External Hardware Monitor

External Hardware Monitor

Overview The External Hardware Monitor is a device that tracks the status of your computer components and displays this information on a separate screen. The displayed information includes:

• Temperature and load of the CPU and GPU.
• RAM usage percentage.
• Frames per second (FPS) in video games using DirectX technology.

With this device, you no longer need to minimize applications to monitor system status or connect a second monitor to keep an eye on your hardware. All monitoring occurs automatically in the background.

Existing Solutions and Their Drawbacks There are many software programs that perform similar tasks, such as MSI Afterburner and FPS Monitor, but they have several common drawbacks:

• They occupy space on the computer's monitor.
• They are always visible on the taskbar.
• Some programs block the overlay of these monitoring tools.

Problems Solved by This Project The External Hardware Monitor simplifies data monitoring and offers several advantages over similar software programs:

• Component data is displayed on an external screen.
• The program automatically starts working after the OS boots up.
• The program runs in the background.
• It is not blocked by other software.

Applications The External Hardware Monitor allows gamers to see the current system load and frame rate on a separate screen during gameplay. This feature is very useful for optimizing graphics, reducing system load, and adjusting gameplay settings.

Instructions

1. Arduino Program
   • In the Arduino program folder, there is a file that needs to be uploaded to the Arduino board.
   • Important: If you are using a display different from the one shown in the video, modify the code accordingly!
2. Main Program Setup
   • After uploading the sketch to the Arduino, open the Main program folder.
   • In the file CurrentPort.txt, enter the port to which the Arduino is connected (in my case, "COM3").
3. Running the Program
   • Open the ExternalHardwareMonitor.exe program as an administrator, and everything should work.

By following these steps, you can effectively monitor your computer's hardware status without interfering with your primary tasks or gameplay.