Kil0bit System Monitor 2.0: Show CPU, RAM & GPU Info on Your Taskbar
I'm excited to finally show you the next version of Kil0bit System Monitor. This is a project I originally built for myself because I wanted a simple way to keep an eye on my hardware info directly from my taskbar without opening bulky apps.
Version 2.0 is a massive update, and since I use this app on a daily basis, I’ve put a lot of work into making it more stable and customizable.
What is Kil0bit System Monitor?
I designed this to be a free and open-source, lightweight widget that sits on your Windows taskbar (or anywhere on your desktop). It gives you real-time stats on:
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CPU Usage
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RAM (Memory) Usage
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GPU Usage & Temperature (Works with Nvidia, AMD, and newer Intel cards)
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Network Speeds (Real-time Upload and Download)
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Disk Usage & Speed (Monitor specific drives like your C: drive)
How to Get It
You can download the installer or the portable (.exe) version directly from my Official GitHub Releases page.
A Quick Note on Security
Because I’m an independent developer and the app isn't digitally signed, Windows might show a "Windows protected your PC" popup during installation.
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To proceed, just click "More info" and then "Run anyway."
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I’ve checked all security aspects myself to ensure it’s safe, but since it's open-source, you are always welcome to scan the files on VirusTotal or check the code on GitHub!
What’s New in Version 2.0?
1. Highly Customizable Appearance
I wanted the overlay to look good on any desktop. I’ve added several themes like Cyberpunk, Matrix, and Stealth, but you can also customize it manually:
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Colors: You can change the accent colors and icon tones.
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Layouts: Switch between icon mode (my favorite) or a text-based mode.
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Scaling: If you have a high-resolution screen, you can scale the overlay up to 1.3x so it's easier to see.
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Fonts: I’ve included options for fonts like Roboto and Arial.
2. Smart Integration & Control
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Snap to Taskbar: It auto-snaps to the taskbar by default, but you can unlock it and place it anywhere on your desktop.
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Hide in Games: I made sure it automatically hides when you're in a full-screen app or game so it doesn't distract you.
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Run at Startup: You can toggle this so it's ready to go the moment you boot up.
3. Native Performance (No Third-Party Drivers)
I built this app to pull information directly from Windows without using any third-party applications or drivers. This is why you won't see CPU Temperature in the app—implementing that would require third-party drivers that could raise security risks or make the app more complex. My goal is to keep this app 100% safe and lightweight.
Technical Details
For those interested in the tech stack, I completely rewrote Version 2.0 in C# and WinUI 3.
You might notice the file size is a bit larger now. That’s because I’ve bundled the .NET 10 and WinUI 3 SDK dependencies with the app so you don't have to install any extra software manually. Despite the larger bundle size, it remains very light on resources, using minimal CPU and memory.
My Future Plans
I’m going to be using this app every day, so I’ll be fixing bugs as I find them. Here is what I’m looking at next:
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Left-Click Action: I want to make it so a single click on the overlay immediately opens the Task Manager.
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WinGet Support: I'm working on getting this into WinGet so you can update it automatically via the command line.
Join Me on GitHub
If you find any issues or have a feature request, please create an "Issue" on my GitHub page. It helps me identify problems and makes the app better for everyone.