The Windows Experience Index Base Score
represents the overall performance of your system as a
whole, based on the capabilities of different parts of
your computer, including random access memory (RAM),
central processing unit (CPU), hard disk, general
graphics performance on the desktop, and 3‑D graphics
capability.
Here are general descriptions of the
kind of experience you can expect from a computer that
receives the following base scores:
-
A computer with a base score of 1 or
2 usually has sufficient performance to do most
general computing tasks, such as run office
productivity applications and search the Internet.
However, a computer with this base score is
generally not powerful enough to run
Windows Aero, or
the advanced multimedia experiences that are
available with
Windows Vista.
-
A computer with a base score of 3 is
able to run Windows
Aero and many new features of
Windows Vista at
a basic level. Some of the new
Windows Vista
advanced features might not have all of their
functionality available. For example, a machine with
a base score of 3 can display the
Windows Vista
theme at a resolution of 1280 × 1024, but might
struggle to run the theme on multiple monitors. Or,
it can play digital TV content but might struggle to
play High Definition Television (HDTV) content.
-
A computer with a base score of 4 or
5 is able to run all new features of
Windows Vista
with full functionality, and it is able to support
high-end, graphics-intensive experiences, such as
multiplayer and 3‑D gaming and recording and
playback of HDTV content. Computers with a base
score of 5 were the highest performing computers
available when
Windows Vista was released.
The Windows
Experience Index is designed to accommodate advances in
computer technology. As hardware speed and performance
improves, higher base scores will be introduced.
However, the standards for each level of the index stay
the same. For example, a computer scored as a 2.8 should
remain a 2.8 unless you decide to upgrade the computer's
hardware.
