Such a concept as a performance index is an assessment of system components, which is calculated based on the smallest indicator. The OS independently conducts the assessment and produces the result. The main parameters include video, sound, processor operation, etc. This article will talk about performance indices on different versions Windows and will also show you how to check them. In addition, we will provide an option for checking the index, which is suitable for lovers of the command line for all versions of Windows.
System components are rated on a scale from 1 to 7.9 in Windows 7. Thanks to the rating that the user sees in the “General” field, one can understand how powerful or weak the computer is. If the score is below 4, the system is considered installed on a weak PC. In the case of a score from 4 to 7, the computer is average in power, and from 7 to 7.9 points, it is powerful, reliable computer. As you can see, the main assessments include processor performance, random access memory, video adapter, graphics for games, hard drive.
At the same time, the performance index is not a rating that will accurately indicate how good your computer is in terms of performance. This value only indicates what rating the system has in a given environment and in different systems the assessment will be calculated differently. It is interesting that even if the score is, for example, 6.5, this does not mean at all that a computer with 4.5 points will perform worse. When the hard drive is full of unnecessary junk on a computer with a high score and is relatively free on a PC with a lower score, the second one will definitely have an advantage. We are not yet talking about viruses, heavy applications and multitasking.
In order to find out what performance index you have on Windows 7, you need to go to this path: “My Computer” - click right click mouse over an empty area of the window and select “Properties” - “Performance Index” and you will be taken to the same window as in the screenshot. We have a score of 4.5, which indicates an average rating for the system in this hardware environment. RAM is acting up, and all because of its small size and how it works operating system
from under the virtual machine.
On Windows 8|8.1 there is no longer the same opportunity as on the “seven” to view the performance index in the system properties. In this case, you need to come up with some trick to see this parameter, because in fact it definitely exists. The initial index is calculated during installation of the operating system and evaluation of components. To obtain
In the new window at the bottom right you will see the system rating, which is formed by the relative worst parameter on a scale from 1 to 9.9 You saw the rating, but it doesn’t click at all, and you won’t be able to find out which parameter is bad. Even the information in “More about these ratings” won’t help you. In this case, you need to use this application - “ PowerShell" To call it, you need to log in “Start” - enter “PowerShell” in the search and right-click on the desired option. From
context menu Select "as administrator". + In the program window we write"winsat formal"
Enter
to obtain a formal assessment of computer performance and main parameters. It looks like this: After testing is completed, you will see something like this (done on another PC, because it was not possible to connect the laptop to the power supply): It’s not very clear where the performance assessment is and where to look. In order to find out, you need to go to this address: C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore through file manager and find the file there "
Formal.Assessment (Recent).WinSAT.xml”, which will have the execution date and time at the beginning of the name. Open the file through any browser available to you and find figure:
, which is written Now look at the numbers that are indicated after. We see that we have the lowest score opposite “Graphics,” so we need to figure out what’s wrong with it. The whole problem is that our “experimental” computer has two video adapters - one built-in (integrated), the other discrete. The first is weak, the second is much more powerful. He cannot give such an assessment, so it turns out that the system took into account the weak option. Now we have found out what and how the system assessed, and also identified the “culprit” for the relatively low performance index on Windows 8.
In the new “ten” you can also view the performance index in the same way as in the “eight” through “Run” and the “shell: games” command. To find out the culprit of the low rating or, in general, what and how with the components, we also tried using PowerShell with administrator rights. However, defeat awaited us here - system evaluation through this does not work on Windows 10 classic app. This is what the program itself writes when trying to start an assessment:
At first I thought that I could use command line and write the same command. It turned out to be very practical and this is what happened:
Everything went the same way with Windows 8|8.1, and to find out what ratings were given, use the instructions from the previous subheading.
The question arises, how can you increase that assessment if you are not satisfied with it? The answer will not make you very happy - you need to think about buying new equipment and replacing the old one. In some cases, updating drivers helps, but more often you have to spend money. Let's take a closer look at what can be done to improve various parameters.
There is another way to “raise” the index. In the file that we looked at in the paragraphs about Windows 8|8.1 and 10, change the number next to the “SystemScore” item and save the file. If you can't do it in system folder, save it somewhere else, and then just copy it and replace it. In a couple of minutes the overall assessment will change, but it will not correspond to reality.
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From time to time you have to update your computer hardware. To know which component needs to be replaced, the user must know the estimated condition of all components. This is what the performance index is designed for. Details on how to find out the performance index in Windows 7, increase its value and solve possible problems with its definition, read our article.
The tool aims to evaluate how well or poorly a computer performs with a system. But this is not the average among all components. The final score is determined by the lowest score among all nodes. Each component has its own meaning. By looking at them, you can determine what exactly needs replacing.
Through “Start”, open “Control Panel” and click on the “Counters and Productivity Tools” icon.
Click on “Counters and Productivity Tools”
This window contains both individual ratings and general indicator. If one of the nodes was recently replaced, you can see how the index has changed. To do this, click “Repeat assessment”. The system may ask the user to enter or confirm an administrator password.
In the example below, the "Processor" and "Main" components HDD" have high rates. But because “Graphics” and “Game Graphics” have low scores, the overall score is also low.
This window provides an overall performance rating for each component individually. The higher the score, the better computer copes with tasks, especially resource-intensive ones. A low indicator, accordingly, indicates the opposite.
Windows 7 has a very interesting feature that evaluates the capabilities of your computer based on its hardware and software configuration. It's a pity that you can use it after purchasing a computer, and not before. But seriously, this function is called “index Windows performance 7". Let's figure out what it is.
First of all, the main components of the computer are tested for performance - CPU, hard drive, random access memory (RAM) and graphics. To get an estimate, click “Start”, “Control Panel”. In a large list we look for “Counters and productivity tools”. Click.
If you haven't used this feature yet, you'll see a "rate your computer" button in the lower right corner. If the operation has already been carried out, then the previous Windows 7 performance index will be reflected on the screen. To update, click “Re-evaluate.”
You should not run any programs while the computer performance assessment is running. Upon completion, a window with the results will appear.
Grades are given on a scale from 1.0 to 7.9. The approach of the base index to the upper mark indicates the power of the computer. Do not assume that the base index is an average of the data obtained. This is the least of them. In our case, the processor received a rating of 5.1, memory 5.5, graphics 4.3, hard drive 5.4. From this we got a base index of 4.3.
Obviously, in order to increase the performance of a computer, it is necessary to either update obsolete components or correctly configure those components that received a low rating. In our case, this is graphics.
The question arises: “How to increase the Windows 7 Experience Index”? First, you need to independently optimize the operation of your computer. At a minimum, we include the following list of actions:
Update the Windows 7 Experience Index - in 99% of cases, the above actions will affect its score. If nothing changes, update your hardware driver versions. You can use ready-made programs to optimize the system, for example, TuneUp Utilities or Windows 7 Optimizer. All in your hands!
One of the most important criteria that characterizes computer system, is its performance. Let's figure out how to increase this basic figure of a desktop PC or laptop with Windows 7.
Before we get down to the question of how to increase productivity, let's figure out what it is and what, in fact, we are going to improve. In Windows 7 there is such a system indicator as "Performance Index". It is based on an assessment of individual PC components: processor, RAM, graphics, game graphics and hard drive. The overall index is set according to the weakest link. But for a number of reasons this assessment cannot be called unambiguous and many experts are quite critical of it.
Undoubtedly, the power of the above components directly affects the performance of the PC, that is, the volume of processes that the computer can process per unit of time. Next, we will take a closer look at ways to increase the impact of these components to improve the performance of the OS as a whole.
One of the important factors in increasing operating system performance is hard disk optimization. Many users pay secondary attention to this factor, believing that for the performance of Windows, what is important, first of all, is the amount of RAM and processor power. But in vain, because a slow hard drive slows down the computer as a whole, since other OS components constantly access it to process files and other objects located on it.
First of all, you can clean your hard drive of debris and unnecessary files, which will speed up its work. This can be done both through the system and using third-party specialized programs, such as CCleaner.
Increase a speed HDD operation, and therefore the performance of the system as a whole, is helped by the operation of defragmenting the hard drive. It can be done using a special system utility or third-party defragmentation programs.
In addition, you can increase the performance of the HDD by performing it correct setting V "Device Manager".
You can also increase system performance by increasing the size of RAM. The most elementary and at the same time effective method to achieve this result is to purchase an additional or larger RAM stick. But unfortunately, this is not always possible, both for financial and technical reasons, because 32-bit Windows 7 supports a RAM size of no more than 4 GB. But there is a way to bypass this limitation.
In order to increase the amount of RAM without changing the hardware configuration, a paging file is created on the hard drive, which forms the so-called virtual memory. When there is a lack of RAM resources, the system turns to this allocated area on the hard drive. Therefore, to increase PC performance, you need to enable the specified file if you have it disabled.
But we advise you to set the parameters manually. To do this, first of all, uncheck the checkbox "Automatically select...", if it is installed there. Then, in the partition selection window, select the logical drive where you want to locate the paging file. Move the switch below to position "Specify size". After this field "Original size" And "Maximum size" will become active. Put there the same value of the desired amount of virtual memory in megabytes. Then click on the button "Set" And "OK".
It is important to remember that you should not create a paging file that is too large. Firstly, you thus lose working space, which could be used to store files. Secondly, the access speed of a hard drive is much slower than that of hardware RAM. Therefore, when increasing virtual memory, it is possible to process a larger volume of processes simultaneously, but the performance decreases, which negatively affects the performance of the system as a whole. It is believed that the optimal size is one and a half times the amount of hardware RAM of the PC. We recommend setting the size of the paging file based on this calculation. If you already have it installed, we recommend changing its size to the optimal one.
It's no secret that graphic effects consume a significant portion of the power of the video card and processor and use a considerable amount of RAM. To free up the resources of these objects to perform other tasks and thereby improve overall system performance, you can disable some visual effects.
In addition, you can also optimize the consumption of graphics resources using the video adapter control panel. The algorithm for setting the necessary parameters differs depending on the manufacturer and model of the video card, but the essence comes down to choosing performance between performance and quality, or at least establishing the optimal balance for you between these two criteria.
Timely updating of its drivers and installation of special software designed to optimize the operation of the video card will also help improve the performance of the video adapter.
Quite often, during installation, programs are added to autorun, thereby not only slowing down the system boot, but also consuming resources throughout the entire working session. But at the same time, the user does not always need these applications to work, that is, they often consume OS resources in vain. In this case, you need to remove such items from startup.
Apply button click "OK".
In the second case, uncheck the boxes next to those items that you are going to remove from startup, but do not touch the checkboxes next to the names of programs left in startup. Next, as before, click "Apply" And "OK".
The load on the system is also carried out by various running services. Moreover, not all of them are needed by the user, and the actions of some of these objects have even more negative consequences than positive ones. It is advisable to disable such elements to improve PC performance. The principle of deactivation is approximately the same as the principle of removing programs from startup. But there is one important caveat: you need to be more careful when disabling services, since deactivating an important element can lead to incorrect operation of the system.
After performing the specified manipulations to disable all unnecessary services The speed of the system should increase due to the release of resources. But, we repeat, be very careful about which service you disable. Before performing the procedure, read our separate material, which tells you which services can be disabled without significant negative consequences for the OS.
Another way to speed up your PC is by cleaning system registry from outdated and erroneous records. Thus, the system will not access the specified elements, which will increase not only the speed of its operation, but also the correct functioning. For these purposes, special cleaning programs are used. One of the most popular applications to perform this task is already familiar to us from Method 1 
This method is especially suitable for desktop PCs, as it has virtually no negative consequences. But if you use a laptop, you need to consider whether to use it, as it can significantly increase the rate at which your battery drains.
By default, the processor is not configured to use its capabilities to the maximum. It always has a reserve of power, and therefore there are ways to free up this power to improve OS performance. As a rule, they are carried out using special software. But it is worth remembering that overclocking a processor is a rather dangerous procedure, which, if done incorrectly, can lead to PC failure. In any case, overclocking the processor leads to increased wear and tear, and if done incorrectly, even to failure in the shortest possible time.
As you can see, increasing system performance in Windows 7 is carried out mainly by reducing the load on individual components. In this case, you often need to choose what is more important to you: speed or visual appearance. Although there are also methods where such a dilemma does not arise, for example, cleaning your PC from garbage. In this case, optimization has only a positive nature, provided that you do everything correctly.
Like Windows Vista, Windows 7 OS tailors some of its aspects to the characteristics of the system on which it is installed. For example, the Windows 7 interface changes depending on what graphics hardware is installed on the machine: low-end machines have a simple “Classic” interface, and machines with high-end graphics control units have full version Aero interface.
In addition, by adapting to the hardware, Windows 7 selects some other aspects. For example, for Windows games 7 enables certain capabilities only if the hardware is able to support them. Other hardware-specific capabilities include those related to TV recording (for example, how many channels can be recorded simultaneously) and video playback (for example, optimal size playback image and frame rate to avoid dropped frames).
For the inclusion of all these features, not only in Windows 7 itself, but also in third party applications, answers Windows program System Assessment Tool (Windows System Assessment Tool), or WinSAT for short. This program runs during the system installation process and whenever other major hardware performance changes are subsequently made to the system. It focuses on the following four aspects of system performance: graphics, RAM, CPU, and storage.
For each of these subsystems, WinSAT maintains a set of metrics stored as a score in XML format. To find out which functionality capable of supporting the computer, Windows 7 only needs to be studied for the latest evaluation. It is important to note that in third party programs some kind of API could also be used to allow them to access such scores and therefore provide developers with the ability to tailor the functionality of these programs based on WinSAT metrics. A total of five indicators are used, which are described below.
In addition to WinSAT, Windows 7 comes with tool called Score and Boost PC Performance, which evaluates your system based on its processor, RAM, hard drive, regular graphics, and gaming graphics, resulting in an overall Windows Experience Index score.
To launch the tool, click the Start button, type performance in the search box, and then select Performance Tools and Tools from the list of search results. Then, in the Assess and Improve Your Computer Performance window, click the Reassess button to get an initial assessment. As you can see in the figure, Windows 7 evaluates each of the five subcategories and then produces one overall score.
To get a new estimate (for example, if you change equipment that affects performance), you can click the Retry button again. It is quite difficult to interpret the estimates, but in general the following can be said about them.
Before you go shopping for certain computer components, it would be a good idea to determine which components are needed. Windows 7 OS users are lucky - they have a built-in tool at their disposal that will help determine the performance of various computer subsystems.
Based on this information, you can decide which components need updating. Unfortunately, in Windows 8.1 this opportunity is no longer available, and Windows XP did not yet have it. However, users of these systems can download third-party applications that can help understand the performance of computer components.
