Most performance efficient Free AV and other anti-malware ?

Which free AV is the best suited for gaming? Like leaving it on but it takes up the least system resources?

Also, which free firewall is the most system resource efficient? I currently use the Windows firewall.

I also use spybot, is that a resource hog or not?

Thanks.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

If only free is your question than I would say Avira & Avast for AV and Comodo for fw

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

I use Antivir and Jetico.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

AVG or Avira for a light AV.

Windows Firewall should be fine, though you can consider Comodo v3 or Jetico v1 if you want outbound protection.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

Avast or AVG. Tweak the settings for increasing the performance a little bit (check/uncheck: read, execute, write etc.). Keep your Win FW. Avoid adding to much resident scanners if you have an older machine. The effect is only incremental to your AV so the few percents you´re gaining in security, ain´t worth it regarding the decrease of performance it leads to.

/C.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?





AVG free without mail scanner. O% CPU, about 3MB RAM total.

Very light firewalls : Ghostwall, Kerio 2, Ashampoo Free.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

As usually - wrong. You can't say how much memory a program uses just from the Task Manager (or similar tool).
AVG, for example, allocates memory that you don't see this way.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

you don't need to see it nthe task manager to know that AVG is a very light antivirus, yu can feel the difference on your machine as soon as its installed.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

Yes, I agree that personal experience (regarding the computer responsiveness etc.) is the only thing that counts.
I'm not saying AVG isn't light - I just don't think posting misleading numbers helps much

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

If you Google for things like "antivirus overhead" you will finds some tests. In one AVG did extremely well and the other very poorly. The first test used some custom written routines that may have been too narrow in scope. The second test was the more usual script driven series of tasks, including audio compression. So, its really hard to say what's what.

I have noticed Avast free has low memory usage if most of the various scanners are turned off and only network and on-access services are left running. Avira free needs no tweaking, but my tests showed it ran 2% slower than Nod32 on the computationally intensive Super Pi benchmark under XP. Under Vista Nod32 and Avira were tied.

You should assemble AVG, Avira and Avast then run some benchmarks yourself. Any of the popular 3D benchmarks will do, or games with built in time demo levels. That is the only way to know for sure.

As for a firewall, the built in Windows firewall is the lightest thing out there, but hide behind a router to be safe. If no ports are forwarded on the router, you could get by with no software firewall, for maximum performance.

Memory is cheap. Rather than worry about memory usage, buy more ram.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

High,

I run wiyhout a firewall (after a hardware NAT/SPI FW), for protection I use good old Defender with the scanner disabled *only realtime) and automiatically making a restore point before effectuating decisions (in case you want to roll back).

For Antivirus (on a 4GB 3,2GH Dual Intel with 8800GTS) I use free programs (using vista64 bit):
- Antivir with hueristics on high and realtime protection only on write (NOT READ), this increases gaming speed
- Avast with all modules off except P2P, E-mail and Web with sensitivity on high.

Because I always connect through game servers I have the added security of checking inward (web) traffic before it is executed. On top of that I have HauteSecure (a soft containbox) for surving (advised by Kees1958 ). Although somemembers said it slowed down surving I do not notice it.

Regards Newby

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

... i think AVG-antispyware (paid) is the lightest. Even more lighter than AVG-av.

I had test-deployed it on a tandem gaming machines running MechWarrior on WLan setup, against an AVG tandem-equipped and the AVG-spyware (paid) equipped folks said that they don't seem to feel it at all.

The difference was... that AVG-spyware is a 'paid' version.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

I have 1.5GB of ram on that machine, so memory usage isn't that much of a problem. The problem is the CPU cycle usage. The processor is an athlon64 3200+ single core.

I'm currently using Avira+WindowsFW+Spybot.

I gather that Avira is light? Then I'll just continue to use that then. No one has commented on spybot yet either.

And yes, I do have a router.

I have to use this machine to play a 2D game that doesn't work on the Geforce 8800 card on the other machine because the video card isn't very compatible with some games.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

k... between spyBotS&D and Avira, i say spyBot is real HEAVY.

spyBot vs. AVG-antispyware... same, spyBot again! In this comparison, both are in default 'novice' mode. But when tweaked are done on spyBot... it improved, say +20%. Not much, see?

I have read a lot about A2 (may test it soon, the FREE edition). Just don't know how it fare against AVG-AS. No need to compare against spyBot, unless A2 came out with a different results.

------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT : typo ; alpha

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

If u care about detection rate, go to Avira since it scored very well on the tests compared to Avast and AVG. It runs very smooth too. However, one thing I don't like in Avira free is the ad popup after update. It's really annoying.
Remember that both free Avira and free AVG don't include antispyware (not sure about Avast, I think it does), you should have additional AS.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

What can I use instead of spybot?

AVG has this anti spyware and anti-rootkit thing as separate downloads. Should I use that?

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

Avira. No doubt.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

NOD32 works great for me.I dont even know its there.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

Unfortunately, unless you're an advocate of piracy, it's not free.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

Avira Classic & bitdefender Free are also good

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

My dear 'ledsr40'...please don't confuse the FREE edition AVG & AVG-AS. I think AVG-AS isn't free. But between them two, if for paid ones, i rather pay for an AVG-AS edition. Coz it's light and can be considered as FAST!

On AVIRA (free), aside from antivirus & monitor, it also guards against spywares/dialers etc., & does rootkit detection too! But compare to AVG-AS, it is a tad slow.

However, it's 'a matter of taste', senor. You're entitle to your choice. C?

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

IF what you're after... accuracy, with speed a far second, then between AVIRA & BitDefender, i'll prod you into BidDefender.

But if SPEED is tantamount, always-on monitor (for instrusion warning)as second and an overall average results in dealing with pests. AVIRA (free) stands well.

Well, it's your matter of taste that counts thou.

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

Unless I am not understanding, the choice of AVG AS instead of AVG is placing an anti-spyware application in place of an anti-virus.
AVG free is an AV, and so is AVGAM (which includes AVGAS) but AVGAM is not free. AVG AS is an aniti spyware application. AVG AS free is not a real time application. You can compare the various ones here.
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/20/us/frt/0

As for Bit Defender, unless they have made some changes BD free is not a real time AV. So one cannnot very well include it with free applications
Sorry if I have misunderstood and muddied the water.

Personally, I would use AVG AS free instead of Spybot, and probably Avast Home as my AV. Probably AVG is the lightest, but I have no data to show that. Those I know who use AVG are pleased with it.

I would recommend that you try all three of the free AVs, and then make a decision based upon its performance on your system.

Regards,
Jerry

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

AVGAS free doesn't have real time protection.

I'm using avira antivir, does it have spyware and dialer and rootkit protection too?

 

Re: Most performance efficient Free AV?

Pirated security software. It's an oxymoron.