Many people upgrading to Windows 8.1 will have noticed that the Windows Experience Index option has been removed from the System Control Panel. While this may not have been the most extensive or accurate benchmark available, it served as a helpful guide for checking the general capabilities of a computer and to see which areas could be in line for improvement.
While there is no special registry tweak that can be used to get back the Windows Experience Index, it is still possible to access the scores via the command prompt. But if this is simply not good enough for you, you might like to take a look at ChrisPC Win Experience Index.
This is a free tool that brings back the familiar graphic rating system for your computers. It can be downloaded from the Chris PC website, and once installed you can launch the program and start testing your system.
You do not need to do anything to see your system’s rating. The necessary test are run automatically and you’ll immediately be presented with a score as well as a breakdown of how different areas of your computer performed.
Should you upgrade your hardware and want to check what effect this has had on your rating, you can simply relaunch ChrisPC Win Experience Index and click the Re-run the assessment button to the upper right hand corner of the window.
Wait for a few moments while the necessary tests are performed and you’ll be given an updated score.