How to Check Windows Experience Index in Windows 11 (Complete Guide 2026)
The Windows Experience Index (WEI) was designed to give Windows users a simple way to understand the performance capabilities of their computer hardware.
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| Learn how to check available Windows Experience Index scores in Windows 11 using PowerShell and WinSAT, including CPU, memory, disk, graphics, and base scores. |
Older versions of Windows displayed the Experience Index more prominently through the Control Panel. Windows 11 does not provide the same user-facing WEI page, but Windows System Assessment Tool (WinSAT) functionality and related assessment data may still be available on some systems.
In this guide, you'll learn how to check available Windows Experience Index information in Windows 11, how to run a WinSAT assessment when supported, how to read the scores, and why WEI should not be treated as a modern benchmark.
What Is Windows Experience Index?
Windows Experience Index is a performance rating generated from the Windows System Assessment Tool (WinSAT).
WinSAT is designed to assess different characteristics of a Windows computer, including hardware performance and capabilities.
Depending on the assessment and Windows implementation, the results can include:
- Processor performance
- Memory performance
- Primary disk performance
- Graphics performance
Microsoft documents WinSAT as a system assessment technology that can retrieve a base score and individual component scores.
Does Windows 11 Still Have Windows Experience Index?
Windows 11 does not provide the old Windows Experience Index screen that many users remember from older Windows versions.
Instead, advanced users can check available WinSAT information through PowerShell and the Win32_WinSAT WMI class.
There is an important limitation: Microsoft states that Win32_WinSAT may be altered or unavailable for Windows releases after Windows 8.1. Therefore, you should not assume that every Windows 11 installation will return complete WEI data.
Method 1: Check Available WEI Data Using PowerShell
The simplest way to see whether your Windows installation has WinSAT assessment information is through PowerShell.
- Open Start.
- Search for PowerShell.
- Open Windows PowerShell or PowerShell.
- Run the following command:
Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSAT
If assessment data is available, you may see properties such as:
- CPUScore
- MemoryScore
- DiskScore
- GraphicsScore
- WinSPRLevel
- WinSATAssessmentState
The exact output can vary depending on your Windows installation and whether a valid formal assessment exists.
Method 2: Display Only the Main WEI Scores
The default PowerShell output can contain more information than you need. You can display the main scores using:
Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSAT | Select-Object CPUScore, MemoryScore, DiskScore, GraphicsScore, WinSPRLevel
If valid data exists, the output may look similar to:
CPUScore : 8.7 MemoryScore : 8.4 DiskScore : 7.9 GraphicsScore : 8.1 WinSPRLevel : 7.9
The numbers above are examples only. Your actual results depend on your hardware and available WinSAT assessment data.
What Does WinSPRLevel Mean?
WinSPRLevel represents the base score associated with the most recent formal assessment.
The base score is not calculated by simply averaging all component scores.
Microsoft's documentation explains that the base score is determined by the lowest applicable subscore.
For example, if a computer has these example scores:
| Component | Example Score |
|---|---|
| CPU | 8.7 |
| Memory | 8.4 |
| Disk | 7.9 |
| Graphics | 8.1 |
The base score would be limited by the lowest applicable score rather than being the average of these numbers.
Method 3: Check the WinSAT Assessment State
You can check whether Windows has a valid assessment available with:
Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSAT | Select-Object WinSATAssessmentState
Microsoft documents several possible assessment states:
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | State unknown |
| 1 | Valid |
| 2 | Incoherent with hardware |
| 3 | No assessment available |
| 4 | Invalid |
A value of 1 indicates that the assessment is valid according to Microsoft's WinSAT documentation.
Method 4: Run a Formal WinSAT Assessment
If WinSAT is available on your Windows installation, you can attempt to generate a formal assessment.
Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
winsat formal
WinSAT can perform a formal assessment of multiple system components. Microsoft documents formal assessments as covering areas such as the CPU, memory, primary disk, and video card.
After the assessment completes, return to PowerShell and run:
Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSAT | Select-Object CPUScore, MemoryScore, DiskScore, GraphicsScore, WinSPRLevel
If the assessment data is available, you may now see updated results.
Important: WinSAT May Not Be Available on Every Windows 11 PC
This is one of the most important points when checking WEI in Windows 11.
Microsoft explicitly documents that WinSAT and the Win32_WinSAT interface may be altered or unavailable in Windows releases after Windows 8.1.
Therefore, if the command does not return the expected information, it does not automatically mean that something is wrong with your computer.
The limitation may simply be related to the availability of the legacy assessment interface on your particular Windows release.
What Does Each Windows Experience Index Score Mean?
CPU Score
The CPUScore represents the processor assessment result.
It provides an indication of processor performance according to the WinSAT assessment rather than a modern CPU benchmark.
Memory Score
The MemoryScore represents memory throughput and capacity characteristics measured by the assessment.
Disk Score
The DiskScore represents the assessment of the primary storage device, including sequential read throughput characteristics.
Graphics Score
The GraphicsScore represents graphics capability according to the WinSAT assessment.
These values should be interpreted as Windows assessment results rather than direct replacements for dedicated benchmarking software.
What About the D3D Score?
You may encounter a property called D3DScore when viewing WinSAT information.
Do not interpret this as a modern gaming benchmark.
Microsoft explains that after Windows 8.1, WinSAT no longer assesses certain three-dimensional gaming graphics capabilities in the same way as older versions. For compatibility, the system may report sentinel values instead.
For modern gaming performance, use an appropriate GPU benchmark and check the game's actual system requirements instead.
How to Check Whether WinSAT Exists
Before trying to run a formal assessment, you can check whether Windows can find the WinSAT executable.
Open Command Prompt and run:
where winsat
If WinSAT is available, Windows will display the path to the executable.
If Windows cannot find it, the command may return an error indicating that no matching file was found.
How to Check WinSAT Assessment Results in PowerShell
For a compact overview, use:
Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSAT | Format-List CPUScore,MemoryScore,DiskScore,GraphicsScore,WinSPRLevel,WinSATAssessmentState
This displays the main scores and the assessment state in a readable format.
Can Windows Experience Index Measure Gaming Performance?
Not reliably.
WEI was created as a general Windows hardware assessment rather than a modern gaming benchmark.
Microsoft specifically documents limitations around the old 3D graphics assessment after Windows 8.1.
If you want to know whether your PC can run a particular game, check:
- GPU model
- CPU model
- RAM capacity
- Storage requirements
- Game-specific minimum requirements
- Game-specific recommended requirements
Windows Experience Index vs Modern Benchmarks
| Tool | Main Purpose |
|---|---|
| Windows Experience Index | Basic Windows hardware assessment |
| CPU Benchmark | Measure processor performance |
| GPU Benchmark | Measure graphics performance |
| SSD Benchmark | Measure storage performance |
| Application Benchmark | Measure performance in a specific workload |
For serious hardware comparisons, modern dedicated benchmarks provide much more useful information.
What If Windows Experience Index Scores Are Missing?
If PowerShell does not display useful WEI scores, try these steps:
- Check whether WinSAT exists using where winsat.
- Run Command Prompt as Administrator.
- Run winsat formal if supported.
- Wait for the assessment to finish.
- Run the PowerShell query again.
If the information remains unavailable, your Windows release may not expose the legacy WinSAT data in the expected form.
This is consistent with Microsoft's warning that Win32_WinSAT may be altered or unavailable on releases after Windows 8.1.
Should You Use WEI to Compare Two Computers?
WEI can be useful as a quick reference when valid assessment data is available, but it should not be your only method for comparing computers.
For example, when comparing two laptops, look at their:
- CPU generation and model
- GPU model
- RAM capacity and speed
- SSD type and performance
- Thermal design
- Battery and power configuration
Then use benchmarks appropriate for the tasks you actually perform.
How to Check Windows Experience Index Quickly
If you simply want to see whether your Windows 11 installation has available WEI data:
- Open PowerShell.
- Run:
Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSAT | Select-Object CPUScore,MemoryScore,DiskScore,GraphicsScore,WinSPRLevel
If scores are returned, you can inspect the available assessment results.
If no useful information is returned, check whether WinSAT is available and whether a formal assessment can be generated.
Related Articles
- How to Check Windows 11 Version
- How to Check Windows 11 Build Number
- How to Check Windows 11 Edition
- How to Check Windows Activation Status
- How to Check Windows Installation Date
- How to Check Windows Update History
- Windows 11 SSD vs HDD Performance Test
- How to Find Your PC Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Windows 11 have Windows Experience Index?
Windows 11 does not provide the old Windows Experience Index interface that was available in older Windows versions. However, some WinSAT assessment information may still be accessible.
How do I check my Windows Experience Index score?
Open PowerShell and run Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSAT. If valid assessment data exists, Windows may return CPU, memory, disk, graphics, and base score information.
What is WinSPRLevel?
WinSPRLevel is the base score associated with the most recent formal WinSAT assessment. The base score is determined by the lowest applicable component score rather than an average of the component scores.
Why does Win32_WinSAT not return useful scores?
The system may not have a valid formal assessment, or the WinSAT interface may not be available in the expected form on your Windows release.
Can I use WEI to benchmark my gaming PC?
WEI should not be used as a modern gaming benchmark. Dedicated GPU and CPU benchmarks provide more useful information for gaming performance.
Does a higher WEI score mean a faster computer?
A higher assessment score generally represents stronger performance in the measured area, but WEI is not a replacement for modern benchmark testing.
Final Thoughts
The Windows Experience Index is a legacy Windows performance assessment that can still be useful when WinSAT information is available on a Windows 11 PC.
Because Windows 11 no longer provides the old WEI interface, PowerShell is the most practical way to inspect available Win32_WinSAT data.
Start with:
Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSAT
If you need to generate a new formal assessment and WinSAT is supported on your system, you can also try:
winsat formal
However, remember that Microsoft warns that Win32_WinSAT may be altered or unavailable on Windows releases after Windows 8.1.
For modern PC performance testing, use dedicated CPU, GPU, SSD, and application-specific benchmarks rather than relying solely on the Windows Experience Index.