we're talking about
a) Dell Inspiron 1525 which has 4GB ram & 2.0 Ghz dual core processor, 128 video
and
b) Gateway MX6920 which has 1GB ram & 1.6 Ghz dual core processor, 64MB video
both of which has a Windows Experience Index rating of 3.2
how could this be possible??
I thought it was based on computer specs
The WEI is calculated on a number of tests on a computer. This is copied from the Windows help files & may help explain it for you.
What is the Windows Experience Index?
The Windows Experience Index measures the capability of your computer's hardware and software configuration and expresses this measurement as a number called a base score. A higher base score generally means that your computer will perform better and faster than a computer with a lower base score, especially when performing more advanced and resource-intensive tasks.
Each hardware component receives an individual subscore. Your computer's base score is determined by the lowest subscore. For example, if the lowest subscore of an individual hardware component is 2.6, then the base score is 2.6. The base score is not an average of the combined subscores. However, the subscores can give you a view of how the components that are most important to you will perform, and can help you decide which components to upgrade.
You can use the base score to buy programs and other software that are matched to your computer's base score. For example, if your computer has a base score of 3.3, then you can buy any software designed for this version of Windows that requires a computer with a base score of 3 or lower.
The scores currently range from 1.0 to 7.9. The Windows Experience Index is designed to accommodate advances in computer technology. As hardware speed and performance improve, higher score ranges will be enabled. The standards for each level of the index generally stay the same. However, in some cases, new tests might be developed that can result in lower scores.
This MS website also has info on the WEI as well.
Windows Experience Index - Microsoft Windows
Consider that the WEI is estimated individually for a number of components, then the minimum of them is reported as the "final score". Look at each individual subscore in each category and see what excels in each PC and how the score is built.
Drivers do have some effect on them too, as well as the system load the the moment of the benchmarking. And finally, don't take those numbers sooo seriously. While they're a good estimation, WEI is not a replacement for a real life benchmark.
The WEI value is at best only of limited value. How can one number express the performance characteristics of such a complex piece of technology as a modern computer? As explained 2 very different computers may have the same value. And it also known that 2 identical computers can have significantly different WEI values.
The user interface that previously showed the WEI is not present in Windows 8.1, but the software that calculates it is still there. That too seems to be absent in Windows 10. It is unknown if it will be in the release version. No big loss.
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