There are several computer components that typically generate heat and are susceptible to cause performance loss.
In order to prevent any damages, one can use dedicated software applications that monitor the temperature levels and notify users whenever they reach a critical level is reached.
These applications can be either specialized for a certain device (such as CPU, motherboard or HDD), or they can manage all these components within a single interface.
When the temperature is too high, they can display an alert window and allow the user to choose the best action to perform, or they can automatically take the appropriate measures.