamespot.com โ€บ pc โ€บ hardware โ€บ console
Good, SAFE programs to install to monitor cpu temp? - PC
May 14, 2015 - For PC on the PC, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "Good, SAFE programs to install to monitor cpu temp?".
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Reddit
reddit.com โ€บ r/computertechs โ€บ you should know about openhardwaremonitor if you want temps in tray or
[Mature Content] r/computertechs on Reddit: You should know about OpenHardwareMonitor if you want temps in tray or
January 13, 2017 -

I was just about to ask around, then I did more googling

http://openhardwaremonitor.org/

it is open source, its looks like carbon copy of HWmonitor, but if you right click on any sensor it allows you to put that temp in tray

Then in tray righ clicking you can change color, or remove it

This is what customers who always come with the idea of overheating need.

No more multiple large apps that try to do many things but only for CPU or only for GPU. I used coretemp and msi afterburner before, or speedfan. This one solved it all.

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File.net
file.net โ€บ process โ€บ openhardwaremonitor.exe.html
OpenHardwareMonitor.exe Windows process - What is it?
Therefore, you should check the OpenHardwareMonitor.exe process on your PC to see if it is a threat. We recommend Security Task Manager for verifying your computer's security. This was one of the Top Download Picks of The Washington Post and PC World. a program that monitors hardware temps ...