What does computer base score tell you?

This post is an extension of my earlier post titled: What is Windows Experience Index? Which you can read if you have not done so, to get an understanding of what computers base scores are all about. In that article, if you read it and recall our discussion I stated that the base score represents the minimum performance of your system which is based on the capabilities of your computers key components: Processor (CPU), Memory (RAM), Graphics (general graphics performance on the desktop), Gaming graphics (3‑D graphics capability), and Primary Hard disk. In this article however I will tell you what the Base Score and Sub Score (which we didn’t cover in the other post) are.

The base score based on The Windows Experience Index is aimed at helping you make choices with regards to programmes you buy or possible hardware upgrade you might need to get greater computer experience. Below are general descriptions of the experience you can expect from a computer that receives a low or high base score:

What low base scores mean:
If your computer has a base score of 1.0 or 2.0 it simply means that it is sufficient with respect to performance to do general computing tasks, such as run office productivity programs and surf the internet. However, it also means that your computer is not powerful enough to run Aero, or the advanced multimedia experiences that are available with Windows 7 operating system.

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If however your systems base score is 3.0, it means it can run Aero and many features of Windows 7, but at a basic level. This means that your computers operating system’s advanced functions won’t be available as it were. For example with a base score of 3.0 your computer can play digital TV content but might experience difficulty high-definition TV (HDTV) content. In addition, some graphic-intensive programmes may not function properly if they run at all. For example I discovered that playing Grand Theft Auto freezes my system, meaning I have to shut down to resume play. In addition, some features of my web and graphic design tools don’t work at times.

What higher base scores mean:
Network Your Computers & Devices Step by Step (Step by Step (Microsoft))Assuming your computer has a base score of 4.0 or 5.0 after assessment it means that it is capable of running new features of Windows7 and makes possible running multiple programmes at the same time without the system slowing down to snail speed. If you are lucky to have a base score of 6.0 or higher it means your computer has a faster hard drive and can support graphic-intensive experience such as playing multi-player games or playing back HDTV content. 

What to do if you want more windows experience:
If you notice that a particular program or Windows 7 experience requires a higher score than your base score, you can upgrade your hardware to meet the necessary base score. If you install new hardware and want to see if your score has changed, click on re-run the assessmentIf you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

What is a sub score?
As you viewed your base score you must have noticed other figures displayed in relations to the assessed system components upon which the Windows Experience Index is based. Those figures are the base scores – the lowest which is your base score as it were. The subscores are hence  are the result of tests run on the RAM, CPU, hard disk, general desktop graphics, and 3‑D gaming graphics hardware components of your computer. The importance of knowing your system component base scores is that you use them to figure out just which components you may want to upgrade to make your computer condition sufficient for a program or Windows 7 experience.

I believe that so far you should be able to tell the difference between base score and subscore. However for emphasis, it suffices to state here that while base score is a good indicator of how your computer will perform generally on one hand, the subscores serve as indicators that help you understand your computer's level of performance for specific experiences. Let us see some examples using office productivity and graphic intensive programmes for added clarity:
1.      Office Productivity: if you use your computer mainly for office productivity experiences, such as word processing, spreadsheets, e‑mail, and web browsing, then high subscores in the CPU and memory categories are important. But with regards to subscores, a subscore of 2.0 or more are sufficient when it comes to using graphic applications or programmes.
2.      Gaming and graphic-intensive experience: If you use your computer for games or programs that are graphic-intensive, such as digital video editing programs or realistic first-person games like Hit Man Contract etc, then high subscores in the RAM, desktop graphics, 3‑D gaming graphics, and CPU categories are of great importance. 

What to do if your base score or subscores can't be updated:

How to Sell on Ebay for the Computer Shy - 2nd EditionIf you read my other article on Windows Experience Index you will find a warning message in one of the pictures that states, “The Windows Experience Index is not applicable on batteries”. Hence that and other conditions can prevent your base score and subscores from being updated. Hence if you notice the scores cannot be updated it could be the result of the following bellow:
1.      Running on batter powerWindows automatically tries to conserve power when running on a battery alone. So if your computer is running on battery power, a performance assessment won't reflect its true capabilities. To run an assessment you must plug your computer into your mains power supply.
2.      Inadequate free disk space: because Windows Experience Index assessment tool creates a test file on your hard disk. If there's not enough free disk space to create the test file, the assessment can't be complete. You can use the Disk Cleanup tool to free up disk space.
3.      The assessment is already running: If the Windows Experience Index assessment tool is already running, your scores can't be updated.
4.      Old display driver: If your computer is using an older version of the display driver, your scores might not be updated. A solution is to upgrade your display driver.
5.      No multimedia support: If your computer doesn't have multimedia support, your scores can't be updated.
I hope this information proves useful to you. Do search through or read other posts that could be valuable to you. Cheers.

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