AV-TEST: Antivirus Software Performance Impact Varies on PCs
A 14-month AV-TEST study examined how antivirus software affects Windows PC performance. Results indicate significant differences in system slowdown across various products.
MAGDEBURG, Germany – A comprehensive 14-month endurance test conducted by AV-TEST has revealed that while antivirus software can impact the speed of Windows PCs, the degree of slowdown varies considerably among products.
The study evaluated 23 different antivirus products for their performance impact during everyday computing tasks. Tests were run across Windows XP, 7, and 8.1 operating systems and included actions such as downloading files, launching websites, installing applications, and copying files. The aim was to quantify the trade-off between security and system performance.
Kaspersky's product emerged as having the least impact on system speed, scoring only 5.1 out of a possible 25 load points. Bitdefender and Qihoo 360 followed closely with 5.3 and 5.7 points respectively. Six other products, including those from McAfee, BullGuard, Trend Micro, Norton, Avira, and F-Secure, also achieved good rankings between 6.1 and 7.9 points.
Microsoft's own Security Essentials or Defender software resulted in a load of 8.7 points. Products from Norman, Quick Heal, and Threat Track showed a more significant slowdown, scoring 12.0, 12.4, and 13.9 points. For context, copying a set of files took just over 141 seconds on a reference system without protection, while with Kaspersky installed, the time was nearly identical.