Best Fan Control Software in 2023
Having a PC with top-of-the-line components might be great, but if it has insufficient cooling, you might as well be working with mediocre hardware. Thermal throttling can drop your PC's clock speeds and other factors, causing it to slow down ultimately. Fortunately, applications are available to help you regulate your PC's temperature. That's where fan control software comes in.
Fan control software allows you to manage the speed of your computer's fans in response to the temperature of your system. In today's resource-heavy games, this is precisely what you need to guarantee safe and proper operation and maximum performance.
This article has compiled a list of the best fan control software to help you choose the ideal option for your PC setup in 2022. Our top picks are worth considering regardless of your budget or specific needs.
1. SpeedFan
SpeedFan takes the number one spot on this list due to its exceptional power. This PC fan controller software has been around for nearly as long as Windows, making it among the oldest tools on the market. Almico launched the earliest version of SpeedFan during the height of Windows 9x's popularity as the most advanced operating system.
Windows 9x to Windows 11 are supported by this simple-to-use tool, which you may customize to suit your needs. In addition, it features a system tray that displays your chosen details. There's plenty of functionality packed into this compact software.
With SpeedFan, you can keep an eye on more than just the speed of your fans. You can also monitor voltage levels and temperatures. In addition, you can check the hard drive's temperature and alter the fan speed using the software's capability to access digital thermal sensors and SMART data.
It's easy to set up this application. You'll have to adjust the fan speed limitations to make it work manually. If the fan you're trying to control using the program is barely audible, that's the minimal speed. Using SpeedFan, you may also set a maximum temperature for your computer. As a result, your fans will run up to full speed to keep up with the heat.
2. FanControl
In terms of free fan control software, FanControl is among the best. Developed solely by Remi Mercier, this straightforward program regulates all your fans, including GPU, CPU, and case fans. However, you can't use the tool as an RGB fan controller software. This tool allows users to customize names, display fan speeds in RPM or percentages, and hide phantom fans. A manual buffer for each fan can also be configured, preventing them from ramping up every millisecond when the CPU temperature fluctuates. FanControl also allows you to designate separate heat sources to your case fans, which can be helpful if your GPU becomes warmer than your CPU when gaming or working.
There are no overlapping icons in the application's interface, making it easy to find what you need. Navigating FanControl is a breeze for even the most inexperienced user. Its setup, on the other hand, can be a bit challenging.
As a whole, FanControl is an excellent fan speed software. There are no unnecessary features and no bloat. On top of it all, the program is available to download for free and provides regular software updates. FanControl is your best bet if you're looking for a single software to manage all your fans with a wide variety of fan control capabilities.
3. MSI Afterburner
With the free MSI Afterburner software, you can boost the speed of your computer. In addition to regulating the fan speed, it can show real-time data on memory utilization, CPU and GPU temperatures, frame rate, and the voltage and frequency of your graphics processor. It's also free and compatible with practically any GPU, AMD, or Nvidia.
It has a unique feature that allows you to save all your changes as Profiles. You can save these preferences and tweaks as Profiles and use them whenever you need them, such as when you're playing a game or doing anything else that requires specific settings. Because you don't have to adjust several fan configurations to maintain maximum performance, this can be a huge time-saver.
This MSI fan control software allows you to set up a fan curve. A fan curve is a graph that shows the fan speed and temperature and will enable you to adjust the fan's speed accordingly. When your GPU reaches a specific temperature, you can defer the adjustments to the fan speed, so the fans don't start whirring. Additionally, you can set a hysteresis that prevents the fan speed from fluctuating abruptly whenever the heat of the GPU changes by merely two or three degrees. If a glitch prevents fans from functioning as they should, a mechanism forces fans to adjust their speed on every refresh interval.
Overall, MSI Afterburner is an instrumental piece of software to have installed on your computer. You may use it to keep track of a wide range of GPU-related information on your desktop and while gaming. If you want to tweak your GPU's voltage or clock speed, you may also do it with this tool. Despite its simplistic appearance for some users, this MSI fan control software works impeccably and contains a modest but valuable set of additional features.
4. Argus Monitor
It's safe to say that Argus Monitor is a top pick for compact fan speed software. Argus has a lot of functionality for an application that operates in the background, making it unique.
Despite its minimal file size, it provides complete control over the speed of your fans. It even keeps an eye on the condition of your CPU, hard drives, and SSDs and their temperatures. On top of that, this app displays and regulates the fan speed of newer GPUs from Nvidia and AMD. Gamers will appreciate this feature the most.
This fan speed control software can also tell you whether your hard disk or SSD is showing signs of failure with 70% accuracy. You'll have plenty of time to purchase a new drive and migrate all your crucial data from the old one before it breaks.
This program contains all the functionality needed to keep your PC running properly and has an easy-to-use interface. The only downside is that you can only use it for 30 days before you have to pay. After the trial period expires, you'll need to buy a license to continue using it.
5. EasyTune 5
EasyTune 5 offers more than just a utility for monitoring and controlling the speed of your cooling fans. Additionally, the program includes several other helpful functions you likely haven't realized you needed. Among these features is EasyTune 5's Smart-Fan control. With this option, you can adjust the CPU cooler's fan directly. You can easily configure this feature through Easy Mode.
You can also use this program to control your fans' speed in relation to your CPU's temperature. However, don't set the limit too high because it can keep your processor from getting the ventilation required to function correctly.
As a bonus, EasyTune 5 can support overclocking your processor as well. Using the features for Memory Intelligent Booster 2 and CPU Intelligent Accelerator, you can maximize the performance of your CPU and RAM. You'll find these options in the Advanced Mode of the application.
6. HWMonitor
HWMonitor is an easy-to-use fan speed control program for Windows that's completely free to download and install. After installing it, it monitors your system's primary sensors, including temperatures, voltages, and fan speeds. It also monitors your hard drive's SMART info and your video card.
Controlling your system fans, even your CPU cooler, is a snap with this software. You can see the lowest and highest recorded fan speeds. If you want to stay on top of your PC's energy use, you can use this software to monitor the voltages of your motherboard and processor.
However, one downside of this software is its confusing user interface. Learning to navigate the software and adjust the settings might require practice and patience. Once you get the hang of it, it's among the best PC fan controller software.
The Bottomline
If you use your computer for gaming or productivity, you must keep it at an optimal temperature as much as possible. When your hardware reaches a particular heat level, it begins to throttle, reducing its performance. Using PC fan controller software, you can monitor and manage the temperature of your computer's components. In this article, we've compiled some of the best fan control software in 2022 that can keep your system cool and enhance its performance. If you're in the market for fan control software, we hope the information we've shared can help you make an informed decision.