Cnet avast free antivirus 320kbps#
Cnet avast free antivirus install#
Cnet avast free antivirus software#

Apple iTunes supports multithreading, so desktops with multicore CPUs are likely to perform better than comparable systems that use CPUs with fewer cores or single-core CPUs. This test almost exclusively exercises a system's CPU capabilities.

Cnet avast free antivirus 320kbps#

Using iTunes, we time how long it takes to convert 19 320Kbps MP3 tracks to 128Kbps AAC files, totaling 169MB.

Trend Micro Premium Security 2013, with an interface optimized for Windows 8.

Cnet avast free antivirus install#

We then install the antivirus app and run the same tests again - this time while the antivirus program is performing a deep scan of the system. We first run the three tests listed below, before an antivirus application is installed. This series of tests measures how much performance degradation selected applications suffer when a deep scan is taking place. Performing deep scans, on the other hand, often requires enough of the available system resources for the antivirus engine to have a noticeable effect on the performance of other applications.ĭeep scanning is when the security suite scans every file located on all partitions found on each drive. When performing regular real-time scans, most of today's combined antivirus/anti-malware scan engines are sophisticated enough to relegate the additional overhead they introduce to the background and don't significantly affect the performance of other applications. We also use a synthetic benchmark called Cinebench, which taxes the system's CPU and GPU.Īctively scanning a system for viruses can have an adverse affect on overall system performance, as the antivirus engine competes with other applications for system resources. We test using the antivirus program's default settings.ĬNET Labs tests several areas of security suite performance in-house: boot time, shutdown time, scan time, MS Office performance, iTunes decoding, and media multitasking.

Cnet avast free antivirus software#

Once we install the antivirus software that we're testing, we make sure it has the most recently available updates, including the latest virus definitions. No matter how effective a security suite is, if it slows down your system too much you're not going to want to use it.ĬNET currently tests security suites on a Dell XPS desktop running a 3.2GHz Core i7 processor with 8GB of DDR3 RAM, an Nvidia GeForce 8400 GS PCI-Express graphics card with 512MB of memory, a 1TB Western Digital hard drive (WDC3200AAKS), and Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit SP1. Any security suite, that can't hold up its responsibility to ensure your computer's protection isn't worth your time. Of course, it's important to look at how effective security suites are at stopping the bad guys. And just like driving a car without wearing a seatbelt, you shouldn't try to get by can get by without using antivirus software just because you can.īecause of their long history of deleterious consequences to system performance, security suites deserve closer scrutiny than any other category of software. Indeed, from the merged antivirus and anti-malware detection engines to enhancing online privacy controls, security suites are an essential part of Windows and Mac desktop life. The best antivirus software available does more than just stop computer viruses, it also addresses the myriad and complex modern threats that you'll encounter.