The effect of anti-virus software on system performance
I have been pointing out for years that anti-virus programs can really slow down your system. I have often named Symantec’s Norton software as one of the worst offenders. Then Symantec supposedly rewrote its software and the product was said by reviewers like PC Magazine to be much less intrusive. However, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has just posted some test numbers for several anti-virus programs that show Norton 2008 still making a big hit on performance:
The results here are quite staggering. While the effect that VIPRE had on system performance was indeed minimal (in the region of 1.5% to 2.0% for the 32-bit system, and around 0.5% for the 64-bit system), Kaspersky AntiVirus 2007 had a much larger effect (in the region of 15% for the 32-bit system, and around 8% for the 64-bit system), while Norton AntiVirus 2008 hit the system even harder (about 19% for the 32-bit system, and 12% for the 64-bit system).
The VIPRE software that is referred to is software from Sunbelt Software. Kingsley-Hughes concludes:
Security software can have a shocking effect on performance, and can take a new system and make it feel like one that’s a few years old. I’m pleased to see that Sunbelt Software’s claim that VIPRE doesn’t hog system resources and doesn’t slow down a PC isn’t just marketing hyperbole but is actually true. I hope that this move encourages other security software vendors to take a look at how well (or badly) their products affect system performance and take steps to reduce the effect that the software has on the user experience.
The VIPRE software was recently reviewed in PC Magazine and was ranked high. Also, see Kingsley-Hughes’ other post where he discusses VIPRE and says:
Sunbelt Software’s VIPRE – I’ve finally found an antivirus package that delivers the goods.
Over the years I’ve become truly disillusioned by security software. A good antivirus package used to be the first thing that I installed on a system after installing the OS, but now that’s become one of those tasks that I know I should do (not just to protect myself, and the network, but others that I communicate with) but that I put off until the last minute. Why? Because I know I’ll start hating the system shortly afterwards and resenting the security software for consuming so much of my precious system resources.
There have been times when seeing the performance hit that a system takes after installing a security package has actually made me put my head in my hands and wonder whether all these strides we have made in processor power and RAM capacities are all undone thanks to security firms unleashing their bloated wares upon us. I’m not going to name any names – I’m pretty sure that most of you will be able to rattle off a list of them without any prompting from me.
VIPRE does not have a firewall or anti-spam functions but I think that is a minor consideration. Anybody out there using VIPRE?
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