Conky

I've put together a relatively simple, but I think nice looking, desktop system monitor with Conky.  This script is specifically designed to run on the cyrus-plus board by A-EON, but you can edit the script to apply to your own setup.  For example, you will need to reference your own network adapter as the "network_adapter" under the Network section. 

Using Debian-based distributions:  
"apt-get install conky-all"

Create a text file in your /home named ".conky"

Copy and Paste the following into your .conky file.  You may have to edit certain items to apply to your setup.  Then save, launch terminal and enter "conky". 

#Conky Config

#Program Settings
background yes
update_interval 1
cpu_avg_samples 2
net_avg_samples 2
double_buffer yes
no_buffers yes
text_buffer_size 2048
short_units
temperature_unit fahrenheit

#Appearance and Window
default_color lime green
default_outline_color white
default_shade_color white

own_window yes
own_window_type override
own_window_transparent yes
own_window_colour black

border_inner_margin 0
border_outer_margin 5

minimum_size 280 300
maximum_width 280

alignment tr
gap_x 10
gap_y 50

draw_shades no
draw_outline no
draw_borders no
draw_graph_borders yes

#Font Defaults
use_xft yes
xftfont ubuntu mono:size=11
xftalpha 0.5
uppercase no

TEXT
${font neuropol:bold:size=14}SYSTEM ${font neuropol:size=11}
Hostname ${alignr}${nodename}
Machine ${alignr}${machine}
Kernel ${alignr}${kernel}
Uptime ${alignr}${uptime}
${hr 2}

${font neuropol:bold:size=14}CPU${font}
${cpugraph cpu0 32,120}${alignr}${cpugraph cpu1 32,120}
CPU 1 - ${freq_g 0} GHz${alignr}CPU2 - ${freq_g 1}GHz

${font neuropol:size=11}CPU Usage - Top Processes ${font}
Name ${alignr}CPU%   MEM%
${top name 1} ${alignr}${top cpu 1} ${top mem 1}
${top name 2} ${alignr}${top cpu 2} ${top mem 2}
${top name 3} ${alignr}${top cpu 3} ${top mem 3}

Total Processes:        ${processes}
Total Threads:          ${threads}


${font neuropol:bold:size=14}GPU${font}
Device: ${font neuropol:size=11}${exec cat /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon0/name} ${font}
Temp:   ${hwmon 0 temp 1} °F ${alignr}Mode: ${exec cat /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon0/device/graphics/fb0/modes | cut -c3-12}


${font neuropol:bold:size=14}MEMORY ${font}
RAM   ${mem}/${memmax} ${alignr}${membar 10,120}

${font neuropol:size=11}Memory Usage - Top Processes ${font}
Name ${alignr}CPU%   MEM%
${top_mem name 1} ${alignr}${top_mem cpu 1} ${top_mem mem 1}
${top_mem name 2} ${alignr}${top_mem cpu 2} ${top_mem mem 2}
${top_mem name 3} ${alignr}${top_mem cpu 3} ${top_mem mem 3}


${font neuropol:bold:size=14}FILE SYSTEMS ${font}
/     ${fs_used /}/${fs_size /} ${alignr}${fs_bar 10,120 /}

${diskiograph 32,120}
Disk I/O: ${diskio}


${font neuropol:bold:size=14}NETWORK ${font}
IP Address: ${alignr}${addr network_adapter}

${downspeedgraph enP1p4s5 32,120 -l} ${alignr}${upspeedgraph network_adapter 32,120 -l} ${font ubuntu mono}
Downspeed: ${downspeed enP1p4s5} ${alignr}Upspeed: ${upspeed network_adapter}