Interactive NVIDIA GPU monitoring

Nvitop GPU Monitor for Clear GPU Monitoring

Nvitop brings NVIDIA GPU device and process activity into a responsive terminal interface. Use this independent guide for installation, compatibility, commands, troubleshooting and a direct source-archive download path.

Python 3.8+Windows + LinuxNVML-basedOpen-source project
Original Nvitop monitoring concept visual
What is Nvitop?

A GPU process viewer designed for useful terminal context.

Nvitop is an interactive NVIDIA GPU process viewer written in Python. It uses NVIDIA Management Library data to make GPU state and process activity easier to inspect from a terminal on supported systems.

Portable workflowOfficial documentation describes both Linux and Windows support.
Python-friendlyInstall with pip or related Python tooling and use APIs in Python workflows.
Process visibilityUnderstand which GPU processes are consuming resources while workloads run.
Features

Visual depth without leaving your terminal.

The S07 app-showcase layout highlights what matters most: live device context, process inspection and a workflow that feels immediate.

01

GPU status overview

Inspect utilization, memory and device-level signals in a compact terminal interface.

02

Process-aware monitoring

Connect GPU load to active processes so it is easier to investigate resource usage during training, inference or local development.

03

Windows support

Nvitop can run on Windows terminals with the expected Python and curses support in place.

04

Linux-ready

Use Nvitop on Ubuntu and other Linux environments where NVIDIA drivers and NVML are available.

05

Python installation

Install from PyPI, conda-forge or source depending on how you manage environments.

06

Module fallback

If the console script is missing from PATH, the project documents running it as python3 -m nvitop.

1

Expose GPU data

Your NVIDIA driver provides NVML, the management interface Nvitop relies on for supported device information.

2

Run the Python application

Launch the nvitop command from a prepared environment with the required dependencies.

3

Inspect devices and processes

Use the terminal interface to observe device health, memory pressure, utilization and active GPU processes.

4

Troubleshoot from context

Compare process activity with your workload behavior, then fix PATH, driver or environment issues when needed.

Compatibility

Check the environment before you install.

Nvitop is portable, but GPU monitoring still depends on the NVIDIA driver stack and Python environment.

EnvironmentSupport / requirementPractical note
Python3.8+Older Python versions are not supported by current documentation.
Linux / UbuntuSupportedRequires a working NVIDIA driver, NVML and curses support.
WindowsSupportedOften uses windows-curses; terminal behavior can differ.
NVIDIA GPU + driverRequiredNVML ships with supported NVIDIA drivers / CUDA toolkit components.
Non-NVIDIA GPUNot the targetNvitop is built around NVIDIA NVML monitoring.
Use cases

Useful when GPU work is moving fast.

MLTraining sessions

Watch memory pressure and active GPU processes while models train.

DEVLocal development

See whether a script or notebook is really using the intended GPU.

OPSShared servers

Identify which processes are consuming GPU resources on multi-user systems.

DEBUGPerformance checks

Correlate workload behavior with visible utilization and process state.

Installation / Setup

Choose the installation path that matches your environment.

Official guidance recommends isolated environments where possible. Pip is straightforward; pipx or uvx can keep command-line tools more self-contained.

python3 -m venv .venv
# activate the environment
pip3 install --upgrade nvitop
nvitop
1

Check driver state

Run nvidia-smi. If the driver cannot report GPU data, solve that before expecting Nvitop to work.

2

Confirm Python

Use Python 3.8 or newer and keep the package environment easy to identify.

3

Install

Use pip, conda-forge, uvx, pipx or source according to your workflow.

4

Launch

Run nvitop, then use the module fallback if PATH does not expose the script.

Download

Download the Nvitop source archive.

This site's primary download points to the GitHub ZIP archive for the repository's main branch. It is a source snapshot, not a versioned installer.

FormatZIP source
Branchmain
PlatformCross-platform source
Download Nvitop
Original Nvitop source download visual
!

Safety notice

Confirm the source you intend to use, review the project files before running scripts with elevated privileges, and keep NVIDIA drivers aligned with your system. The ZIP linked here is the provided GitHub main-branch archive; installing from PyPI is a different path. This independent site does not bundle or modify the Nvitop software.

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Pros and Cons

Where Nvitop fits well—and where to be deliberate.

Pros

  • Interactive terminal presentation for NVIDIA GPU monitoring.
  • Python-based installation and API ecosystem.
  • Officially documented Windows and Linux support.
  • Useful process context for shared or development systems.
  • Multiple installation options including pip and source.

Cons / considerations

  • Depends on a functioning NVIDIA driver and NVML.
  • Windows terminal behavior may vary by emulator and curses support.
  • A GitHub main-branch ZIP is not the same as a stable versioned release.
  • PATH issues can hide the installed console command.
  • It targets NVIDIA monitoring rather than generic all-vendor GPU management.
1.7.1PyPI release
Release information

Latest PyPI release verified for this build.

PyPI lists Nvitop 1.7.1 as released on July 10, 2026. The main download button on this site intentionally follows the provided GitHub main-branch ZIP URL rather than the PyPI package files.

Verification date: August 31, 2026. Release information can change after this date.

Troubleshooting

Start with the layer closest to the failure.

nvitop: command not found

Check the Python scripts directory on PATH or run python3 -m nvitop.

NVML initialization failure

Validate the NVIDIA driver and test nvidia-smi before changing Python packages.

Windows interface quirks

Confirm windows-curses and try a supported terminal such as Windows Terminal.

Wrong Python environment

Verify which Python and pip are active, especially when virtual environments, conda or system Python coexist.

Guides Preview

Go deeper with task-focused Nvitop guides.

Installation, commands, platform setup and troubleshooting are covered in separate static guides.

Nvitop pip installation guide image

Nvitop pip installation

Create a clean environment, install, verify PATH and launch.

Read guide →
Nvitop Windows guide image

Nvitop on Windows

PowerShell, Windows Terminal and curses setup considerations.

Read guide →
Nvitop troubleshooting guide image

Common Nvitop errors

Resolve command, NVML and environment failures methodically.

Read guide →
View All Guides
FAQ

20 practical Nvitop questions, organized in two categories.

Open one answer at a time. The category controls switch between overview topics and installation troubleshooting.

Nvitop is an interactive terminal-based NVIDIA GPU process viewer that presents device and process information in a compact monitoring interface.

It can surface GPU device status, utilization, memory information and GPU process context through NVIDIA NVML-backed data.

Yes. The official project documents Windows support. Terminal behavior can vary, and Windows commonly needs the windows-curses package.

Yes. Ubuntu is a common Linux environment for Nvitop as long as Python, an NVIDIA driver with NVML, and the required Python packages are available.

Current official documentation requires Python 3.8 or newer.

Nvitop is designed around NVIDIA GPU monitoring through NVML, so it requires an NVIDIA environment that exposes supported NVML data.

No. Both can report NVIDIA GPU information, but Nvitop provides an interactive process-viewer workflow and richer terminal presentation.

They are separate GPU monitoring tools. Nvitop is written in Python and integrates with Python APIs, while Nvtop is a different project with its own native terminal interface and support model.

Yes, provided the remote machine exposes the NVIDIA driver and NVML correctly and the terminal supports the interface.

No. Nvitop is an independent open-source project and this website is an independent informational download guide.