The Windows Experience Score is based on the main components of a computer. It looks at the lowest performing areas a laptop or desktop and judges them based on that. This is a very good way of looking at things, as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
The results given by the WEI are very easy to understand and therefore easy to interpret for standard users. Although the results are less detailed than other benchmarking software the results given are clearer.
For example, let’s look at the traditional and currently most common way of comparing systems by looking at the individual components, and then by using the WEI.
Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 / 2 GHz
Data Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Features: Enhanced SpeedStep technology, Execute Disable Bit capability, Enhanced Intel Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing, Intel 64 Technology, Intel Advanced Digital Media Boost, Intel Advanced Smart Cache, Intel Dynamic Bus Parking, Intel Dynamic Power Coordination, Intel Intelligent Power Capability, Intel Smart Memory Access, Intel Wide Dynamic Execution
Cache Memory
Type: L2 Cache
Installed Size: 4 MB
Ram
Installed Size: 2 GB / 2 GB (max)
Technology: DDR II SDRAM - 533 MHz
Memory Specification Compliance: PC2-4300
Storage controller
Type: Serial ATA
Serial ATA Interface: Serial ATA-150
RAID Level: RAID 0, RAID 1
Video
Graphics Processor / Vendor: ATI Mobility Radeon X1800
Video Memory: DDR II SDRAM - 256 MB
Let’s look at this from the perspective of people who don’t know how many megahertz there are in one gigahertz. My Aunt doesn’t have what clue what “Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 / 2 GHz” means, but I’d guess most people reading this know it means it’s got two cores running at 2 gigahertz. Now unless you read a lot about computers, you probably don’t know what a bus speed of 667Mhz does. What if you have a dual-core processor running at 1.5Ghz, but a bus speed of 800Mhz? Would that be a better or worse situation? This is where you really need some sort of test to find the answer. And that’s without even looking at that mind-boggling list of features. What do they do? Would you miss any of them if they weren’t there? What about AMD vs. Intel and their different ways of measuring their processors?
This is getting quite complicated, and the processor is the easy bit. Think of all the confusion that can occur from the other components. For example, my girlfriend’s graphics card runs at 1 GHz which is really fast, but apparently this doesn’t make any difference because the bus can’t deal with that speed.
Once you’ve mastered understanding each component separately, you’ve got to weigh up a system featuring a collection of all these different components with dozens of other collections of components. There’s a minefield of possible confusion that can be made when only looking at the specifications.
However if you’re just weighing up 10 Windows Experience Index base scores, you can work out which is the better system in a few seconds, then you’ve just got work out what price you’re willing to pay.
Because of how wide-spread the Window Experience Index will become as people buy new computers over the coming years, it is likely to become the benchmark of choice. Although it’s not the most in-depth analysis, it says enough for just about anyone who’s never built a computer.
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