Page File Configuration

Procyon Essentials recommends keeping the default Windows page file behaviour enabled. Disabling the page file or using non‑standard configurations can negatively affect system stability during memory‑intensive workloads. 

Some older systems, particularly those with shared memory architectures between the CPU, GPU, and other accelerators, may struggle to complete certain workloads if virtual memory is unavailable. Maintaining the default page file configuration helps ensure sufficient memory availability and reduces the risk of incomplete runs or abnormal performance behaviour. 

Sensitivity to Windows Defender and Test Conditions

When comparing benchmark results, it is important that all systems are tested under consistent conditions. Changes in network connectivity, Windows Defender and operating system scheduling behaviour can have measurable impacts on performance, particularly in workloads that include file operations. 

File access, scanning, and compression tasks can be influenced by Windows Defender features such as real-time protection, cloud-based protection, and automatic sample submission. These effects are most noticeable in the File Operations workload and can lead to score variations if settings differ between test runs or systems. For meaningful comparisons, ensure that Windows Defender and related security settings remain consistent across all test environments. 

The benchmark does not explicitly set or constrain core scheduling behaviour across heterogeneous CPU architectures such as performance cores, efficiency cores, prime cores, or ZenC cores. Core selection and task placement are intentionally left to the operating system and are influenced by the current power state, power policy, and overall system configuration. As a result, workload distribution may vary between runs depending on system state, power mode and OS scheduling decisions.