Must Check This Before Buying New/Old Laptop or PC

Windows includes a built-in performance assessment tool called WinSAT (Windows System Assessment Tool). This tool measures your PC's processor speed, graphics performance, memory bandwidth and storage speed, and then generates a Windows Experience Index (WEI) score ranging from 1.0 to 9.9. In this guide, you will learn how to run WinSAT using PowerShell, view your system scores, and understand what each value means.

Step 1: Open PowerShell as Administrator

Follow the steps below:

• Click on the Start Menu
• Search for PowerShell
• Right-click and select Run as Administrator

Step 2: Run Full PC Performance Test

To run the complete WinSAT test, enter the command below. This command performs CPU, RAM, disk, and GPU tests:

winsat formal

This process takes around 1–2 minutes. After the test finishes, Windows stores the score in its performance database.

Step 3: View Your WinSAT Scores Using PowerShell

Now use this command to display all component scores:

Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSAT

This will output values such as CPUScore, MemoryScore, GraphicsScore, DiskScore, and the final WinSPRLevel.

Example WinSAT Output Explained

CPUScore          : 9.1
D3DScore          : 9.2
DiskScore         : 9.9
GraphicsScore     : 8.9
MemoryScore       : 9.0
WinSPRLevel       : 9.1

What These Values Mean

The Windows Experience Index gives scores between 1.0 (slow) and 9.9 (fast). Here is the meaning of each performance range:

Low Performance (1.0 – 4.9)

Basic performance. Suitable only for light browsing and office applications.

Medium Performance (5.0 – 7.0)

Good for everyday use: web browsing, HD videos, office work and light gaming.

High Performance (7.1 – 8.5)

Fast system capable of multitasking, 4K video playback, and medium to high gaming.

Ultra-High Performance (8.6 – 9.9)

Top-tier performance suitable for 4K gaming, video editing, rendering, AI tools and professional workloads.

Example: Understanding Your Scores

In the sample result:

• CPUScore 9.1: Very powerful processor suitable for gaming and editing.
• MemoryScore 9.0: Extremely fast RAM bandwidth.
• GraphicsScore 8.9: Strong GPU performance.
• DiskScore 9.9: High-end NVMe SSD with excellent speed.
• WinSPRLevel 9.1: Your PC falls into the Ultra-High Performance range.

Where Are WinSAT Files Stored?

If you want to view detailed XML reports, they are located here:

C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore

Conclusion

Using WinSAT and PowerShell is an easy way to find out how powerful your PC is. Whether you want to test gaming performance, compare hardware or analyze storage speed, WinSAT provides a reliable breakdown of system performance. With the scores and their meanings, you can understand your PC better and decide if an upgrade is needed.

Feel free to test your own system and compare your numbers with the performance levels listed above.