How to Check Windows PC (Desktop, Laptop) Performance Without Third-Party Software

January 13, 2026 Post a Comment

To check the performance of a desktop PC/desktop computer we've built ourselves or purchased, as well as a laptop PC we own or want to test, there are various instant software programs that can be used to measure performance directly. These include specific benchmark software like CPU-Z/HWMonitor (detailed component and temperature information), 3DMark (GPU), Cinebench (CPU), or Geekbench (CPU & GPU) for scores that can be compared with other benchmarks

Also, to check manually and compare with other PCs in general, we can use "System Information," a built-in Windows software that allows for detailed component information. You can also use Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) for real-time monitoring (CPU, RAM, Disk, GPU), or DXDIAG, which is also commonly used for more in-depth monitoring, especially regarding RAM reads and GPU usage, along with memory details

It's quite popular among reviewers for checking benchmarks and performance scores, which can be recorded and then included in video reviews, especially for PC reviews for creative work or gaming These tools include:

3DMark: Tests GPU (graphics card) performance
Cinebench: Tests CPU performance through 3D rendering
Geekbench: Cross-platform CPU and GPU benchmark, comparable results
PCMark: Tests overall system performance for everyday tasks
CrystalDiskMark: Tests the read/write speed of your HDD or SSD

There may be more, but generally, those are the ones PC reviewers use, some paid and some free.

So, does Windows actually provide a tool to check your PC's performance score? Yup! It turns out there is! And it also allows users to access this information remotely, using PowerShell on Windows.

PowerShell is a command-line shell and cross-platform scripting language from Microsoft used to automate system administration tasks, configuration management, and resource management on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Its main advantage is that it works with .NET objects, not just text, making it very powerful for building complex workflows. It's a tool designed for IT professionals and advanced users to control and automate operating system administration.

However, we won't discuss PowerShell in depth in this post. Instead, we'll focus on how to check PC performance using PowerShell commands. You might have seen our video about Chromebooks, where we played around in developer mode and accessed the CROSH level of a Chromebook, and that's a somewhat similar example. but it seems to be restricted now, as it is not a general user toy either

Check Performance with Windows PowerShell

If you look at the image above, that is the information that this command can display, but there are also more specific commands for winstat

What is WMIObject?

Now let's start by learning about the WMIObject, which Windows provides for more advanced users to check their device's performance. This is because it's rarely used by general users, who typically focus on specific tasks. Even when building a PC, we should be able to estimate our needs by accessing hardware or component information on paper.

WMIObject (from Windows Management Instrumentation) is a PowerShell object that provides easy access to Windows operating system data and controls, allowing administrators to retrieve detailed information (such as hardware, process, or installed software) or automate management tasks, both on local and remote computers, through commands like Get-WmiObject (now deprecated and replaced by Get-CIMInstance).

Management Infrastructure: WMI is the standard framework in Windows for accessing management and operational data, such as BIOS information, services, drivers, and more.

Standards-Based: WMI is built on the industry standard Common Information Model (CIM), making it a consistent way to manage various system components.

What are its functions and uses:

Information Gathering: Retrieve in-depth system data, such as: Win32_Processor (CPU), Win32_PhysicalMemory (RAM), Win32_LogicalDisk (Hard Drive).
Automation: Write scripts to automate administrative tasks, such as monitoring the system, managing processes, or configuring settings.
Remote Management: Manage other computers on the network by specifying ComputerName in WMI commands.

What is the difference Get-WmiObject vs Get-CIMInstance:

Get-WmiObject: Classic cmdlets in Windows PowerShell (old versions) for working with WMI
Get-CIMInstance: Newer and recommended cmdlets in PowerShell Core (modern versions) for accessing WMI (and CIM), as they are more modern and efficient.

Calculation of Test Result Scores

The WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) object for WinSAT is the **Win32_WinSAT** class, located in the **root\cimv2** namespace. This class provides a summary of the latest system performance assessment information.

Main Properties Win32_WinSAT

This class has several properties that reflect various subscores of the Windows Experience Index (WEI):

WinSPRLevel: The overall Windows Experience Index (WEI) base score. This is the lowest score of all subscores.
MemoryScore: Memory (RAM) performance score.
CPUScore: CPU performance score.
DiskScore: Disk (HDD/SSD) performance score.
GraphicsScore: 2D graphics performance score.
D3DScore: 3D graphics performance score (gaming/Direct 3D).
WinSATAssessmentState: Assessment status (e.g., Valid).
TimeTaken: Indicates which assessment was taken (usually "MostRecentAssessment")

Score of each Windows version from time to time

The scale for these scores varies depending on the version of Windows:

Windows Vista: Scale from 1.0 to 5.9
Windows 7: Scale from 1.0 to 7.9
Windows 8, 8.1, 10, and 11: Scale from 1.0 to 9.9

After Windows 8.1, WinSAT no longer actively assesses 3D graphics (gaming) capabilities, but still provides a placeholder value for compatibility, which is not calculated in real-time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_System_Assessment_Tool#:~:text=The%20Windows%20System%20Assessment%20Tool,the%20performance%20requirements%20of%20software.

Windows 10 and 11 Assessment Scale

The Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) object score in the WinSAT (Windows System Assessment Tool) uses a scale of 1.0 to 9.9. This score represents the Windows Experience Index (WEI) and its individual subscores for various system components.

WinSAT Score Scale Details

Minimum Scale: 1.0 (worst performance)
Maximum Scale: 9.9 (highest performance)

Data Type: Score properties in the WMI Win32_WinSAT class (such as CPUScore, MemoryScore, DiskScore, GraphicsScore, and D3DScore) have the real32 data type.

Base Score: The WinSPRLevel (base score) is determined by the lowest individual subscores of all components, not the average. This helps identify performance bottlenecks in the system.

General Interpretation of Score Ranges

Although WinSAT no longer has a graphical interface in Windows 8.1 and later versions (Windows 10, Windows 11), the score ranges remain the same. The general interpretation is:

1.0 - 3.9: Basic functionality, suitable for light tasks like web browsing or word processing
4.0 - 5.9: Moderate performance, can handle general productivity tasks, but may be less than optimal for gaming or intensive content creation
6.0 - 7.9: Good performance, suitable for most modern applications, including some creative tasks or light gaming
8.0 - 9.9: High performance, designed for heavy tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and intensive multitasking

Untuk mengambil skor ini, Anda dapat menggunakan perintah PowerShell, misalnya: Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_WinSAT

https://blog.acer.com/en/discussion/2851/how-to-score-your-pcs-health-using-the-windows-experience-index#:~:text=In%20the%20example%20above%2C%20the,For%20example:

https://learn.microsoft.com/id-id/windows/win32/winsat/win32-winsat

https://learn.microsoft.com/id-id/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/get-wmiobject?view=powershell-5.1

Then how to see a particular part in more detail?

If the command above is to display a simpler score but covers all the important things, we can also access more detailed information for certain components.

Example (PowerShell):

View processor information: Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Processor