The GeForce RTX 50 Series has sparked a lot of interest among PC gamers and enthusiasts, but there's a catch: the GPU hotspot temperature readings that were previously accessible are now off-limits. This feature, which provides valuable insights into the maximum temperatures recorded by sensors at specific contact points, has been deliberately removed by NVIDIA. While third-party tools like HWMonitor have found a way to access these readings, MSI Afterburner, a popular GPU overclocking and monitoring tool, won't be adding this feature. The reason? NVIDIA's tight control over its API access and MSI's role as an NVIDIA partner. In a recent development, MSI Afterburner developer Unwinder revealed that NVIDIA still keeps VRAM/hotspot temperature monitoring interfaces private, even for partners. This means that any tool displaying VRAM/hotspot temperature on the NVIDIA side relies on reverse-engineered private NVAPI interfaces or direct GPU access, which NVIDIA doesn't approve of. As a result, MSI, being an NVIDIA partner, won't implement unsupported, unofficial access to these sensors. This decision highlights the complex relationship between hardware manufacturers and software developers, where API access and data privacy play a significant role. It also underscores the challenges faced by third-party developers in creating tools that provide users with the information they need. While HWMonitor and similar tools have found a way to restore hotspot temperature reporting for RTX 50/Blackwell GPUs, MSI Afterburner's stance on this issue is a reminder that the tech industry is not always as open and accessible as it should be.
