Windows 7 graphics performance index is low. What does the Windows system performance index mean?

Bought new laptop, installed Windows 7, everything works, but making an estimate productivity appears error and the evaluation is terminated. There is a lot of information and solutions on the Internet this issue, but unfortunately, having done all of them, the problem remained.

I will give, in my opinion, examples of solutions to this problem that can help you, and just below I will describe what helped me.

So, let's begin:

Delete from folder Windows \ Performance \ WinSAT \ DataStore \ all files with extension .xml, run command line as Administrator(Start-enter in the Find cmd field, cmd.exe will be displayed in the search results, right-click on it - Run as Administrator), Enter and execute the following commands in sequence:

-sfc / scannow
-secedit / configure / cfg% windir% \ inf \ defltbase.inf / db defltbase.sdb / verbose
-winsat formal


(However, after the command secedit writes: Extended type error. Job completed with error. Details are recorded in the log% windir% \ security \ logs \ scesrv.log.)

Reboot your computer, try rating again.

-winsat formal when performing a formal performance assessment, no problems arose. That is, in the command line, the performance evaluation was successful, and when I tried to evaluate it again through Computer properties, an error still appeared.

Found another solution:

Good afternoon! Just solved this problem - demolished all codecs, rearranged Windows Media Player(Go to Start - Control Panel - Programs and Features - Turn Windows components on or off, uncheck Windows Media Player, restart your computer. Open components again, check WMP and restart your computer)
The problem appeared after installation of KMPlayer and USSR codecs.

The option did not help either. There were no codecs at all, but by removing KMPlayer all the same did not solve the problem. Reinstall Windows didn't help either. And both 32x and 64 bit I tried.

Then I found information that such an error could be caused by Kaspersky Anti-Virus, but the error was also on a clean system with no software at all.

And one more of possible solutions Problems:

The problem is that K-Lite either removed or else that the standard decompressor on the VC-1 and all that needs to be done is not installed K-Lite Codecs - install, if already installed - go to the settings Ffdshow, or rather - Start - K-Lite Codec Pack- Configuration - ffdshow video decoder- and in the first section of Codecs we are looking for VC-1, in his field will stand disabled, change to libavcodec and OK, in general everything =)

But unfortunately it didn't help either!

Concrete solution that worked for me:

Laptop model that had this error Aspire E1-572G. Downloaded the driver for the video card from http://support.amd.com/en-us/download everything works, but when evaluating an error, no matter what I did.

ALWAYS DOWNLOAD THE DRIVER NOT FROM A SEPARATE DEVICE MANUFACTURER BUT THE DRIVER FROM THE LAPTOP BUILDER.

We go to the site http://www.acer.ru/ac/ru/RU/content/drivers

We choose search by laptop model... In the search results, select the desired OS and bit depth. As a result, we get a list of all the necessary drivers that are optimized for the operation of a particular laptop.

And as soon as I installed the drivers VGA For AMD Radeon R7 M265 / R5 M240, rebooted the laptop even though the system did not ask for it. And the performance evaluation went straight away without any problems!

I hope the material will be useful!

Windows Performance Index measures the capabilities of a computer's hardware and software configurations and presents the measurement result as a number called the baseline performance index. A higher baseline performance index means that the computer will perform better and faster, especially when performing more complex and resource-intensive tasks, than a computer with a lower baseline index value.

The overall rating reflects the minimum performance of the system as a whole, taking into account the capabilities of the various components of the computer, including RAM, CPU(CPU), HDD, graphics performance tailored to the needs of the desktop and 3D graphics.

To open the tool " Tools and performance information”, Go to Start - Control Panel - System.

After Windows installations 7, it is recommended to install new versions of drivers for your hardware, and then evaluate the Performance Index. If your low, in your opinion, then you can optimize the system. Disable visual effects, unused services, and a number of other activities that can help increase productivity. You can use ready-made utilities to optimize and configure the system.

Note: Do not forget to give a restore point to return to the original state of the system if something went 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 office suites and Internet searches. However, the performance of these computers is usually not enough to take advantage of the Aero style or modern multimedia capabilities available in Windows 7.

    On a computer with an overall score of 3.0, you can use the Aero style and many new Windows capabilities 7 at a basic level. However, not all functions of the new ones may be available. additional opportunities Windows 7. For example, a computer with a 3.0 overall score can display the Windows 7 theme at a resolution of 1280x1024, but it can experience significant performance degradation when running on multiple monitors. Or: such a PC supports playback digital television, however, may be difficult to reproduce HDTV content.

    A computer with an overall score of 4.0 or 5.0 can take advantage of the new features of Windows 7 and can run multiple programs.

    A computer with an overall score of 6.0 or 7.0 has a faster hard drive and is capable of operating at high definition and intensive consumption of graphic resources (examples of such conditions: multiplayer 3D games, recording and playback of high-definition television content).

If a specific program or Windows component 7 require a higher overall rating than the current overall rating, you can upgrade the hardware to bring the computer up to the required overall rating. 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 hardware properties of your computer, click

Base Index- This is a good indicator of the computer's overall performance. Estimates can help you understand the level of computer performance for certain types of work.

    Office productivity... If the computer is used exclusively for work with office suites (word processing, work with spreadsheets, by e-mail and web browsing), then high scores for CPU and memory are important. For graphics performance with desktop and 3D needs, a score of 2.0 or higher is usually sufficient.

    Game 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, graphics performance are important, taking into account the needs of 3D gaming graphics. A score of 3.0 or higher is usually sufficient for hard disk.

    Use in as Media Center... If the computer is used as a media center for modern multimedia work, such as programming HDTV recordings, then high scores for CPU, hard disk and graphics are important, taking into account the needs of the desktop. For memory and 3D categories, a score of 3.0 or higher is usually sufficient.

If the computer slows down, there are problems using programs or watching videos, it makes sense to check the performance of the computer. The performance index is used by the Windows 7 operating system for a clear and understandable assessment of its own work. The higher it is, the faster and more powerful computer, the more complex programs and games he will pull.

What is a performance index

Windows Experience Index (WEI) - Service operating system Windows that allows you to test the performance of your computer.

How to find out the performance index

There are several ways to find out the performance index. Let's consider two of the most simple ones.

Through "My Computer"


Through the start menu


As you can see, both methods are quite simple and do not take much time.

What categories are presented in the table

The Productivity Index table includes five components:

What do the numbers mean

The WEI of the computer is determined by the lowest score. The maximum score in Windows 7 is 7.9, the minimum is 1.0. Let's consider the indicators of the "Performance Index" on the example of graphics evaluation.

Table: Performance Index scores and the computer functions that correspond to them

Ways to Improve Computer Performance

For modern desktop computer a normal performance index starts at 5.0. Please note that on graphics devices you need to install fresh drivers, otherwise the indicators may be underestimated.

Most often, the WEI will be 5.9 when using HDD (hard disk drive), even if the ratings of other categories are significantly higher. This is due to the low speed of access to the main hard disk... When replacing HDD disk on a solid state SSD, the hard drive score rises to 7.9, the highest in the category table. The use of solid state drives significantly improves Windows work generally.

Low graphics performance may be the result of a lack of graphics drivers or insufficient performance of the video card. For correction software problem you should download the drivers from the official website of the manufacturer that released the graphics hardware to your computer. If the drivers are installed correctly, replacing the video card with a more powerful one will help improve the performance index.

Additionally, computer performance can be increased by the following actions:


Video: How to Increase Computer Performance

What to do if performance evaluation doesn't work

It happens that the procedure for calculating the performance index ends with an error. This error can be caused by both software and hardware problems.

Software problems:

  • the presence of viruses, trojans, malware in the system;
  • disk errors;
  • path or registry errors.

A hardware problem is a failure or incorrect work one of the elements.

Software errors are resolved in the following way:

  • scanning your computer with antivirus software (Malwarebytes), as well as other antivirus utilities;
  • checking the hard disk for errors;
  • scanning the system for damaged components. To do this, open a command prompt as administrator and enter the sfc / scannow command, press Enter. The system will automatically check and, if possible, fix damaged system files;
  • installing K-Lite Kodeck Pack;
  • system restore, if all else fails (returning the computer to an earlier state - when everything worked - using a checkpoint).

If you suspect problems with iron, you need to check the temperature of the sensors with the Aida program - to exclude overheating. Checking contacts, checking RAM memory for errors (for example, using the Memtest86 program), stress testing a video card will help to 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, as incorrectly performed tests can lead to damage to your computer.

Often the error is caused by the computer's power supply. Since all elements are under maximum load when calculating the performance index, they may not have enough capacity. If this is a laptop, check the power settings, they should read “ maximum productivity", And he himself must be connected to the network at this time. If component malfunctions are 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 hardware failures and a blue screen of death.

The Windows Performance Index (WEI) is made up of several factors: processor power, speed random access memory, 2D and 3D graphics performance and data transfer rates hard disk... The overall score is determined by the lowest score. To improve WEI, there are several ways, including replacing a video card or hard drive, and cleaning, checking for errors, etc. If the performance evaluation does not work, then you should check your computer for viruses or find errors in the registry. Also, problems with the video card or the computer's power supply can be the cause of problems.

Like Windows Vista, Windows 7 adjusts some of its aspects to the characteristics of the system on which it is installed. For example, Windows interface 7 changes depending on what graphics hardware is installed on the machine: on low-end machines, a simple "Classic" interface is installed, and on machines with high-end graphics control units - full version the Aero interface.

Apart from that, Windows 7 also picks up some other aspects by adjusting to the hardware. For example, for Windows games 7 activates certain capabilities only if the hardware is able to support them. Other customizable capabilities include TV recording (for example, how many channels can be recorded simultaneously) and video playback (for example, optimal size playback picture and frame rate to avoid dropped frames).

Behind the inclusion of all these features, not only in Windows 7 itself, but also in third party applications, answers Windows program System Assessment Tool, or WinSAT for short. This program runs during the system setup process and whenever other major hardware performance-related changes are subsequently made to the system. It focuses on the following four aspects of system performance: graphics, RAM, processor, 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 a computer, Windows 7 only needs to study the latest score. It is important to note that third-party programs may also use some kind of API that allows them to access such estimates and, therefore, provides developers with the ability to fine-tune the functionality of these programs based on WinSAT metrics. A total of five indicators are used, which are described below.

  • CPU. This metric is responsible for how quickly the system can process data, and is measured in the number of calculations per "second.
  • Memory (RAM). This metric is responsible for how quickly the system can move large objects through memory, and is measured in the number of memory accesses per second.
  • Graphics. This metric measures the computer's ability to run a combo desktop, such as the one created by the Desktop Window Manager, and is expressed in frames per second.
  • Graphics for games. This metric measures the computer's ability to render 3D graphics, especially those used in games, and is expressed in frames per second.
  • Primary hard drive. This indicator is responsible for how quickly the computer can write and read data from the hard disk, and is calculated in megabytes per second.

In addition to WinSAT, Windows 7 comes with tool Called Computer Performance Evaluation and Improvement, which evaluates a system based on information about its processor, RAM, hard drive, general graphics, and graphics for games, resulting in an overall score for the Windows Performance Index.

To run this tool, click the Start button, type performance in the search box, and select Performance Counters and Tools from the list of search results. Then, in the Evaluate and Improve Computer Performance window, click the Repeat Evaluation button to get an initial score. As you can see in the figure, Windows 7 scores in each of the five subcategories and then outputs one overall final score.

To receive new assessment(for example, if you change equipment affecting performance), you can click the Repeat Evaluation button again. It is rather difficult to interpret the estimates, but in general the following can be said about them.

  • Generally, the higher the score, the better the performance.
  • The smallest possible value is 1.0.
  • The largest possible value is 7.9 (which exceeds the value of 5.9, which was maximum value in Windows Vista, indicating hardware improvements over the past few years).
  • The overall score is based on the lowest score. That is, in the case of obtaining a score of 5.0 for all other indicators, but a score of 1.0 for at least one, the overall score will still be 1.0.

Examining the windows performance index

Before you go shopping for certain computer components, it is a good idea to determine which components are needed. Windows 7 users are in luck - they have a built-in tool that can help you determine the performance of various subsystems of your computer.

Based on this information, you can decide which components need to be updated. Unfortunately on Windows 8.1 given opportunity is no longer there, and it was not yet in Windows XP. However, users of these systems can download third-party applications to help them understand the performance of computer components.

  1. Open the Start menu and right-click on Computer.
  2. In the menu that appears, select Properties.
  3. In the window that opens, in the System section, you will see either the current performance index or a message that it needs to be updated. Click on this link.
  4. In the window that opens, click the Refresh button. The process of measuring the performance of the system components will begin. It can take up to several minutes.
  5. After completing the performance measurement, you will see the test results. From them, you can determine the "bottlenecks" of the system, that is, those components that need to be improved.

One of the indicators that allows you to assess 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 Windows 7 PC, where you can see this indicator and other related nuances.

The Performance Index is a service that is designed to help the user assess the hardware characteristics of a particular PC so that they know which software is right for them and which ones they might not be able to handle.

At the same time, many users and developers software are skeptical about the information content of this test. Therefore, it did not become a universal indicator for analyzing the capabilities of a system in relation to a certain software, as Microsoft developers expected it to be, while implementing it. The failure prompted the company to abandon the use of the graphical interface of this test for more later versions Windows. Let's take a closer look at the various nuances of using this indicator in Windows 7.

Calculation algorithm

First of all, let's find out by what criteria the performance index is calculated. This indicator is calculated by testing various components of the computer. After that, they are assigned points from 1 before 7,9 ... In this case, the overall assessment of the system is set according to the lowest score that a separate component received. That is, as you can say, by its weakest link.

  • It is generally accepted that a computer with an overall productivity of 1 - 2 points can support general computing processes, surf the Internet, and work with documents.
  • Starting from 3 points, The PC can already be guaranteed to support the Aero theme, at least when running with one monitor, and run some more challenging tasks than the PC of the first group.
  • Beginning with 4 - 5 points computers correctly support almost all Windows 7 features, including the ability to work on multiple monitors in Aero mode, high-definition video playback, support for most games, and complex graphics tasks etc.
  • On PCs with a higher score 6 points you can easily play almost any modern resource-intensive computer game with three-dimensional graphics. That is, good gaming PCs should have a performance index of at least 6 points.

In total, five indicators are assessed:

  • Regular graphics (2D productivity);
  • Game graphics (productivity of 3D graphics);
  • Processor power (the number of operations performed per unit of time);
  • Random access memory (number of operations per unit of time);
  • Winchester (speed of data exchange with HDD or SSD).

In the screenshot above, the base computer performance index is 3.3. This is due to the fact that the weakest component of the system - graphics for games, was assigned a score of 3.3. Another metric that quite often shows a low score is the speed of data exchange with the hard drive.

Performing productivity monitoring

System performance monitoring can be done different ways... This can be done using third-party programs, but there are more popular options for performing this procedure using the built-in system tools. You can read more about all this in a separate article.

Improving performance index

Now let's see what are the ways to increase the computer's performance index.

Real increase in productivity

First of all, you can upgrade the hardware of the component with the lowest score. For example, if you have the lowest graphics score for the desktop or for games, then you can replace the video card with a more powerful one. This will definitely raise the overall performance index. If the lowest rating is for item "Primary hard drive", you can replace the HDD with a faster one, etc. In addition, defragmenting a disk can sometimes increase its performance.

Before replacing a specific component, it is important to understand if this is necessary for you. If you do not play games on your computer, then it is not very wise to buy a powerful graphics card just for the sake of increasing your computer's overall performance index. Only increase the power of those components that are important to the tasks you are performing, and do not look at the fact that the overall performance index remains unchanged, as it is calculated according to the indicator with the lowest score.

Another effective way to increase your productivity score is to update outdated drivers.

Visual increase in performance index

In addition, there is one clever way, of course, that does not objectively increase the productivity of your computer, but allows you to change the value of the displayed grade to whatever you think is necessary. That is, it will be an operation for a purely visual change of the studied parameter.

  1. Navigate to the folder where the test information file is located. We discussed above how to do this. Select the most recent file "Formal.Assessment (Recent) .WinSAT" and click on it PKM... Go to item "To open with" and select "Notebook" or any other text editor, for example Notepad ++. Latest program even preferred if installed on the system.
  2. After the content of the file is opened in a text editor in a block "WinSPR", change the indicators enclosed in the corresponding tags to those that you think are necessary. The main thing to remember is to make the result look realistic, the indicator enclosed in the tag "SystemScore", should be equal to the smallest of the other indicators. Let's use an example to set all indicators equal to the largest value possible in Windows 7 - 7,9 ... In this case, a period should be used as a fractional separator, not a comma, that is, in our case, it will be 7.9 .
  3. After editing, do not forget to save the changes made to the file using the tools of the program in which it is open. The text editor can then be closed.
  4. Now, if you open the window for evaluating the productivity of a computer, then the data that you have entered will be displayed in it, and not the real values.
  5. If you again want the real indicators to be displayed, then for this it is enough to start a new test in the usual way through graphical interface or through « Command line» .

Although the practical benefits of calculating the performance index are questioned by many specialists, nevertheless, if the user pays attention to the indicators specifically necessary for his work, and does not chase the assessment as a whole, the result obtained can be effectively used.

The assessment procedure itself can be performed both using the built-in OS tools, and using third party programs... But the latter seems like overkill in Windows 7 when you have your own convenient tool for these purposes. Those who wish to receive Additional information can benefit from testing through Command line or open a special report file.