NVTOP is a command-line GPU and accelerator monitoring tool that displays real-time process information in an htop-like interface.
The tool addresses the need to monitor GPU resource usage across multiple vendors and accelerator types. It works by reading GPU metrics and process information through vendor-specific kernel interfaces and drivers, then presenting this data in a terminal-based interface organized by GPU device. Users can view which processes are consuming GPU resources, memory usage, and other performance metrics in a familiar top-like layout.
NVTOP suits developers and system administrators who need to track GPU utilization on Linux systems with AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, Qualcomm Adreno, Apple, Huawei Ascend, or other supported accelerators. It is particularly valuable in multi-GPU environments where monitoring individual device usage is important. The tool includes an interactive setup window accessible via F2 that allows customization of the display, and preferences can be saved for subsequent runs. Support varies by vendor: AMD requires kernel 5.14 or later with the amdgpu driver, Intel uses i915 or xe drivers, and NVIDIA relies on proprietary drivers. Apple support is noted as limited for M1 and M2 chips.
The project maintains active support across a broad range of GPU vendors, regularly adding and updating drivers as new hardware and kernel interfaces become available. Development includes distribution-specific installation paths for major Linux distributions, containerized deployment options, and comprehensive documentation including a manual page. The codebase is written in C and uses ncurses for terminal rendering, keeping the tool lightweight and portable across different Linux environments.
