How to Performance Test PCs Prior to Purchase
- 1). Power on the PC and log into a Windows user account.
- 2). Click "Start." Select "Control Panel."
- 3). Type "Performance Information and Tools" in the search box in the upper right corner. Click on the link in the list of results.
- 4). Click "Rate This Computer."
- 5). Wait while Windows tests the PC's performance and returns the score on the screen. Note the base score and sub-scores for the computer. A benchmark test base score above 2.0 means the PC can handle basic computing tasks. A base score above 6.0 means the PC is capable of performing most intensive computing tasks.
- 6). Repeat these steps to test other Windows 7-based PCs so that a comparison can be made on which is the best performing machine.