| p>Overview | | | | multimedia experiences available with the Windows |
| The Windows® Experience Index measures the | | | | Vista™ operating system. |
| capability of your computer's hardware and software | | | | A computer with a base score of 3 is able to run |
| configuration, and this measure is a number called a | | | | Windows Aero and many new features of Windows |
| base score. A higher base score generally means | | | | Vista at a basic level. Some of the new Windows |
| your computer will perform better and faster than a | | | | Vista advanced features might not have all their |
| computer with a lower base score, especially when | | | | functionality available. For example, a machine with a |
| performing more advanced and resource-intensive | | | | base score of 3 can display the Windows Vista |
| tasks. | | | | theme at a resolution of 1280x1024 but might |
| Each hardware component receives an individual | | | | struggle to run the theme on multiple monitors. Or it |
| subscore. Your computer's base score is determined | | | | can play digital TV content but might struggle to play |
| by the lowest subscore. For example, if the lowest | | | | high definition television (HDTV) content. |
| subscore of an individual hardware component is 2.6, | | | | A computer with a base score of 4 or 5 is able to |
| then the base score is 2.6. The base score is not an | | | | run all new features of Windows Vista with full |
| average of the combined subscores. | | | | functionality, and it is able to support high-end, |
| To view your computer's base score, follow these | | | | graphics-intensive experiences, such as multiplayer |
| steps: | | | | and 3D gaming and recording and playing back HDTV |
| From the Start pearl button, click Welcome Center. | | | | content. Computers with a base score of 5 were the |
| Click View Computer Details. | | | | highest performing computers available when |
| About Your Computer's Base Score | | | | Windows Vista was released. |
| The base score represents the overall performance | | | | The Windows Experience Index is designed to |
| of your system as a whole, based on the capabilities | | | | accommodate advances in computer technology. As |
| of different parts of your computer, including random | | | | hardware speed and performance improves, higher |
| access memory (RAM), central processing unit (CPU), | | | | base scores will be introduced. However, the |
| hard disk, general graphics performance on the | | | | standards for each level of the index stay the same. |
| desktop, and 3D graphics capability. | | | | For example, a computer scoring a 2.8 should remain |
| Here are general descriptions of the kind of | | | | a 2.8 unless you decide to upgrade the computer's |
| experience you can expect from a computer that | | | | hardware. |
| receives the following base scores: | | | | If a particular program or Windows Vista experience |
| A computer with a base score of 1 or 2 usually has | | | | requires a higher score than your base score, you |
| sufficient performance to do most general computing | | | | can upgrade your hardware to meet the necessary |
| tasks, such as running office productivity applications | | | | base score. If you install new hardware and want to |
| and searching the Internet. However, a computer | | | | see if you score has changed, click Update my score. |
| with this base score is generally not powerful enough | | | | To view details about the hardware on your |
| to run Windows Aero™ or the advanced | | | | computer, click View and print details. |