Linus Tech Tips - I Ran Every Antivirus At Once
The video explores the impact of running multiple antivirus (AV) programs on a computer's performance. Two identical systems were set up, one with only Microsoft Defender and the other with 14 different AV programs. The system with multiple AVs experienced significant slowdowns, particularly during boot and shutdown times, and when launching applications. This is because each AV program continuously monitors system activities, consuming CPU and RAM resources. Despite the heavy resource usage, gaming performance was not significantly affected due to GPU limitations. The conclusion is that more AV programs do not equate to better security and can degrade system performance. Instead, using a single, reliable AV tool for real-time monitoring is recommended, with additional tools used only for occasional scans. Microsoft Defender proved effective in detecting threats, suggesting it is a viable option for most users.
Key Points:
- Running multiple antivirus programs can severely impact system performance, especially during boot and application launch.
- Using a single antivirus tool like Microsoft Defender is often sufficient for real-time protection.
- Additional antivirus tools should be used for occasional scans, not continuous monitoring.
- Gaming performance may not be affected by multiple AVs if the system is GPU-bound.
- Threat Locker offers an alternative approach for business network security, focusing on zero trust principles.
Details:
1. 🔍 The More, The Better? Exploring Antivirus Efficiency
1.1. Efficiency of Multiple Antivirus Programs
1.2. Alternative Security Solutions
2. 🖥️ Boot Time and Performance Testing with Antiviruses
2.1. Boot Time and Performance Testing
2.2. Enhancing Security with Application Allow Listing
3. 🚀 System Slowdowns and Resource Consumption
- Launching Steam takes an unexpectedly long time, indicating significant system slowdowns.
- Malwarebyte consumes 6% of system resources, while Komodo and Vera each use 4%, contributing to resource strain.
- System tray and File Explorer remain responsive, but launching applications like Steam reveals major performance bottlenecks.
- Resource usage appears low when idle but spikes significantly during tasks, indicating resource management issues.
- System struggles to respond promptly to basic actions like maximizing windows, suggesting inefficiencies in CPU or memory usage.
- Comparison between systems reveals one using 10% of resources while another uses only 1-2%, yet the former experiences more severe slowdowns, highlighting inefficiencies not directly tied to percentage resource use.
- Storage functions adequately when idle but potentially becomes a bottleneck during application launches, as indicated by delayed responses.
- Despite low CPU usage percentages, the actual clock speed and RAM indicate higher consumption on the struggling system.
- Testing with launching applications like Edge and File Explorer shows noticeable delays, emphasizing the system's poor resource handling under load.
- Plugging in additional hardware, like a USB key, may exacerbate the slowdown, as suggested by anticipated delays in folder opening.
4. 🎮 Gaming and Hardware Limitations Under Antivirus Load
4.1. Impact of Antivirus on System Performance
4.2. Strategies for Mitigating Performance Impact
5. 🔧 Driver Issues and Antivirus Evolution
5.1. Driver Issues and GPU Setup
5.2. Antivirus Evolution and Market Changes
6. 🦠 Malware Testing and Final Thoughts on Antivirus Use
- The goal was not to determine the best antivirus suite, but to see if using more than one offers better protection. It does not; using one reliable tool for real-time monitoring is recommended.
- If additional tools are used, they should be run as single-time scans rather than in real-time.
- Microsoft Defender was effective in blocking threats and finding problems, though it may not catch every threat.
- For enterprise or business protection, consider different solutions like Threat Locker, which was a sponsor of the experiment.