How To Run A Computer Performance Benchmark Test On Windows 10

To the dismay of floks of Windows users, the beloved Windows Experience Index found in previous versions of the OS was unceremoniously retired with the advent of Windows 10.

The Index’s ability to provide an accurate benchmark of a system’s capabilities garnered a devoted following that praised its practicality and functionality. In other words, a benchmarking utility designed to measure performance built into the very fabric of the Windows ecosystem.

This useful tool, absent from Windows 10, begs the question of how does one go about running a computer performance benchmark test or obtaining a similar stat.

Therefore, we made this guide that covers the best way to go about measuring your system’s performance potential.

Run Windows 10 Performance Monitor Tool

Although not on par with the Windows Experience Index mentioned above, Windows 10 does have an inbuilt performance monitoring tool. We’ll be the first to say it doesn’t replace a benchmarking tool, but it provides useful system information that may prove helpful. Here’s how to run the monitor tool.

1. To begin, right-click on the Windows Start menu icon and select “Run” from the contextual list that pops up on the screen.
2. In the empty Run field, enter “perfmon /report” and hit “Run” below.
3. Windows will launch the performance monitor tool and gather system data for 60 seconds before compiling a report. Allow the process to run its course.
4. Once finished, you’ll get an overview of your system alongside a series of checks detailing any potential problems with the PC.
5. Click on the “Hardware Configuration” section, then on “Desktop Rating.”
6. Click the “+” sign below “Query,” then do the same for “Returned Objects.”
7. You’ll get a rating for various processes from CPU to disk by way of graphics. Scores are rated out of ten, giving you a performance value for the system.

Run The Windows System Assessment Tool

The following method is very similar to the one above but does provide additional details about how well a system performs with CPU, GPU, and memory indicators. Follow these steps to run the tool.

1. To start, right-click on the Windows Start menu and hit “Run” from the listed options.
2. Type “cmd” into the empty run field and hit Ctrl+Shift+Enter on the keyboard.
3. When prompted with the “Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?” message, select “OK.”

4. In the Command Prompt window, type “winsat prepop” and hit Enter.
5. Allow Command Prompt to run the test.

6. When finished, you’ll get a full list of how well the system performed for each type of test. For GPU tests, the results are measured in FPS, while CPU performance is tallied up in MB/s, and so on.

Find Windows System Score

In a remarkably similar fashion to the Index, this method allows you to get a numerical value for your system performance.

1. Begin by right-clicking on the Windows Start menu and then on “Search” in the contextual list.

2. Next, type “Windows PowerShell” into the empty search field.
3. Right-click on the first result of the same name and select “Run as administrator.” Doing so opens up the Windows PowerShell window, which is visually similar to Command Prompt.
4. Type “Get-WmiObject -class Win32_WinSAT” into the Windows PowerShell and hit Enter.

5. The results will display a score for each aspect of the system, including CPU, memory, graphics, hard disk drive, etc. The score correlates with that provided previously by the Windows Experience Index.

Use Third-Party Benchmarking Software

If the workaround options innate to Windows 10 don’t cut the proverbial benchmarking mustard, the next step is to seek out a third-party benchmarking utility. Which one you use comes down to personal preference, so we recommend experimenting with a few until you find one that suits your needs.

We rate UserBenchmark for its user-friendly character as well as the ability to compare results to other systems, and Catzilla for throwing all kinds of things at your PC to get an accurate snapshot of what it is capable of when pushed to the limit.

Alternative but equally great benchmarking utilities include Prime95 prized by overclockers for CPU testing or the ever-popular Sandra, that provides comprehensive benchmarking among an array of other functions.

For the sake of example, we are homing in on UserBenchmark. Before running any benchmark tool, we recommend restarting the PC, closing all applications, and not using the PC during the test. Doing so ensures faithful, untampered scores.

1. Download the latest version of UserBenchmark here by clicking on the orange “Free Download” button.
2. When the download finishes, double click on the executable “UserBenchMark.exe” file. Conveniently, the tool doesn’t need installing and runs as-is.

3. When prompted, select which components to benchmark.
4. Hit “Run.”

5. Allow the benchmarking to complete. It can take up to a couple of minutes. The progress bar that runs along the top is an indicator of how the process is progressing. The utility will run several demanding graphical renders that will appear on the screen. Rest assured, this is normal.
6. When finished, the results will load up in your browser.

7. The top section details general system information that includes clearly-worded assessments for each component. By scrolling down, you’ll access benchmarking scores for each element, alongside a useful comparison tool that rates it against other users. Further down, you’ll also find various graphs detailing performance throughout the test.