I’m Building a Successor to NetSpeedMonitor – Meet kil0bit System Monitor
For a long time, I used a small tool called NetSpeedMonitor to keep an eye on my internet speed directly from the taskbar. It was simple, lightweight, and did one job perfectly – showing download and upload speed. (now NetSpeedMonitor doesn't work with Windows 11)
But over time, I wanted more.
I didn’t just want to see my internet speed. I also wanted to monitor CPU usage, RAM usage, GPU usage, and even GPU temperature – all in real time, directly on the Windows 11 taskbar.
That’s why I started building my own solution: kil0bit System Monitor.
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| preview of kil0bit System Monitor. |
Why Not Use Existing Alternatives?
There are already alternatives like Traffic Monitor. It’s a good tool, but it depends on third-party drivers to pull certain hardware information like GPU stats. If those drivers have vulnerabilities and don’t get updated, your system could be at risk.
I wanted something different.
I wanted a fully independent, secure, and lightweight system monitor that doesn’t rely on unsafe third-party drivers. Everything in kil0bit System Monitor pulls data directly from the system in a safe way.
What kil0bit System Monitor Does
kil0bit System Monitor shows real-time information directly on your taskbar:
Internet download speed
Internet upload speed
CPU usage
RAM usage
GPU usage
GPU temperature
All of this runs in real time and is designed to be extremely lightweight.
The app is built using Rust and Slint, which helps keep it fast, efficient, and safe in terms of memory management.
The “Hole in Windows 11” Trick
One of the biggest challenges was making the monitor stay visible on the Windows 11 taskbar.
At first, I tried creating a simple overlay. But whenever the Start menu opened, the overlay would go behind the taskbar and disappear.
So I had to get creative.
Instead of placing the widget on top of the taskbar, I placed it behind it and literally created a transparent “hole” in the taskbar area. The widget sits perfectly inside that hole, making it look like part of the taskbar itself.
To make it look clean, I added:
Rounded corners (so it feels like a real widget)
Custom background colors
Adjustable background opacity
Text color customization
I even call it the “punch hole” design – similar to modern smartphone camera cutouts.
Multiple Layout Options
kil0bit System Monitor isn’t just one static design. It includes different display variants:
Standard mode
Compact mode
Icon mode (icons instead of text)
You can drag it to any position on the taskbar, lock its position, and customize the look.
If you’re using a fully transparent taskbar, the punch hole effect isn’t even necessary. The monitor can blend directly into your setup.
Lightweight and Secure
This project is built from scratch in Rust. It doesn’t depend on unsafe third-party drivers. It’s designed to use minimal system resources while still providing accurate, real-time data.
I’ve been using similar third-party tools for years. Now I finally have my own version that I can maintain, update, and improve over time.
Open Source and Built With Passion
kil0bit System Monitor will be free and open source. I love building useful tools for Windows users.
This is one of my most personal projects because it solves a problem I’ve had for a long time.
If you’ve ever missed NetSpeedMonitor or wanted a modern, lightweight system monitor for Windows 11 that shows more than just internet speed, kil0bit System Monitor is exactly what I’m building for you.
Stay tuned for the GitHub release and full announcement soon.
Here's my official GitHub page - https://github.com/kil0bit-kb
I’ve also made a video on this topic — you can watch it below.
Check out my other posts, I post useful tutorials and tech tips, maybe you will find something useful 😉.