Micro-checklists you can follow while the app stays open—no video course required.
Package averages throttle the chip; per-core spikes tell you if paste or mounting is uneven.
Find the CPU group, note the package row, and compare it with what BIOS fan curves reference.
Expand cores: if one diode sits ~10°C above siblings under load, remount the cooler before chasing voltage tweaks.
VRM phases often run toastier than the CPU lid—HWMonitor exposes those motherboard probes explicitly.
Cross-reference TMPIN labels with the board manual: one trace might be ambient, another socket skirt, another VRM bank.
Premium boards tolerate high VRM temps during transient bursts; watch sustained trends instead of single spikes.
Kernel probes look scary to heuristics even when HWMonitor is signed and boring.
Screenshot the alert, note the file path, and confirm Authenticode on hwmonitor.exe before escalating to IT.
Add only the install directory or portable folder; avoid blanket disabling real-time protection.
