How good is my PC? - How to find out
"How good is my PC?" - You have probably asked yourself this question many times. However, this cannot always be answered clearly because it depends on what you want to do with your device.
Windows 7 - calculate performance index using on-board equipment
Windows itself has a function with which you can find out what your PC is best suited for and its strengths and weaknesses. The areas "processor", "RAM", "graphics" and "hard disk" are rated with a point scale from 1.0 to 7.9. The value 1.0 is the worst, a result of 7.9 the best.
- Go to the Control Panel and then click on "Performance Information and Tools". If this point is not visible, switch the display options to "small symbols" in the top right. Alternatively, you can search for "Performance Information" in the Control Panel.
Performance index in Windows 8 and higher
As of Windows 8, you can no longer display the performance index of your own PC via the control panel. To still be able to access it, you have to do the following:
- Press the Windows key and "R" at the same time to open the "Run" command and enter "winsat formal". Confirm the entry with »Enter«.
- Now a black window with white text opens. Wait for it to close again. However, this could take some time because Windows is currently checking your computer.
- As soon as the window has closed, the results are ready for you. Open the path "C: \ Windows \ Performance \ WinSAT \ DataStore" in Explorer. The results are saved in the file named "Formal.Assessment (Recent) .WinSAT". This is usually the last file that is displayed.
- The results of the performance assessment are not presented graphically, but they contain a lot of interesting information about your PC.
Benchmark Tools
There is a large number of benchmarking tools on the net. Some test the processor, others the network and still others make the graphics card sweat. We have selected the 20 best benchmark tools for you.
- We would like to highlight the number one in our leaderboard. The freeware tool called "SiSoftware Sandra" can test CPU, GPU, network and memory in many different modes, so it is a real all-rounder.
In the next practical tip, you will learn how to make your PC faster.