This Open Source Hardware Monitor Mounts Directly Onto Your GPU, Looks Pretty
An aesthetically-pleasing way to keep tabs on your GPU's temperature, clock speed, load, and other stats.
If you’re a PC gamer, then your computer is your baby. You probably built it yourself and spent a great deal of time choosing your components and case. Of those components, few have as much influence on your gaming experience as the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). That can also easily be the single most expensive component in your PC, and you probably want to keep an eye on how hard you’re pushing it. That’s especially true if you’re overclocking the GPU and want to make sure it isn’t getting too hot. If you want an aesthetically-pleasing way to keep tabs on the GPU, you can create this open source hardware monitor that mounts directly onto your graphics card.
This hardware monitor is demonstrated on an NVIDIA-compatible graphics card made by EVGA, but there doesn’t appear to be any reason it wouldn’t work with just about any model on the market. That’s because it actually connects to your computer via USB and not to the graphics card directly. A service running on your computer pulls statistics from Windows and then sends it to the hardware monitor over the USB connection. It can display vital data like the current temperature, clock speed, fan speed, load, and more. There are also RGB LEDs integrated into the hardware monitor, and those can be used for cool light shows or even to reflect what you’re doing on your computer.
To build your own hardware monitor, you’ll need two development boards. The first is a TTGO T-Display based on an ESP32 WiFi module, which has a built-in LCD screen that is used to display detailed statistics. The second is an Arduino Pro Micro that controls the strip of WS2812b RGB LED strip. Those components are housed within a 3D-printed enclosure that attaches to the side of your graphics card. The Arduino is acting as a Corsair Lighting Node Pro, which is controlled by the Corsair iCUE software. That software lets you configure the behavior of the LEDs and works with a wide range of Corsair hardware. The cost to make this hardware monitor is very reasonable — likely less than $25 if you have access to a 3D printer. It’s definitely worth the time if you have a glass-sided case and want a neat way to see what your GPU is up to.