macOS thermal checks: pmset -g therm before powermetrics
Checking thermal state on Apple Silicon Macs
pmset -g therm is a zero-sudo, zero-install way to see if a Mac is currently thermally throttling — output shows CPU power status and thermal/performance warning levels. It does NOT give numeric temperatures, but for diagnosing whether a hot-running Mac is actually being throttled it is the right first step before resorting to sudo powermetrics --samplers smc (which needs sudo and prints actual CPU/GPU die temps). For ongoing monitoring, Stats (eu.exelban.Stats, free, brew install --cask stats) is the standard free GUI option. Caveat for notched MacBooks: Stats menu bar icons can be hidden behind the notch if the bar is full — users will think the app failed to launch when actually it is just clipped.
Before recommending temperature monitoring tools, run pmset -g therm to determine if the actual concern is throttling vs raw curiosity about temps — saves an install if the answer is just well it is fine.