TemperatureSnapshot

Introduction

TemperatureSnapshot is the data structure returned by the getTemperature() function. It contains an array of temperature readings collected from all available hardware sensors via Libre Hardware Monitor, along with a convenience field for the highest temperature across all sensors. Use this interface to monitor CPU, GPU, motherboard, and storage temperatures in real time.

Interface Introduction

You receive a TemperatureSnapshot object every time you call getTemperature(). It tells you whether temperature monitoring is available on the current system, provides the full list of sensor readings, and exposes the maximum temperature observed. If Libre Hardware Monitor is not running or temperature sensors are unavailable, isAvailable will be false and readings will be empty.

Usage

Call getTemperature() to obtain a snapshot of the current system temperatures. The returned object is a plain data snapshot — it does not set up any listeners or polling. You are responsible for calling it on whatever interval your UI requires.

Polling Strategy

For a real-time temperature display, call getTemperature() on a 1–2 second interval. For a one-time health check, a single call is sufficient. Avoid calling it more frequently than once per second to minimize overhead.

Libre Hardware Monitor Dependency

Temperature data is only available when the Libre Hardware Monitor helper process is running. Always check isAvailable before accessing readings or maxTemperatureCelsius. See the system requirements for setup details.

Properties

Property	Type	Description
isAvailable	boolean	Whether temperature data is available on this system. Returns false if Libre Hardware Monitor is not running or no sensors are detected.
readings	TemperatureReading[]	Array of individual sensor readings. Empty when isAvailable is false.
maxTemperatureCelsius	number | null	The highest temperature (in degrees Celsius) across all sensors. Returns null when readings is empty.

Quick Overheat Check

maxTemperatureCelsius is a convenience shortcut. Instead of iterating over readings to find the peak, you can compare this value directly against your thermal threshold.

Example

TypeScript

import { getTemperature } from '@eisland/windows-performance-monitor';

// Obtain a snapshot of all hardware temperature sensors
const snapshot = getTemperature();

// Check whether temperature monitoring is available
if (snapshot.isAvailable) {
  // Log how many sensors were detected
  console.log(`${snapshot.readings.length} sensor(s) found`);

  // Iterate over each reading to display sensor details
  snapshot.readings.forEach((r) => {
    // Each reading has a label, category, and temperature value
    console.log(`[${r.category}] ${r.label}: ${r.temperatureCelsius}°C`);
  });

  // Use the convenience field for the highest temperature
  if (snapshot.maxTemperatureCelsius !== null) {
    console.log(`Max temperature: ${snapshot.maxTemperatureCelsius}°C`);
  }
} else {
  // Temperature data is unavailable — Libre Hardware Monitor may not be running
  console.log('Temperature data unavailable — is the helper EXE running?');
}

JavaScript

const { getTemperature } = require('@eisland/windows-performance-monitor');

// Obtain a snapshot of all hardware temperature sensors
const snapshot = getTemperature();

// Check whether temperature monitoring is available
if (snapshot.isAvailable) {
  // Log how many sensors were detected
  console.log(`${snapshot.readings.length} sensor(s) found`);

  // Iterate over each reading to display sensor details
  snapshot.readings.forEach((r) => {
    // Each reading has a label, category, and temperature value
    console.log(`[${r.category}] ${r.label}: ${r.temperatureCelsius}°C`);
  });

  // Use the convenience field for the highest temperature
  if (snapshot.maxTemperatureCelsius !== null) {
    console.log(`Max temperature: ${snapshot.maxTemperatureCelsius}°C`);
  }
} else {
  // Temperature data is unavailable — Libre Hardware Monitor may not be running
  console.log('Temperature data unavailable — is the helper EXE running?');
}

Notes

Null Maximum Temperature

maxTemperatureCelsius is null when the readings array is empty, even if isAvailable is true. Always perform a null check before using this value in calculations or comparisons.

Reading Categories

The category field on each TemperatureReading is one of 'cpu', 'gpu', 'motherboard', 'storage', or 'unknown'. Use this to group or filter readings by hardware component in your UI.

Combining with Other Snapshots

You can call getTemperature() alongside getCpu() and getMemory() in the same polling loop to build a unified system health dashboard.

Danger Avoidance

Do Not Ignore isAvailable

Accessing readings or maxTemperatureCelsius without checking isAvailable first will not throw, but you may get an empty array and a null max value — leading to silent bugs in your UI. Always guard your rendering logic behind the isAvailable check.

Excessive Polling

Calling getTemperature() in a tight loop (e.g., requestAnimationFrame or sub-100ms intervals) will cause unnecessary CPU load for a relatively expensive hardware query. Use a reasonable interval of at least 1 second. For high-frequency UI updates, cache the snapshot and only refresh it periodically.