How to Check Your PC’s Performance with Windows Experience Index in 2025

Checking your PC’s performance has never been easier thanks to a little-known trick that still works—even in the latest versions of Windows. For many users, knowing exactly how their computer measures up in terms of speed and responsiveness is key to making upgrade decisions, troubleshooting, or simply satisfying curiosity about their system’s strengths and weaknesses. In this in-depth guide, we’ll take you through the method of using Windows’ built-in hardware benchmarking tool—the Windows Experience Index (WEI)—and critically assess its reliability, real-world application, and how you can leverage its data to make smart hardware decisions.

Understanding the Windows Experience Index: A Legacy of Simple Benchmarking​

The Windows Experience Index was first introduced in Windows Vista, offering a straightforward way for users to measure the capability of their hardware and software configuration. Each key component—processor, RAM, graphics, gaming graphics, and primary hard disk—was tested and assigned a score between 1.0 and 10.0, with higher numbers indicating better performance.
The direct display of the WEI was officially removed from Windows 8.1 onwards, making it less immediately accessible to casual users. However, the underlying functionality remains intact, even on Windows 11 devices. For users who know where to look, it’s still possible to generate and read WEI scores in just a few steps.

What Does the WEI Measure?​

The WEI breaks down your system into several subscores:

• Processor score: Reflects raw CPU performance, mainly relevant for computation-heavy workloads.
• Memory (RAM) score: Indicates how quickly the system can read and write data in memory, which impacts multitasking and application launch times.
• Graphics score: Measures desktop graphics capability, important for general visual experience, window management, and basic rendering tasks.
• Gaming graphics (GPU) score: Assesses 3D business and gaming graphics performance, critical for gaming and graphics-intensive applications.
• Primary hard disk score: Tests the read/write speed of the drive where Windows is installed, directly influencing boot times, load times, and file operations.

The system’s base score is determined by the lowest of these subscores, underscoring the reality that the weakest link, not the strongest, most constrains overall performance.

Why Should You Care About the WEI?​

Whether you’re a casual PC user, a power user, or a DIY system builder, the WEI provides a quick snapshot that can help answer critical questions:

• Is your CPU bottlenecking your workflow?
• Would installing a solid-state drive (SSD) rather than a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) give you a noticeable speed boost?
• Is your system ready for gaming or professional graphics applications?

For businesses deploying large numbers of machines, or for IT professionals managing hardware upgrades across departments, being able to quickly assess key performance data can streamline upgrade cycles and purchasing decisions.

How to Generate the Windows Experience Index Score in Windows 11​

Despite the disappearance of a user-facing WEI GUI, you can still generate the scores using the Windows Assessment Tool. Here’s how:

Step-by-Step: Run the WEI in Seconds​

• Open the Command Prompt
  Type “CMD” in the Windows 11 search box and hit Enter to launch the Command Prompt window.
• Run the Windows System Assessment Tool
  Enter the following command and press Enter:
  winsat formal
  This command initiates a series of tests evaluating your CPU, memory, graphics hardware, and storage. If the process doesn’t start or you get an error, double-check your spelling and try again.
• Locate the Results
  Navigate to the following directory on your system:
  C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore
  Inside, look for an .html file with today’s date in the filename (it may look like 2025-07-01 15.12.34.123 Formal.Assessment (Initial).WinSAT.html).
• Open and View the Report
  Double-click the HTML file to open it in your default browser. Scroll until you see “WinSPR.” The values displayed underneath are your system’s WEI scores.

This quick process empowers you to directly compare your hardware’s performance to published benchmarks, discuss your scores in online forums like WindowsForum.com, or track improvements after an upgrade.

Interpreting WEI Scores: What Do the Numbers Really Tell You?​

Although the WEI’s appeal lies in its simplicity, interpreting the results requires nuance. Generally, a score above 8.0 for any component is considered strong for most mainstream desktops and laptops as of mid-2025; scores in the 9s, especially for CPU or SSD, are exceptional and typically reserved for premium hardware.

Example Table: Typical WEI Score Ranges​

Component	Average Consumer PC	High-End Mainstream	Enthusiast / Workstation
Processor (CPU)	6.5 – 8.5	8.5 – 9.3	9.3 – 10.0
Memory (RAM)	6.7 – 8.2	8.3 – 9.0	9.1 – 10.0
Graphics (Desktop Aero)	5.9 – 7.5	7.6 – 9.0	9.1 – 10.0
Gaming Graphics (GPU)	6.0 – 8.1	8.2 – 9.5	9.6 – 10.0
Primary Hard Disk	5.9 – 8.0	8.1 – 9.2	9.3 – 10.0 (NVMe SSD)

Note: Scores above are based on contemporary averages and may fluctuate depending on hardware generation.

Strengths: Instantly Identify Bottlenecks​

The WEI’s greatest strength is its ease of highlighting your lowest-performing component—the infamous bottleneck holding back your system’s overall potential. For example, if every score is above 8.0, except for the primary hard disk at 6.1, you’ll likely experience slow boot and load times despite fast RAM and a speedy CPU.

Limitations: Context and Comparison​

There are, however, important caveats:

• The WEI does not test every performance aspect—network, sound, Wi-Fi, and battery life scores are absent.
• Subscore algorithms have not been significantly updated in years, which means the tool may not fully account for cutting-edge advancements in modern CPUs or GPUs.
• Scores are only directly comparable between systems running the same version of Windows and with similar update levels. Comparing scores from Windows Vista or Windows 7 to Windows 11, for example, is unreliable.

The Real-World Value and Critique of WEI in 2025​

With the rapid evolution of PC hardware and the ever-expanding complexity of software workloads, where does the WEI fit today?

The Good: Simplicity and Speed​

For the average home user or small-business IT manager, running winsat formal provides a one-minute check that can instantly clarify whether slowdowns are caused by memory, storage, graphics, or processor. It offers more guidance than guesswork and is an excellent baseline for beginners.

The Not-So-Good: Technical Stagnation​

The WEI has not changed fundamentally since its introduction, and it fails to reflect the nuances of newer technologies. For instance, modern NVMe drives and multicore processors with dynamic boosting may receive similar scores to older hardware, despite real-world differences in performance.
Some power users and reviewers argue that third-party benchmarking suites like PassMark, Geekbench, or 3DMark offer a more granular and updated picture of your hardware, with better support for current chipsets and real-world workloads.

Security and Privacy Notes​

There are no significant privacy risks in running the WEI, as the tool evaluates solely local hardware and does not transmit data. However, interpret results cautiously: some PC manufacturers and sellers have, in the past, circulated “inflated” WEI scores in marketing literature that may not fully represent real-world usage.

Making Hardware Decisions: How to Use WEI Results​

Armed with your WEI scores, you can make informed choices about upgrades or troubleshooting:

• Low CPU scores often mean it’s time to look at upgrading your processor, especially if you’re running software that’s CPU-bound, such as video editors or 3D rendering packages.
• RAM holding you back? Adding more memory is generally one of the fastest and easiest upgrades for multitasking or heavy browser usage.
• Sluggish graphics performance affects gamers, content creators, and anyone using high-resolution multi-monitor setups.
• Hard drive lag is the most common culprit for slow systems transitioning from HDDs to SSDs. Upgrade to an NVMe SSD for a multi-point leap in both WEI scores and real-world responsiveness.

Example: A Critical Hardware Analysis​

Let’s consider a real-world scenario: You’ve purchased a “midrange” Windows laptop for business travel. Upon running winsat formal, you observe the following:

CPU	Memory	Graphics	Gaming Graphics	Hard Disk
8.1	8.0	7.3	7.1	6.2

With scores like these, the primary bottleneck is the storage drive. Replacing the drive with a faster SSD could yield the most noticeable improvement, especially in startup times and file access speeds. The CPU and memory are solid for business productivity, and casual gaming is possible but limited by the GPU.

Community Engagement: Sharing and Comparing Scores​

The WEI remains a favorite quick-benchmark in enthusiast forums, including WindowsForum.com, where users often post their results for others to diagnose, compare, or applaud. Sharing your score with a description of your hardware configuration helps refine the discussion about what constitutes “fast” in 2025 and provides practical guidance to other members considering similar devices.

Alternative Benchmarking Tools: Beyond WEI​

For those seeking deeper insights:

• PassMark PerformanceTest: Provides comprehensive benchmarking across CPU, 2D/3D graphics, disk, and memory, reporting aggregate and comparative norms.
• PCMark and 3DMark: Industry-standard for both productivity workloads and gaming performance, respectively.
• CrystalDiskMark: Focuses on raw storage speed, ideal for testing SSD and NVMe upgrades.
• Cinebench & Geekbench: Popular for evaluating CPU and GPU render speed, especially relevant for creators and professionals.

While WEI offers a quick, built-in reference, specialized benchmarks have the edge in accuracy, modern relevance, and the ability to simulate complex real-world tasks.

Risks and Reliability: What Should You Watch Out For?​

Benchmarking always carries a risk of misinterpretation. It’s crucial to remember:

• No benchmark is the full picture: The WEI, while convenient, provides a skim-level assessment rather than in-depth analysis.
• Score inflation or “optimizations”: Some prebuilt systems may be tuned to maximize synthetic scores rather than real-world performance; don’t rely only on WEI when purchasing hardware.
• Aging benchmarks: Because the WEI metrics have changed little in a decade, the scoring curve is flatter at the top end. A “9.5” in 2025 may mean less than it did in the early days of the scale.

Conclusion: Is the Windows Experience Index Still Worth Using?​

Despite its age and simplicity, the Windows Experience Index remains a valuable diagnostic tool—especially for non-technical users who want a snapshot of their PC’s strengths and weaknesses without installing third-party software. It’s not the most nuanced assessment, nor does it replace more advanced benchmarks, but as an integral part of Windows, it’s always available for a quick check.
If you’re buying, upgrading, or troubleshooting a Windows PC, knowing how to quickly pull up your WEI scores puts you one step ahead in making informed decisions. Just remember to interpret the results in the wider context of your system’s configuration, workloads, and your real-world usage.
For enthusiasts, sharing WEI scores on Windows-focused forums remains a fun and educational way to discuss hardware trends and identify upgrade priorities. For professionals, it’s a baseline tool to be supplemented but not solely relied upon.
The next time your PC feels slow or you’re on the fence about that SSD upgrade, run the WEI. It may be old, but its advice is still surprisingly sound—and in the world of Windows, that’s a rare thing.

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Source: PCWorld I check my PC hardware's speed with one Windows command. Here's how