diff --git a/admin/app/services/benchmark_service.ts b/admin/app/services/benchmark_service.ts
index 87042c7..077e4d8 100644
--- a/admin/app/services/benchmark_service.ts
+++ b/admin/app/services/benchmark_service.ts
@@ -429,9 +429,16 @@ export class BenchmarkService {
         }
       }
 
-      // Calculate NOMAD score
+      // Calculate NOMAD score. Only pass systemScores when the system benchmarks
+      // actually ran, so an AI-only run renormalizes to just the AI weights
+      // (an AI-only pass with default-zero system scores would otherwise be
+      // scaled against the full NOMAD 100).
       this._updateStatus('calculating_score', 'Calculating NOMAD score...')
-      const nomadScore = this._calculateNomadScore(systemScores, aiScores)
+      const systemMeasured = type === 'full' || type === 'system'
+      const nomadScore = this._calculateNomadScore(
+        systemMeasured ? systemScores : null,
+        aiScores
+      )
 
       // Save result
       const result = await BenchmarkResult.create({
@@ -749,23 +756,34 @@ export class BenchmarkService {
   /**
    * Calculate weighted NOMAD score
    */
-  private _calculateNomadScore(systemScores: SystemScores, aiScores: Partial<AIScores>): number {
+  private _calculateNomadScore(
+    systemScores: SystemScores | null,
+    aiScores: Partial<AIScores>
+  ): number {
     let totalWeight = 0
     let weightedSum = 0
 
-    // CPU score
-    weightedSum += systemScores.cpu_score * SCORE_WEIGHTS.cpu
-    totalWeight += SCORE_WEIGHTS.cpu
+    // System scores (only when the system benchmarks actually ran). Passing null
+    // for an AI-only run keeps the system weights OUT of the denominator so the
+    // score renormalizes to just the AI portion's 0-100 range, rather than being
+    // scaled against the full NOMAD 100 (where an excellent AI setup would cap
+    // at ~40). System-only already renormalizes correctly because aiScores is
+    // empty and its weights are likewise skipped below.
+    if (systemScores) {
+      // CPU score
+      weightedSum += systemScores.cpu_score * SCORE_WEIGHTS.cpu
+      totalWeight += SCORE_WEIGHTS.cpu
 
-    // Memory score
-    weightedSum += systemScores.memory_score * SCORE_WEIGHTS.memory
-    totalWeight += SCORE_WEIGHTS.memory
+      // Memory score
+      weightedSum += systemScores.memory_score * SCORE_WEIGHTS.memory
+      totalWeight += SCORE_WEIGHTS.memory
 
-    // Disk scores
-    weightedSum += systemScores.disk_read_score * SCORE_WEIGHTS.disk_read
-    totalWeight += SCORE_WEIGHTS.disk_read
-    weightedSum += systemScores.disk_write_score * SCORE_WEIGHTS.disk_write
-    totalWeight += SCORE_WEIGHTS.disk_write
+      // Disk scores
+      weightedSum += systemScores.disk_read_score * SCORE_WEIGHTS.disk_read
+      totalWeight += SCORE_WEIGHTS.disk_read
+      weightedSum += systemScores.disk_write_score * SCORE_WEIGHTS.disk_write
+      totalWeight += SCORE_WEIGHTS.disk_write
+    }
 
     // AI scores (if available)
     if (aiScores.ai_tokens_per_second !== undefined && aiScores.ai_tokens_per_second !== null) {
diff --git a/admin/inertia/components/benchmark/ScoreReveal.tsx b/admin/inertia/components/benchmark/ScoreReveal.tsx
index 7c3b5e4..590c8cd 100644
--- a/admin/inertia/components/benchmark/ScoreReveal.tsx
+++ b/admin/inertia/components/benchmark/ScoreReveal.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { IconChartBar, IconCpu, IconDatabase, IconRobot, IconServer } from '@tabler/icons-react'
 import CircularGauge from '~/components/systeminfo/CircularGauge'
 import StyledButton from '~/components/StyledButton'
+import { getScoreDisplay } from '~/lib/benchmarkScore'
 import BenchmarkResult from '#models/benchmark_result'
 
 interface ScoreRevealProps {
@@ -52,6 +53,8 @@ export default function ScoreReveal({
   onDone,
 }: ScoreRevealProps) {
   const displayScore = useCountUp(result.nomad_score)
+  // A partial (System/AI Only) run is not the NOMAD Score -- relabel + flag it.
+  const scoreInfo = getScoreDisplay(result.benchmark_type)
 
   // Sub-score gauges, mirroring the System Performance / AI Performance grids.
   const gauges: {
@@ -104,6 +107,11 @@ export default function ScoreReveal({
         <div className="bg-desert-olive px-6 py-2 flex items-center gap-2">
           <div className="w-1 h-4 bg-desert-green" />
           <span className="text-xs font-semibold text-white uppercase tracking-wide">Report</span>
+          {scoreInfo.isPartial && (
+            <span className="ml-auto px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full bg-desert-white/20 text-white text-xs font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide">
+              Partial
+            </span>
+          )}
         </div>
 
         <div className="p-8">
@@ -111,21 +119,26 @@ export default function ScoreReveal({
             <div className="shrink-0">
               <CircularGauge
                 value={Math.min(100, (result.nomad_score / scoreScale.max) * 100)}
-                label="NOMAD Score"
+                label={scoreInfo.label}
                 size="lg"
                 variant="cpu"
                 subtext={scoreScale.caption}
+                muted={scoreInfo.isPartial}
                 icon={<IconChartBar className="w-8 h-8" />}
               />
             </div>
             <div className="flex-1 space-y-4">
               <div
-                className={`text-5xl font-bold font-mono tabular-nums ${getScoreColor(result.nomad_score)}`}
+                className={`text-5xl font-bold font-mono tabular-nums ${
+                  scoreInfo.isPartial ? 'text-desert-stone-dark' : getScoreColor(result.nomad_score)
+                }`}
               >
                 {displayScore.toFixed(1)}
               </div>
               <p className="text-desert-stone-dark">
-                Your NOMAD Score is a weighted composite of all benchmark results.
+                {scoreInfo.isPartial
+                  ? scoreInfo.cta
+                  : 'Your NOMAD Score is a weighted composite of all benchmark results.'}
               </p>
             </div>
           </div>
diff --git a/admin/inertia/components/systeminfo/CircularGauge.tsx b/admin/inertia/components/systeminfo/CircularGauge.tsx
index 2be7c47..31091e9 100644
--- a/admin/inertia/components/systeminfo/CircularGauge.tsx
+++ b/admin/inertia/components/systeminfo/CircularGauge.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ interface CircularGaugeProps {
   variant?: 'cpu' | 'memory' | 'disk' | 'default'
   subtext?: string
   animated?: boolean
+  /** Render the ring in a neutral tone (e.g. for a partial, non-NOMAD score). */
+  muted?: boolean
 }
 
 export default function CircularGauge({
@@ -19,6 +21,7 @@ export default function CircularGauge({
   variant = 'default',
   subtext,
   animated = true,
+  muted = false,
 }: CircularGaugeProps) {
   const [animatedValue, setAnimatedValue] = useState(animated ? 0 : value)
 
@@ -61,6 +64,8 @@ export default function CircularGauge({
   const offset = circumference - (displayValue / 100) * circumference
 
   const getColor = () => {
+    // Neutral tone signals this isn't a real NOMAD Score (partial run).
+    if (muted) return 'desert-stone'
     // For benchmarks: higher scores = better = green
     if (value >= 75) return 'desert-green'
     if (value >= 50) return 'desert-olive'
diff --git a/admin/inertia/lib/benchmarkScore.ts b/admin/inertia/lib/benchmarkScore.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..18e75d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/inertia/lib/benchmarkScore.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import type { BenchmarkType } from '../../types/benchmark'
+
+/**
+ * How a benchmark result's headline score should be presented. A partial run
+ * (System Only / AI Only) is NOT the NOMAD Score -- the NOMAD Score is the full
+ * benchmark composite -- so partial results are relabelled and flagged to avoid
+ * users mistaking a partial number for their NOMAD Score. The stored score for
+ * a partial run is already renormalized to that category's own 0-100 range
+ * (see BenchmarkService._calculateNomadScore).
+ */
+export function getScoreDisplay(type: BenchmarkType): {
+  label: string
+  isPartial: boolean
+  /** Which full benchmark to run to get the real NOMAD Score, for the CTA copy. */
+  cta: string
+} {
+  switch (type) {
+    case 'system':
+      return {
+        label: 'System Score',
+        isPartial: true,
+        cta: 'This is a partial result, not your NOMAD Score. Run a Full Benchmark to get your NOMAD Score.',
+      }
+    case 'ai':
+      return {
+        label: 'AI Score',
+        isPartial: true,
+        cta: 'This is a partial result, not your NOMAD Score. Run a Full Benchmark to get your NOMAD Score.',
+      }
+    default:
+      return { label: 'NOMAD Score', isPartial: false, cta: '' }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/admin/inertia/pages/settings/benchmark.tsx b/admin/inertia/pages/settings/benchmark.tsx
index 12e4ede..feef628 100644
--- a/admin/inertia/pages/settings/benchmark.tsx
+++ b/admin/inertia/pages/settings/benchmark.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import { SERVICE_NAMES } from '../../../constants/service_names'
 import { useBenchmarkRun } from '~/hooks/useBenchmarkRun'
 import BenchmarkRunView from '~/components/benchmark/BenchmarkRunView'
 import ScoreReveal from '~/components/benchmark/ScoreReveal'
+import { getScoreDisplay } from '~/lib/benchmarkScore'
 
 export default function BenchmarkPage(props: {
   benchmark: {
@@ -175,6 +176,10 @@ export default function BenchmarkPage(props: {
     latestResult.ai_tokens_per_second > 0 &&
     !latestResult.submitted_to_repository
 
+  // How to present the headline score: partial (System/AI Only) runs are NOT the
+  // NOMAD Score and are relabelled + flagged so users don't mistake them for it.
+  const scoreInfo = latestResult ? getScoreDisplay(latestResult.benchmark_type) : null
+
   // Handle Full Benchmark click with pre-flight check
   const handleFullBenchmarkClick = () => {
     if (!aiInstalled) {
@@ -330,7 +335,12 @@ export default function BenchmarkPage(props: {
               <section className="mb-12">
                 <h2 className="text-2xl font-bold text-desert-green mb-6 flex items-center gap-2">
                   <div className="w-1 h-6 bg-desert-green" />
-                  NOMAD Score
+                  {scoreInfo?.label ?? 'NOMAD Score'}
+                  {scoreInfo?.isPartial && (
+                    <span className="ml-1 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full bg-desert-stone-light text-desert-stone-dark text-xs font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide">
+                      Partial
+                    </span>
+                  )}
                 </h2>
 
                 <div className="bg-desert-white rounded-lg p-8 border border-desert-stone-light shadow-sm">
@@ -338,21 +348,35 @@ export default function BenchmarkPage(props: {
                     <div className="shrink-0">
                       <CircularGauge
                         value={latestResult.nomad_score}
-                        label="NOMAD Score"
+                        label={scoreInfo?.label ?? 'NOMAD Score'}
                         size="lg"
                         variant="cpu"
                         subtext="out of 100"
+                        muted={scoreInfo?.isPartial}
                         icon={<IconChartBar className="w-8 h-8" />}
                       />
                     </div>
                     <div className="flex-1 space-y-4">
-                      <div
-                        className={`text-5xl font-bold ${getScoreColor(latestResult.nomad_score)}`}
-                      >
-                        {latestResult.nomad_score.toFixed(1)}
+                      <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
+                        <div
+                          className={`text-5xl font-bold ${
+                            scoreInfo?.isPartial
+                              ? 'text-desert-stone-dark'
+                              : getScoreColor(latestResult.nomad_score)
+                          }`}
+                        >
+                          {latestResult.nomad_score.toFixed(1)}
+                        </div>
+                        {scoreInfo?.isPartial && (
+                          <span className="px-2 py-1 rounded-md bg-desert-stone-light text-desert-stone-dark text-xs font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide">
+                            Partial
+                          </span>
+                        )}
                       </div>
                       <p className="text-desert-stone-dark">
-                        Your NOMAD Score is a weighted composite of all benchmark results.
+                        {scoreInfo?.isPartial
+                          ? scoreInfo.cta
+                          : 'Your NOMAD Score is a weighted composite of all benchmark results.'}
                       </p>
 
                       {/* Share with Community - Only for full benchmarks with AI data */}