The Windows Vista Basic Experience Index shows how ready your computer is to run the operating system. A higher index value means that the computer will perform better and faster, especially when performing complex tasks, than a computer with a lower index value. You can open the index window by selecting the command Start>Control Panel>System and Maintenance, then clicking on the link Overall Windows performance rating for this computer in the parameter group System.
As you can see in the figure above, the index is formed on the basis of five main components, for each of which a separate score is calculated. As a result, the base index is determined by the lowest score of any component. For example, in the figure above, the overall performance index is 5.4 because that is the rating given to the processor.
To calculate the performance index, Windows conducts several tests, during which the computer may temporarily freeze and the screen will blink several times. For detailed information on the results obtained, click on the link Displaying and printing detailed information. The window that opens will display test scores and detailed information about the system configuration. Clicking a button Print this page allows you to print a page with test results.
After upgrading your computer or installing some other hardware (for example, a video card or processor), the base index will become out of date, as can be seen by the black and white color of the icon Overall rating. Click the button Update rating to get the new index value.
If you are not looking for easy ways, use the command line and the winsat program. Click the button Start and enter the command in the search bar cmd to open a command prompt window. Enter the command winsat/? to get a list of available commands that allow you to perform both an overall assessment and an assessment of individual components. The resulting result can be saved in an XML file or text file, which is convenient for further processing in other programs.
What does the Basic Performance Index say? The index should not be considered a universal means of assessing how reliable and trouble-free Windows Vista will be. The index is just a tool to help you understand which computer components may be causing poor operating system performance. The grades can be distributed this way.
Don't forget to update the index after installing new hardware, as well as after installing fresh drivers. For example, new drivers for a video card often increase the rating of this component.
If your computer is slow, you have problems using programs or watching videos, it makes sense to check your computer’s performance. The performance index is used by the Windows 7 operating system to visually and understandably evaluate its own performance. The higher it is, the faster and more powerful the computer, the more complex programs and games it can handle.
Windows Experience Index (WEI) is a Windows operating system service that allows you to test your computer's performance.
There are several ways to find out your performance index. Let's look at the two simplest ones.
As you can see, both methods are quite simple and do not take much time.
The Performance Index table includes five components:
The WEI of a computer is determined by the lowest score. The maximum score in Windows 7–7.9, the minimum is 1.0. Let's look at the Performance Index indicators using the example of graphics evaluation.
For a modern desktop computer, the normal performance index starts at 5.0. Please note that the latest drivers must be installed on graphics devices, otherwise the performance may be underestimated.
Most often, the WEI will be 5.9 when using an HDD (hard drive), even if the scores in other categories are significantly higher. This is due to the low access speed of the main hard drive. When replacing an HDD with a solid-state SSD, the HDD performance score rises to 7.9 and becomes the highest in the category table. Using solid state drives significantly improves the overall performance of Windows.
Low graphics performance may be the result of missing graphics drivers or insufficient graphics card performance. To fix a software problem, you should download drivers from the official website of the manufacturer that produced the graphics equipment for your computer. If the drivers are installed correctly, replacing the video card with a more powerful one will help improve the performance index.
Additionally, you can increase your computer's performance by doing the following:
It happens that the procedure for calculating the performance index ends in an error. This error can be caused by either software or hardware problems.
Software problems:
Hardware problems include the failure or incorrect operation of one of the elements.
Software errors are resolved in the following way:
If you suspect problems with the hardware, you need to use the Aida program to check the temperature of the sensors to rule out overheating. Checking contacts, checking RAM memory for errors (for example, with the Memtest86 program), and stress testing the video card will help identify or eliminate problems in the operation of any component. If you are not sure that you can handle it, it is advisable to contact a specialist, since incorrectly performed tests can lead to computer failure.
Often the error is caused by the computer's power supply. Since all elements are operating under maximum load when calculating the performance index, they may not have enough power. If this is a laptop, check the power settings, they should be set to “maximum performance”, and the laptop itself should be connected to the network at this time. If a component problem has been ruled out, it may be time to replace the power supply with a more powerful one. Even a working power supply loses power after a year of continuous use, causing equipment failures and the “blue screen of death.”
The Windows Experience Index (WEI) is made up of several factors: processor power, RAM speed, 2D and 3D graphics performance, and hard drive data transfer speed. The overall score is determined by the lowest score. To increase WEI, there are several ways, including replacing the video card or hard drive, cleaning, checking for errors, etc. If the performance assessment does not work, then you should check your computer for viruses or find errors in the registry. Problems with the video card or power supply of the computer can also cause problems.
Windows Experience Index measures the capabilities of a computer's hardware and software configurations and reports the measurement as a number called the Basic Performance Index. A higher Base Performance Index score means that your computer will perform better and faster, especially when performing more complex and resource-intensive tasks, than a computer with a lower Base Performance Index score.
The overall score reflects the minimum performance of the overall system based on the capabilities of various computer components, including RAM, central processing unit (CPU), hard drive, graphics performance based on desktop and 3D graphics needs.
To open the tool " Tools and performance information", go to Start - Control Panel - System.
After installing Windows 7, it is recommended to install new versions of drivers for your hardware, and then evaluate the Performance Index. If yours is low, in your opinion, then you can optimize the system. Disable visual effects, unused services, and a number of other activities that will help improve productivity. You can use ready-made utilities to optimize and configure the system.
Note: Don't forget to provide a restore point to return the system to its original state if something goes wrong.
A computer with an overall score of 1.0 or 2.0 usually has enough performance to perform most general computing tasks, such as running office suites and searching the Internet. However, these computers are usually not powerful enough to take advantage of the Aero style or modern multimedia features available in Windows 7.
A PC with an overall score of 3.0 can use the Aero style and many of the new features of Windows 7 at a basic level. However, not all features of the new advanced features in Windows 7 may be available. For example, a computer with an overall score of 3.0 can display the Windows 7 theme at 1280 x 1024 resolution, but may experience significant performance degradation when running it on multiple monitors. Or: this PC supports digital TV playback, but may have difficulty playing high-definition TV content.
A computer with an overall score of 4.0 or 5.0 can take advantage of the new features in Windows 7 and can still run multiple programs.
A computer with an overall score of 6.0 or 7.0 has a faster hard drive and is capable of high-resolution, graphics-intensive environments (examples of such conditions: multiplayer 3D games, recording and playback of high-definition television content).
If a specific Windows 7 program or feature requires a higher overall score than your current score, you can upgrade your hardware to bring your computer to the required overall score. To check if the performance index has changed (after installing new hardware), click Re-evaluate. When prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, enter the password or provide confirmation. To view the properties of your computer's hardware, click
Base index- this is a good indicator of the computer's performance as a whole. Ratings can help you understand the level of computer performance for specific types of work.
Office productivity. If the computer is used exclusively for office suites (word processing, spreadsheets, email, and web browsing), then high scores for CPU and memory are important. For graphics performance for desktop and 3D graphics needs, a score of 2.0 or higher is usually sufficient.
Gaming and graphics-intensive programs. If the computer is used for games or graphics-intensive programs, such as digital video editing programs or realistic first-person games, then high scores for CPU, RAM, and graphics performance are important, taking into account the needs of 3D game graphics. Ratings of 3.0 or higher are usually sufficient for a hard drive.
Use as a Media Center. If the computer is used as a media center for modern multimedia work, such as HDTV recording programming, then high ratings for the CPU, hard drive, and graphics system are important, taking into account desktop needs. For the memory and 3D graphics categories, a score of 3.0 or higher is usually sufficient.
One of the indicators that allows you to evaluate the power of a computer and its readiness to cope with certain tasks is the performance index. Let's find out how it is calculated on a PC with Windows 7, where you can see this indicator and other related nuances.
The performance index is a service that is designed to help the user evaluate the hardware characteristics of a particular PC in order to know which software is suitable for it and which it may not be able to handle.
At the same time, many users and software developers are skeptical about the information content of this test. Therefore, it did not become a universal indicator for analyzing the capabilities of the system in relation to certain software, as Microsoft developers hoped for when introducing it. The failure prompted the company to abandon the use of this test's graphical interface in later versions of Windows. Let's take a closer look at the various nuances of using this indicator in Windows 7.
First of all, let’s find out exactly what criteria are used to calculate the performance index. This indicator is calculated by testing various computer components. After this, they are assigned points from 1 before 7,9 . In this case, the overall rating of the system is given according to the lowest score received by its individual component. That is, as you can say, by its weakest link.
A total of five indicators are assessed:
In the screenshot above, the basic computer performance index is 3.3 points. This is due to the fact that the weakest component of the system - the graphics for games - was given a score of 3.3. Another indicator that quite often shows a low rating is the data exchange speed of the hard drive.
Monitoring system productivity can be done in a variety of ways. This can be done using third-party programs, but there are also more popular options for performing this procedure using the built-in tools of the system. You can read all this in more detail in a separate article.
Now let's see what ways there are to increase the computer performance index.
First of all, you can upgrade the hardware of the component with the lowest rating. For example, if you have the lowest graphics rating for desktop or gaming, you can replace your video card with a more powerful one. This will certainly raise the overall performance index. If the lowest rating is for an item "Primary hard drive", then you can replace the HDD with a faster one, etc. In addition, disk defragmentation can sometimes increase disk productivity.
Before replacing a certain component, it is important to understand whether it is necessary for you. If you don't play games on your computer, then it is not very wise to buy a powerful graphics card just to improve the overall performance index of your computer. Increase the power of only those components that are important for the tasks you perform, and do not look at the fact that the overall performance index remains unchanged, since it is calculated on the indicator with the lowest score.
Another effective way to increase your productivity score is to update outdated drivers.
In addition, there is one tricky way, which, of course, does not objectively increase the productivity of your computer, but allows you to change the value of the displayed rating to whatever you deem necessary. That is, this will be an operation for a purely visual change in the parameter being studied.
Although the practical benefits of calculating the performance index are questioned by many experts, nevertheless, if the user pays attention to the indicators specifically needed for his work, and not chase the assessment as a whole, the obtained result can be effectively used.
The evaluation procedure itself can be performed either using built-in OS tools or using third-party programs. But the latter seems unnecessary in Windows 7 when it has its own convenient tool for these purposes. Those wishing to obtain additional information can take advantage of testing through "Command line" or open a special report file.
Hi all! Many PC owners often catch themselves thinking that their machine is not working fast enough, or “freezes,” so to speak.
In this case, it is worth testing your “iron friend” and identifying the reason for this behavior. Today I will tell you how to check the speed of your computer. But first, let's decide why we need to do this.
You should spend valuable time on tests for a number of reasons:
Well, checking speed is a very necessary and important thing, but how can you find out the speed, how can it be measured? In order to find out the speed of your computer, you will need a PC with Windows installed on it, the usual set of applications for this OS, and my instructions, which I will describe below.
You can check using three simple methods:
Let's look at each of them in detail.
Windows has a very useful utility called " Performance Index" This application takes measurements of your PC, shows you a score for each, and, of course, evaluates overall system performance. In this case, the size of the overall indicator does not exceed the smallest indicator among the elements.
In versions 7, 8 of Windows and Vista, in the Control Panel you need the “Performance Counters and Tools” section (in Windows xp you cannot check performance in this way).
If we talk about the 7th version: the maximum score is 7.9, the average is from 3.5 to 5. If the performance level index is more than five, then you don’t have to worry about anything. However, if the scores are below the “3.5” rating, then your PC should either be replaced with a new one or upgraded to the old one (which will be much cheaper).
In Vista the maximum is 5.9, and in 8 it is 9.9.
In Windows 8.1 and 10, performance testing is done using PowerShell. To open it, write “PowerShell” in the search bar on the start screen, right-click on the icon of the found utility in the search results and select “Run as administrator” in the context menu.
In Windows PowerShell, type winsat formal and press Enter. As a result of these actions you will see the following:
There is one small feature: if you are doing the test on a laptop, it must be connected to a 220V network, otherwise the program will generate an error.
The whole process may take a few minutes, and the result will be saved here:
C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore\...Formal.Assessment (Recent).WinSAT.xml.
You cannot test the system in Windows PowerShell without administrator rights; you can only view the performance ratings from the previous test. To do this, write down "Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSAT" and press Enter. As a result you will see:
If you want to have an extremely accurate idea of what the speed of your system is, then this method will be most convenient for you. Its main advantage over the above is that it is able to demonstrate not only how fast the computer itself is, but also how fast its individual elements are.
To determine the quality of work using this method, you must perform the following steps:
In “Performance” you will see how well your computer is functioning. If the level of quality of its work is insufficient, then you can try to upgrade your machine.
The graphs allow you to determine what is causing the slow operation of your PC: processor load or lack of RAM. The green line indicates excellent work, the yellow line indicates an acceptable level, but if the line is red, then urgent action must be taken.
This method involves using special programs. There are special applications that are created specifically to collect data about the state of the computer.
There's just a ton of all kinds of tests, numbers and information. With these products you can get the most comprehensive data about the performance of your PC. What kind of programs are these? Here is a list of those that I have used at least once:
Everest. It was created primarily for analyzing PC configurations, but it provides a large number of different tests.
SiSoftware Sandra. At the moment, the best option if you want to test the level of performance.
3Dmark. His main specialization is testing computer video cards. Consists of a huge number of different texturing tests, working with 3D modeling, etc. There is also a comprehensive testing option, reminiscent of a video game that is played not by you, but by the program. During its work, it evaluates the stability of the video card during heavy loads and measures the frame rate.
PCMark. This is lightweight software intended for limited use. Serves only to check performance. Allows you to perform integral testing of any PC component. The main feature is the ability to compare the performance of your own computer with the world average.
You can download these programs from the official Internet resources of their developers online.
Well, that’s all, dear friends! In the end, I would like to tell you about a training course, the effectiveness of which I was able to “test” on myself. We are talking about the course Secrets of successful computer work».
What distinguishes this course from a huge number of other similar courses is primarily the author’s high professionalism and simplicity of presentation. All the intricacies of working on a PC are explained so simply and clearly that even elderly people, who, as we know, shy away from modern technology, turn into experienced users in a couple of months of training.
I wish you to be computer literate people, and I and my blog will help you become so. Therefore, do not forget to subscribe to updates and follow the release of a new article.
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Sincerely! Abdullin Ruslan
