|
DADDY BOB'S COMPUTER Q & A
June 13, 2010
Q.
Can you recommend a good free computer benchmark program?
A.
If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7,
you already have one. But first, a little
explanation on what a benchmark program is,
and its function.
The term
benchmark has many meanings, but in
computing, it is the act of running a
computer program, a set of programs or
other operations, in order to assess the
relative performance of the hardware in the
computer.
Since
computer's components differ greatly, it is
difficult to compare the performance of
various computer systems simply by looking
at their specifications. Just because one
CPU operates at a faster clock speed than
another one doesn't necessarily mean that
the computer that it is in will perform better. A
computer that has a CPU with a
slower clock speed may perform as well as
the one with the faster CPU.
So, a benchmark program that tests the various
components that make up the computer working
as a unit. and can be used to make overall
comparisons between different computers.
These programs can also point out the
individual component that can be improved to
enhance a particular need. Most benchmark
programs test four basic areas; the
processor (CPU), memory (RAM), Graphics
(Video) and storage (Hard drive).
These are combined in various ways to
produce a number that can be used to compare
different computers.
Starting
in Windows Vista, there is a built in
"Windows Experience Index" that is
essentials a benchmark type program. The one
in Windows 7 has been greatly improved and
does a pretty good job. To access this
program, click Start orb, right click on
Computer then select Properties; or hold
down the Windows logo key and press the
pause key. In the System section, click on
Windows Experience Index. This dialog will
open. (Windows 7 shown)
This
computer rates a 3.9 on a scale of 1 to 7.9.
As can be seen, the portion of the graphics
score relating to the aero functions is what
is holding the overall performance rating
down. All other components are slightly
above 5. Replacing the graphics card with
one that better supports the aero functions
could improve the overall performance.
Clicking on " View and Print detailed
performance...." creates a report similar to
the one that that can be seen
HERE.
For those
not using Vista or windows 7, or for another
very good free benchmark program I
recommend one called "Nova Benchmark". It
can be downloaded from its website
HERE
and it is compatible with all versions of
Windows. It is about a 12 MB download, and its operation is self explanatory.
Here is
the report generated by the Nova program on
the same computer that scored a 3.9 as
above.
 |
