Best Fan Control Software for Windows

Best Fan Control SoftwareNeed a program to help you gain more control over the fans in your computer? In this post, we’ve highlighted four fan control programs to help you find the right option for your needs.

When your computer’s fans go haywire every time you start Chrome, or when you’re playing your favorite game, it’s a sign that your fans need to be reined in. Luckily there are programs out there that will help you get your fans to behave in a manner you want them to. Fan control software will give you the ability to control your PC’s fans based on your system’s temperature.

In this article, we cover four Windows software tools that help you manage your fan speeds. Some of the programs have other features as well, including system monitoring, warnings for failing drives, and even overclocking tools, to name a few.

So, if you’re looking for a program that can help you customize your fan settings (or even more) check out our recommendations below.

1. Fan Control

A somewhat newer Fan Control application that many PC enthusiasts are turning to is Fan Control. Fan Control was created by an independent developer and is perhaps the most robust, intuitive, and easy-to-use fan control software currently available.

With fan control, you can track your CPU, GPU, motherboard, and storage device temperatures, fully control all of the fans in your system (including the individual fans on your graphics card), and, of course,  create custom fan curves.

The software is completely free to use but the developer (Rem0o on GitHub) does accept donations. And, considering that Rem0o was able to create a truly all-in-one fan control program where many other professional developers have come up short, it wouldn’t hurt to throw a donation their way.

You can get Fan Control here.

2. EasyTune 5

With EasyTune 5, you get more than just a tool to monitor and control your fans’ speeds. The program also has a bunch of other useful features at your disposal that you probably didn’t know you needed.

The EasyTune 5 feature we’re most concerned about here is the Smart-Fan control. This feature gives you direct control over your CPU cooler’s fan. With the Easy Mode, you can configure this feature with ease.

Also Read: The Best CPU Coolers Right Now

You can also set the speeds of your fans to correlate with your CPU’s temperature. Just keep in mind that you don’t want to set a threshold that is too high, as doing so could prevent your CPU from getting the airflow it needs to operature correctly.

If you’re also looking for a program that can help you overclock your CPU, EasyTune 5 can assist you there as well. You can get much more power and performance out of your CPU and memory with the CPU Intelligent Accelerator (C.I.A.) and Memory Intelligent Booster 2 (MIB2) features. These features can be found in the program’s Advanced Mode.

You can get EasyTune 5 here.

3. Argus Monitor

If you’re looking for a lightweight fan control program, Argus Monitor is probably your best bet. It has a small memory footprint and gives you full control over your fans’ speed, and it also monitors the temperature and health of your CPU and hard drives and SSDs.

It sounds like a lot of features to get from a program that runs as a background task. But that’s what makes Argus stand out. In addition, this tool displays and controls the fan speed of modern NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards. This is a particularly useful feature for gamers.

Argus Monitor can also help you identify if there are early warning signs that your hard drive or SSD is failing. The program warns you (with 70 percent accuracy) that your drive is failing. This gives you ample time to get a new one and transfer all your important files from the old drive.

With an easy to configure interface, this is a tool that has all the features you need to run your PC smoothly. The only drawback is that it’s only free to try for 30 days. If you want to keep using it after 30 days, you’ll need to purchase a license.

You can get Argus Monitor here.

4. HWMonitor

HWMonitor is another program that has been around for quite a while. And during that time, it has distinguished itself and cultivated a userbase that keeps growing. HWMonitor does everything the other programs do and then some.

Once installed, it monitors your system’s main sensors. This includes voltages, temperatures, and fan speeds. It also reads your drive’s S.M.A.R.T. vital stats and even keeps a watchful eye over your video card.

The program provides a straightforward way to control your system’s fans (including your CPU cooler’s fan). And if you want to keep track of your PC’s power usage, this tool logs the motherboard’s voltage and CPU voltage, as well as the overall system’s power consumption in watts.

The one downside of HWMonitor, though, is that the user interface is a bit clunky. It might take you a while to get familiar with the columns of numbers in front of you. But once you know your way around, you’ll never want to use another application.

You can get HWMonitor here.

5. Zotac FIRESTORM

Zotac’s FIRESTORM is yet another handy program that can serve as a fan speed controller and overclocking utility. Zotac is no stranger to the industry, as they sell both gaming desktops and graphics cards. So, it’s safe to say that they know what they’re doing.

Perhaps the standout feature of FIRESTORM is its simple and easy-to-use interface. With FIRESTORM you can overclock your GPU, set custom fan curves, change your graphics card’s RGB lights, and monitor its performance.

It’s important to note, though, that FIRESTORM will not give you CPU fan control. It will only give you control over your graphics card and its fans.

But, if you need to control the fan speed of your graphics card, this is an excellent program to get.

You can get Zotac FIRESTORM here.

6. SpeedFan

SpeedFan is one of the oldest tools out there. Its history is almost as old as Windows itself. The first version was released around the time Windows 9x was considered the cutting edge in operating systems. It’s that old.

Having a long history is usually a good thing. Especially for a customizable program with a clean user interface that is compatible with all versions of Windows. However, SpeedFan hasn’t been updated since 2015 and so it isn’t the best option for newer systems.

So, while SpeedFan may have once been the best fan speed control programs available, it’s lack of updates and the emergence of better options drops it to the bottom of this list.

You can get SpeedFan here.

7. MSI Afterburner

MSI Afterburner is an application that offers a number of capabilities, including hardware monitoring, GPU overclocking, and benchmarking. However, you can also use it to create custom fan profiles.

Also Read: Best Tools to Stress Test & Benchmark You PC

The downside of MSI Afterburner, though, is that it cannot be used to adjust the speed of your case fans. It can only be used to alter your GPU’s fan(s). So, if you’re looking for a more robust fan control program, then MSI Afterburner likely isn’t for you. However, if you need a multi-feature GPU control program to help you overclock and control your GPUs fans, then MSI Afterburner is worth considering.

 

While there are a ton of different CPU temperature monitor programs out there as well as plenty of other hardware monitoring applications, there aren’t nearly as many options for fan control software. However, the six options listed above will help you gain better control over the fans in your system so that you can reduce noise levels and improve temperatures.

Hey, I’m Brent. I’ve been building PCs and writing about building PCs for a long time. Through TechGuided.com, I've helped thousands of people learn how to build their own computers. I’m an avid gamer and tech enthusiast, too. On YouTube, I build PCs, review laptops, components, and peripherals, and hold giveaways.

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