By using Vista’s Performance Information and Tools, you can find out what your computer’s Windows Experience Index (WEI) base score is. The WEI score indicates the performance and overall capability of your computer’s hardware.

To find your computer’s Windows Experience Index scores:

1. Click Start and click Control Panel.
2. Click System and Maintenance.
3. Click Performance Information and Tools.
4. Click Score this computer. If you have previously scored your computer and have since upgraded your hardware, click Update my score.

Vista will display two scores — the overall base score and your computer’s sub-score for each hardware component — ranging in values between 1 and 5.9. The base score identifies the level of performance you can expect from Vista and the programs that you run. A low score does not mean that you do not have a slow computer; it means that Vista will run with basic functionality. A higher base score therefore means that your computer is capable of higher performance.

Individual hardware components, such as your computer’s central processing unit (CPU) and random access memory (RAM), are tested and each receives a sub-score. Sub-scores can be useful when you are thinking about upgrading hardware components or if you are troubleshooting performance issues. For example, if you are unhappy with the performance of your graphics card, consider checking the WEI to see what the sub-score of the card is. A low score may indicate that the existing card is not powerful enough to meet your needs.