Desktop Website Speed Test

Run a full desktop Lighthouse audit on any site in 30 seconds — same engine Google uses internally, with results explained in plain English.

What desktop testing measures

Lighthouse desktop tests use:

No CPU throttling — full performance of the test machine
Cable network simulation — ~5 Mbps with low latency
1350 × 940 viewport

That's much friendlier than mobile testing. As a result, desktop scores are typically 20-40 points higher than mobile scores on the same page.

Why desktop scores still matter

Even though Google ranks based on mobile, desktop performance affects:

Conversion rate. A growing share of high-intent traffic (B2B buyers, researchers, developers) is on desktop.
Bounce rate and time on page — which feed back into SEO indirectly.
Power-user experience — the cohort most likely to convert or share.

What to look for in your desktop report

If your desktop score is below 90, one of these is almost always the culprit:

Slow server response time (TTFB > 800ms)

Your server takes too long to start sending HTML. Fixes:

Move static content to a CDN (Cloudflare, Vercel, Bunny)
Cache server-rendered pages aggressively
Upgrade your host or move closer to your users
Optimize slow database queries

Render-blocking resources

Stylesheets and synchronous scripts in the <head> pause rendering until they load. Fixes:

Inline critical CSS for above-the-fold content
Defer non-critical CSS with media="print" swap trick
Use defer or async on <script> tags
Remove unused CSS frameworks

Unoptimized images

Even on desktop, oversized images dominate page weight. Fixes:

Convert PNG/JPG to AVIF or WebP
Properly size — don't send a 4000px image to a 800px container
Add loading="lazy" to below-the-fold images

Excessive JavaScript

Unused JS still has to be downloaded, parsed, and compiled. Fixes:

Code-split with dynamic imports
Tree-shake unused dependencies
Remove libraries you only use one function from
Audit third-party tags — most marketing tags can be deferred

Desktop vs mobile: a quick rule

If desktop scores well but mobile is poor, your code is fine — your assets are too heavy. Focus on image and JS size.

If both desktop and mobile score poorly, the issue is structural — usually server response time or a critical render-blocking dependency.

Run the test below to see exactly which category your site falls into.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I prioritize desktop over mobile?+

When your audience is mostly desktop — B2B SaaS dashboards, enterprise tools, design software, dev tools. For everything else (e-commerce, content, marketing sites), prioritize mobile.

What's a good desktop Lighthouse score?+

Aim for 95+. Desktop tests have no CPU throttling and use a cable network simulation, so achieving high scores is realistic for well-built sites. Anything below 90 on desktop usually points to a fixable issue.

Why is my desktop score lower than expected?+

Usually one of: huge unoptimized images, render-blocking third-party scripts, or slow server response time (TTFB). Desktop has the resources to handle a lot, so a low score usually means something is dramatically wrong.

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Continue reading

Website Speed Test

Run a free website speed test on any URL. Get mobile and desktop Lighthouse scores, Core Web Vitals, and a plain-English breakdown in 30 seconds.

Core Web Vitals Checker

Check your Core Web Vitals (LCP, CLS, INP) on any URL for free. Get instant Google Lighthouse results with traffic-light thresholds and clear fix recommendations.

How to Improve Website Speed

Step-by-step guide to making your website faster. Twelve high-impact fixes ranked by effort vs reward, with real numbers and code examples — no fluff.