There is an opinion that Windows 8 slows down, is buggy, and than trying to optimize its work, it is easier to install the already proven "seven" or even XP. In fact, the eighth Windows spends less resources and is a natural development of the product.
Ways to optimize and improve the performance of Windows 8.1
1. Changing power settings
By default, the operating mode of the Windows processor is underestimated. This is done to avoid overheating and rapid iron failure. With a good cooler, you can "overclock" your processor to its maximum through the system settings.
2. Defragment hard drives
A proven and, so to speak, old-fashioned method is to defragment / optimize hard drives. The essence of the process lies in the fact that clusters scattered throughout the system are ordered and "stacked" more rationally.
3. Disable visual effects
If convenience and comfort are not fundamental to you, then to optimize the work and increase the performance of Windows 8.1, you can disable in the system settings animation when minimizing / maximizing windows, as well as some other effects thought out by the creators for a purely aesthetic purpose. For settings, go to: "Control Panel" -> "System" -> "Advanced System Settings", the "Advanced" tab, in it the "Performance" section, the "Settings" button.
4. Analysis of resource-intensive applications
In the Task Manager application, accessible by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keyboard shortcut, you can see, in percentage terms, which processes are the most energy consuming. You can manually disable programs that "pull" a lot of resources and "load" the processor.
5. Autostart cleaning
When you turn on the computer, processes are often loaded that are not constantly used. In previous versions of Windows, the startup registry could only be cleaned using specialized programs. In version 8.1 this feature is provided by the developers as standard. If you wish, you can disable startup programs that are not necessary for your daily work.
6. Using the standard msconfig utility In order not to bother with the search for third-party optimizer programs, you can always use the convenient and functional msconfig tool, which allows you to disable and enable autorun programs, control OS boot options and select additional parameters, configure the operation of all services and service applications.
To launch the configurator, press the Win + R key combination, in the window that appears, enter msconfig, then the OK button. A window with various settings will open, where you can independently select the necessary parameters.
7. Using built-in security software
It is customary to use antiviruses such as Kaspersky, Doctor Web, Avast, Norton. These programs, by definition, "load" the computer. Windows 8.1 includes embedded programs that are optimized to work with this particular system, and, accordingly, "pull" less resources.
As you can see, increasing the performance of Windows 8.1 and optimizing it will be easy for any user.
In order to measure the performance of a computer using tests, it is not necessary to download any third-party applications and utilities.
It is enough to use the resources already built into the operating system.
Although, for more detailed information, the user will have to find a suitable program.
Based on the test results, it is possible to draw conclusions which of the parts of a PC or laptop needs to be replaced before the rest - and sometimes just understand about the need to buy a new computer.
The need to check
Testing the speed of the computer is available to any user. Verification does not require any specialized knowledge or experience with certain versions of Windows. And the process itself is unlikely to take more than an hour.
Reasons to use the built-in utility or third-party application include:
- unreasonable slowdown of the computer. Moreover, not necessarily the old one - a check is needed to identify problems with new PCs. So, for example, the minimum results and indicators of a good video card indicate incorrectly installed drivers;
- checking the device when choosing several similar configurations in a computer store. This is usually done before buying laptops - running a test on 2-3 devices that are practically the same in terms of parameters helps to find out which one suits the buyer better;
- the need to compare the capabilities of various components of a gradually upgraded computer. So, if the HDD has the least performance value, then it should be replaced first (for example, with an SSD).
According to the results of testing, which revealed the speed of the computer performing various tasks, you can find driver problems and incompatibility of installed devices. And sometimes even poorly functioning and broken parts - for this, however, you will need more functional utilities than those that are built into Windows by default. Standard tests show a minimum of information.
Checking by means of the system
You can check the performance of individual components of your computer using the built-in capabilities of the Windows operating system. The principle of operation and information content are approximately the same for all versions of the platform from Microsoft. And the differences are only in the way of starting and reading information.
Windows Vista, 7 and 8
For the 7th and 8th versions of the platform, as well as Windows Vista, the performance counter of computer elements can be found in the list of basic information about the operating system. To display them on the screen, just right-click on the "My Computer" icon and select properties.
If testing has already been carried out, information about its results will be available immediately. If this is the first time the test is being performed, you will have to run it by going to the performance check menu.
The maximum score that Windows 7 and 8 can get is 7.9. It is worth thinking about the need to replace parts if at least one of the indicators is below 4. The gamer is more suitable for values above 6. Windows Vista has the best indicator of 5.9, and the "critical" indicator is about 3.
Important: To speed up performance calculations, almost all programs should be turned off during the test. When testing a laptop, it is advisable to plug it in - the process consumes battery power noticeably.
Windows 8.1 and 10
For more modern operating systems, it is no longer so easy to find information about computer performance and start calculating it. To run the utility that estimates system parameters, you should follow these steps:
1Go to the operating system command line(cmd via menu "Run" rollover Win + R);
2Include an assessment process by leading the team winsat formal –restart clean;
3Wait for work to finish;
4 Go to folder Performance \ WinSAT \ DataStore located in the Windows system directory on the computer's system drive;
5 Find and open a file in a text editor "Formal.Assessment (Recent) .WinSAT.xml".
Among the set of text, the user must find the WinSPR block, where approximately the same data is located that are displayed on the screen and systems Windows 7 and 8 - only in a different form.
So, under the title SystemScore hides the general index calculated by the minimum value, and MemoryScore, CpuScore and GraphicsScore denote the metrics for memory, processor, and graphics card, respectively. GamingScore and DiskScore- performance for the game and for reading / writing the hard disk.
The maximum value of the indicator for Windows 10 and version 8.1 is 9.9. This means that the owner of an office computer can still afford to have a system with numbers less than 6, but for a full-fledged PC and laptop, it must reach at least 7. And for a gaming device - at least 8.
Universal way
There is a method that is the same for any operating system. It consists in launching the Task Manager after pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys. A similar effect can be achieved by right-clicking on the taskbar - there you can find an item that launches the same utility.
You can see several graphs on the screen - for the processor (for each thread separately) and RAM. For more details, go to the Resource Monitor menu.
From this information, you can determine how heavily loaded the individual components of the PC. First of all, this can be done by the percentage of loading, secondly - by the color of the line ( green means the component is working normally, yellow- moderate, Red- the need to replace a component).
Third party programs
It is even easier to check your computer's performance with third-party applications.
Some of them are paid or shareware (that is, requiring payment after the trial period ends or to improve functionality).
However, testing of these applications is carried out in more detail - and quite often they also give out a lot of other useful information for the user.
1. AIDA64
AIDA64 contains benchmarks for memory, cache, HDDs, SSDs and flash drives. And when testing a processor, 32 threads can be checked at once. Among all these advantages, there is also a small drawback - you can use the program for free only for a "trial period" of 30 days. And then you have to either switch to another application, or pay 2265 rubles. for a license.
2. SiSoftware Sandra Lite
3. 3DMark
4. PCMark 10
The application allows not only to test the operation of computer elements, but also to save the test results for future use. The app's only drawback is its relatively high cost. You will have to pay $ 30 for it.
5. CINEBENCH
Test images consist of 300 thousand polygonal images, which are added to more than 2000 objects. And the results are displayed in the form PTS indicator - the larger it is, the more powerful the computer... The program is distributed free of charge, which makes it easy to find and download it on the net.
6. ExperienceIndexOK
Information is displayed on the screen in points. The maximum number is 9.9, as for the latest versions of Windows. It is for them that the ExperienceIndexOK work is intended. It is much easier to use such a program than to enter commands and search the system directory for files with results.
7. CrystalDiskMark
To test the disk, select the disk and set the test parameters. That is, the number of runs and the size of the file that will be used for diagnostics. After a few minutes, the screen will display information about the average read and write speed for the HDD.
8. PC Benchmark
Having received the test results, the program offers to optimize the system. And after improving the work in the browser, a page opens where you can compare the performance indicators of your PC with other systems. On the same page, you can check if the computer can run some modern games.
9. Metro Experience Index
10. PassMark PerformanceTest
conclusions
Using various methods to check the performance of your computer allows you to check how your system is performing. And, if necessary, compare the speed of individual elements with those of other models. For a preliminary assessment, such a test can also be carried out using the built-in utilities. Although it is much more convenient to download special applications for this, especially since among them you can find several quite functional and free ones.
Video:
The release of the new version of the Windows operating system marked not only advanced innovations, but also the disappearance of the familiar WEI (System Performance Index) measurement option. The developers did not offer anything in return. There is one particularly difficult option for excavating the index, but now I would like to tell you about three much simpler ones.
Windows Performance Index is a tool that assigns a score to a PC based on the power of its hardware configuration. The final figure is able to roughly show the system's ability to cope with a number of tasks. On Windows 8.1, the function is no longer (as it did not), but the previous indicators can be found in the nooks and crannies of the system.
There is a wide variety of opinions about this system evaluator. But once the company implemented it in Windows Vista, then, of course, users managed to get used to it and find a number of advantages in it. One of the users responded this way:
But you could immediately estimate the speed of the hard, for example, and now drag third-party utilities (
There is a way to find the WEI with the help of detailed instructions, but we will do it easier - we will offer three easy-to-use utilities.
Metro Experience Index... It can be called the first tool to view Windows Performance Index scores in Windows 8.1. Despite the fact that the tool was released about a month after the release of Windows 8.1 Preview and has not been updated since that time, since it worked perfectly on Windows 8.1 RTM, it quickly settled down on many PCs to measure the performance index.
Metro Experience Index is compatible with both 32-bit Windows 8.1 and 64-bit. Please note that this is not portable software and you will need to install it.
Next - .. The utility has a simple interface, identical to the original performance index from Windows 7 and convenient display of points for the processor, RAM, graphics and hard disk. A rerun of System Assessment is available in Windows 8.1 to re-measure PC speed after a hardware upgrade or driver update.
Click to enlarge
The tool creates a series of tests for the computer, including checking the performance of DirectX, CPU, HDD or SSD (read / write speed), etc. The user can also cancel the test and restart it from the beginning.
Let's call the last and the easiest to use. As the name suggests, this tool comes from the efforts of the popular free software developers WinAero. In addition to the WEI ratings for CPU, Memory, Graphics, and Primary Hard Drive, it shows the baseline score for your system.
In addition, the program allows you to instantly take a screenshot of the scores obtained during the tests and save it in PNG format, if necessary - also upload it to Imgur with one click. The results can be saved as an HTML file.
Another interesting detail is that the color of the Winaero WEI Tool window matches the default color scheme. But a much more useful feature is the utility's portability, so the utility does not require installation.
How to find out the performance index in windows 8.1 we will consider below, but for now there is not a lot of history. The performance index was introduced back in 2006 and was first implemented in Windows Vista, after which this feature was inherited by the Windows 7 operating system, which was released in 2009.
And only in 2013, with the release of Windows 8.1, the developers decided to abandon the Performance Index, as it turned out not completely. Only the graphical interface was removed, but the software part is still present in the system.
This makes it possible to find out the performance index in Windows 8.1. and Windows 10
The windows performance index measures the capabilities of a computer, both hardware and software. Then it displays the test result as a number in a certain range. In each operating system, the range is different.
Windows Vista 1 to 5.9
Windows 7 1 to 7.9
Windows 8.1 1 to 9.9The index is determined by the WinSAT utility. The utility tests the performance of the main components of the computer, such as "Processor, RAM, graphics, hard drive".
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After testing, for each component its own performance index is determined, and the overall score is determined by the lowest number. The higher the overall score, the better. This suggests that the computer will work faster and better, especially when performing resource-intensive tasks.
How to find out the performance index in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
As noted above, Windows 8.1 does not have a graphical interface to view the performance index. You can test and find out the performance index in Windows 8.1 using PowerShell or "cmd.exe".
But if the graphical interface is more preferable to you, then you can use third-party programs.
WSAT program.
The WSAT program was written by our compatriot, whose name is "Andrey Leushin". The program has a Russian-language interface and does not require installation. After the first launch, the program will show the current performance index score. By clicking the "Repeat assessment" link, you can start a repeat test.
How to find out the performance index without using programs.
"Windows 8.1" independently tests the system, after which the result is saved in a regular xml, which is located at "C: \ Windows \ Performance \ WinSAT \ DataStore".
In this directory you need to find and open the file "Formal.Assessment (Initial) .WinSAT.xml" The file can be opened with a standard notepad, for convenient space it is best to use any installed browser. Between the "WinSPR" tags, there will be the test result.
If the file is not in the specified directory, then for some reason the system did not start testing. In this case, you can use the Windows command line and start testing yourself.
To do this, you need to execute the Winsat formal command.
It will take several minutes for the performance test to complete. While testing is in progress, do not close the console window, wait for the end of the test and again open the DataStore folder in which the required xml file containing the test results will appear. In this simple way, you can find out the performance index in windows 8.1.
Hello, friends! An index or test of computer performance from Microsoft, of course, is not the most objective, but very popular among most users.
As you know, the performance score is determined by the score of the weakest component of the system.
The maximum number of points is 7.9 points for Windows 7 and 9.9 points for Windows 8. The simplicity and availability of the test is exactly what the user wants.
However, in Windows 8, this service was disabled. More precisely, the graphical interface has been disabled. The program code remained and continues to function. Today I will tell you how you can use it and find out the score of the computer.
Finding out the assessment of computer performance in Windows 8.1
Performance assessment is carried out using the Windows System Assessment Tool (WinSAT), which stores its results in the% WinDir% \ Performance \ WinSAT \ DataStore folder. It will be logical to copy this address:
% WinDir% \ Performance \ WinSAT \ DataStore
This is an XML file. We click on it twice, and a browser window opens. We find the following values. I suppose everything is clear, but I signed the result in Russian.
If the folder is empty, the system has not yet evaluated it. As a rule, at least a week should pass after installing the OS.
If this option seems difficult to you, you can use third-party software. As an example - a simple utility WSAT from Andrey Leushin
Russian interface, no installation required. You can download the utility from the official site. Download and run. The result is in the picture above. That's all, thank you for your attention. See you in new articles!
