Quite often on the Internet there are questions about which antivirus loads the system the least, which one is suitable for a weak computer and at the same time will fully perform its main function. There are many different ratings and lists, but they all differ significantly from each other and cannot give users a definite answer.
Therefore, today we will look at the best antiviruses that do not load the system, suitable for weak PCs, and you will choose the most optimal one for yourself.
When compiling this list, we relied on the following characteristics:
- Processor: 0.5 – 1.5 GHz.
- RAM: 128-256MB.
- Hard drive space: 15-300MB.
Previously there was a similar article about antiviruses for weak machines, but in it we analyzed the defenders, starting from a larger amount of RAM (256MB-1GB) and processor (from 1.5GHz). If your PC or laptop exceeds these specifications, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with it.
All proposed solutions have their advantages and disadvantages, and also differ in system requirements. Let's take a closer look at each, its features and functions.
AhnLab V3 Internet Security
A Korean antivirus that loads the system the least and provides effective computer protection while consuming a minimum of system resources. It has all the features to maintain complete security, protects against malware and prevents the installation of spyware.
The program protects your laptop or PC in real time, filters sites with dangerous content, attachments in emails, and optimizes system performance. The utility operates on cloud technology and is characterized by a minimum number of false positives. The additional TrueFind function helps to detect the removal of even hidden rootkits in a timely manner.
The utility has the following system requirements:
- Processor – from 0.5 GHz and above.
- RAM – from 256MB.
- Free disk space – from 300MB.
- Supports OS from Windows XP to Windows 10.
Based on the available data, we can say with confidence that the antivirus does not slow down the system. In addition, the utility removes unused data and other garbage to improve performance and normalize work.
ClamWin Free Antivirus
Another free solution that is freely available on the Internet. It would be more correct to call this utility a scanner, since it does not have a scanner that constantly checks the files being used. This means that if you want to find a virus, you must manually run a file scan.
The program has a clear interface, rich functionality and a number of different settings. There are also additional functions, such as scanning at a time you set, notifications about malware detection, automatic database updates, and easy integration into the Windows menu makes it more accessible.
If we talk about system requirements, they are as follows:
- Processor – 1.5 GHz.
- HDD – 103MB.
- RAM – 256MB.
- Compatible with Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10.
That is, the presented anti-virus scanner consumes a minimum of resources and in no way slows down the computer.
SMADAV
An excellent antivirus that acts as additional protection against malware. It is the second line of defense and is fully compatible with any other antivirus utilities. The program uses heuristic and behavioral analysis to detect and eliminate viruses as quickly as possible. This is what ensures a high level of security. Due to the small amount of resources used, the utility does not reduce performance even with active use.
It has a range of effective tools. To begin with, it’s worth talking about standard scanning, which comes in 3 types:
- Fast.
- Complete.
- Scanning the system area.
In addition, SMADAV is equipped with a system editor, with which you can select specific elements, they will be displayed in Start, and disable system applications. It is also worth paying attention to the process manager, which allows you to view running processes and, if necessary, terminate them.
System requirements:
- Processor: Intel Pentium III or higher.
- RAM – 256MB.
- Hard disk – 100MB.
- Works on all Windows OS.
Considering its characteristics, this is an excellent antivirus program that does not slow down the system or reduce the performance of the computer.
Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus
Panda Antivirus Free
Cloud antivirus with low system load and reliable real-time protection. The program combines remote and local antivirus, anti-rootkit and anti-spyware. The cloud model does not require a large amount of resources and does not affect the functionality and performance of the system. Moreover, this operating principle allows you to detect and block malware more efficiently and quickly.
It should be understood that an antivirus can slow down your computer only if there are not enough PC resources for its correct operation, so when choosing security software, always take into account the characteristics of your device.
It goes without saying that in our computerized age, protecting information or entire systems from is extremely necessary. In other words, any computer, in addition to the built-in tools of the system itself, must have at least some more or less functional antivirus. Let's try to look at the lightest antiviruses and, based on the test results, determine what is best suited to provide protection today.
Safety comes first!
As for antivirus software, now you can find not dozens, but hundreds of options. Of course, it will not be possible to consider all of them, especially since in terms of functionality they are completely unequal to each other.
Therefore, we will focus on several of the most famous software products. Perhaps the comparative results will tell someone which is the lightest antivirus for XP or the server version of Windows. Let’s immediately make a reservation that the same “expert” system, although it still remains a very popular and in-demand system, is nevertheless hopelessly outdated. However, a solution will be proposed for this too.
The lightest antiviruses: main aspects of testing
Of course, not every person who constantly works with a computer can afford to purchase the most modern configuration with a powerful multi-core processor chip, a large amount of RAM, a modern video card, etc. Therefore, let's see what tests show for the lightest antivirus for a computer with average configuration. Let's take 4.1 GB of RAM and an 80 GB hard drive as a basis. I think this will be just right for testing.
As for the main tests, let's look at the performance of several independent laboratories. Among the checks we highlight the following:
- parallel work with resource-intensive applications;
- threats from unsafe sites;
- speed of copying or moving data on the hard drive;
- work in the background.
Kaspersky Internet Security
So, before us is one of the most famous anti-virus packages of our time. Many may object. Why was it necessary to include a Kaspersky Lab software product on the list? The fact is that, unlike all other anti-virus packages, this program is the least demanding on system resources.
The test results on the above configuration, although not ideal, look quite encouraging. This primarily concerns identifying potential threats when browsing the Internet or installing any software. However, along with this there are also obvious disadvantages. So, for example, the loading time of the system itself increases significantly; after it starts, it takes a long time to connect via a Wi-Fi connection; when downloading files using the same torrent client, the saving time to disk is quite long. This is due to checking content in real time. By the way, Kaspersky is the only package for which this time is off the charts.
When accessing the hard drive (copying files), there is a clear slowdown in operation. Not critical, but still there. And when you launch the Photoshop package, the system actually starts to slow down in earnest (the antivirus itself consumes too much RAM). So to say that this is the lightest antivirus for a laptop or desktop terminal is beyond words. In principle, it can be used if you do not work with heavy applications in parallel. But in terms of protection, it is among the leaders, even despite the increased load on system resources.
ESET Smart Security
Another major player in the antivirus software market is the Smart Security package from ESET. The eighth version of the program is currently available.
In principle, the behavior of this application is somewhat reminiscent of Kaspersky. The system boot time is increased, in addition, the initial check of automatically loaded components takes quite a long time (this is especially noticeable in Windows XP). The protection generally showed good results even with the Anti-Theft function turned off. There are no delays when accessing the hard drive, and there are no problems with the speed of Internet access either; however, when launching Skype, the application takes quite a long time to load. However, if you look at the monitor of used resources, you will notice that the load is not as great as it might seem at first. It reaches its maximum peaks only during the updating of anti-virus databases and the initial scan. It can and should also be used, but it cannot be called the fastest, although compared to Kaspersky it is heaven and earth.
Dr. Web Security Space
Now about another well-known package, which is rightfully considered one of the best means of protecting computer systems.
What do its results show? Firstly, during installation the program prompts you to install your own firewall, which you should not do under any circumstances, since conflicts with the native Windows firewall may arise and a significant increase in the load on the system. The system loads quite quickly (according to the report, approximately 60-65 seconds), but in reality it takes much longer for access to the hard drive to stop completely. Working in parallel with Photoshop is almost impossible; the Wi-Fi network takes a little longer than usual when connected, but in everything else the performance is quite high.
Now the fly in the ointment. As it turned out, the program sometimes spontaneously activates something like a hidden full scan. In this case, the load on the central processor can increase by 50%. However, this only occurs when using standard default settings. If you disable everything unnecessary, you can get high-quality protection.
Avira Antivirus Pro
Avira makes a pretty good impression. In principle, in terms of its performance, the antivirus is somewhere in the middle of the list. Its only problem is running resource-intensive applications. With Photoshop this is not too pronounced, but some refuse to work with guest (child) operating systems (at least when they are launched for the first time).
In general, we cannot say that this is the easiest, but nevertheless it can be used as reliable protection (especially since it is unlikely that anyone will install a virtual machine on weak machines). To describe it briefly, it’s a good, solid average.
Avast Internet Security
As for this software product, it scored true in almost all indicators; some errors were noticed when identifying potential threats.
But when launching Photoshop or accessing the hard drive, monitoring the load on the system showed unprecedented results. For example, RAM consumption in active mode is only 80-100 MB! The only negative is the excessive talkativeness of the program. Yes Yes! It is talkativeness, since the voice notification mode is enabled by default in the settings. However, it won't be difficult to turn it off.
Microsoft Security Essentials
Finally, the native brainchild of Microsoft Corporation. As testing shows, it must also be included in the “Lightest antivirus” list. Since Windows systems are the most common in our country, it fits them almost perfectly, because who, if not the creators of this family of operating systems themselves, knows what kind of holes in the security system they have. In addition, when using this package, conflicts in the firewall are eliminated.
In all other respects, the result can be called satisfactory, except for the excessive load on the system when accessing the hard drive. Sometimes, when installing third-party programs, false positives may occur, because some of them try to make the necessary changes to system files.
Which antivirus is the lightest?
What do the results of the test, in which the lightest antiviruses were presented, say? Avast demonstrates the best overall performance. First of all, there is virtually no load on the system, even when working with heavy programs. The protection system, of course, is not ideal, but for weak machines or configurations based on Windows XP, I think it is ideal. In addition, if we do not take into account the technical aspects, we can say that Avast is the easiest free antivirus. But most programs must either be purchased or constantly activated when using even shareware versions.
On the other hand, today there is not a single program that would meet high security requirements, and at the same time not load the system. And, of course, other well-known antiviruses like Bitdefender and those based on it were not considered here, due to the fact that the antivirus itself is too power-hungry, and its modifications like 360 Security, although they work quite quickly, do not provide the proper level of protection, and even often give false alarms. However, what exactly to use is a purely personal matter.
According to American analytical companies, it has become known that almost half of the inhabitants of our planet have a laptop or personal computer at home, but only a third of them are protected from various viruses.
This is due to the fact that many people simply cannot work comfortably if they have an antivirus enabled. According to them, firewalls constantly check something, which is why third-party programs begin to slow down. But according to experts, regardless of whether the firewall interferes with the work or not, it must be turned on, since today there are viruses on the network that can destroy all data on a PC and, even worse, transfer it to scammers who will try to steal your money in the future from payment cards and so on. That’s when users begin to think that an antivirus was needed after all.
In order to prevent various intrusions into your PC, you should install at least the simplest antivirus, which will not greatly affect the operation of the system and third-party programs.
Let us look at which antivirus is the fastest and does not overload the system.
Experiment
To conduct the experiment, we took a laptop with an Intel Pentium 4 processor, 1 gigabyte RAM and an 80 gigabyte hard drive.
The following antivirus programs participated in the experiment:
- Kaspersky Internet Security 2014;
- Avast (free version);
- Dr. Web;
- Microsoft Security Essentials 2.1.
It took about a month to test each firewall. During testing, we tested programs such as Photoshop and torrent, actively visited infected sites, copied information onto a portable storage device, tried to play some games and checked the resource consumption of firewalls.
As a result, we got the following picture:
- When working with Photoshop, we noticed various slowdowns when using Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 and Dr. antiviruses. Web. They were insignificant, but they are unlikely to be suitable for comfortable and ideal graphics work. The other two did not show themselves; it felt like there was no firewall on the computer;
- When working with torrents and downloading files from the Internet, we noticed special activity only from Kaspersky; it took almost all available free resources to check the downloaded file;
- As already written above, during the experiment we tried to visit infected sites most often, Kaspersky did not always detect the presence of a virus on a site or page, but it did not turn out to be the worst in this regard, but Avast coped with its task with a bang, even sometimes it worked and on non-infected sites;
- Next, we checked the effect of antiviruses on copying speed. Here the Firewall from Microsoft and Kaspersky made themselves felt. When using them, the copying speed decreased by 1 megabyte per second;
- During the process of conducting a resource consumption test, we were surprised; Avast turns out to use only 80-100 megabytes of RAM and does not perform any checks unless necessary. Even after a complete check of the system, it was possible to work comfortably with third-party programs;
- And finally, while idle, we noticed that Dr. The Web begins to perform a hidden, something like a full scan, due to which during idle time the processor load is constantly at the level of 25-50 percent.
After finishing the experiment, we came to the following conclusion: We consider Avast to be the fastest antivirus; we have never noticed its presence. In order to make sure that it really works, after the end of the experiment we did a full scan and were surprised that not a single virus penetrated our PC.
Now you know which firewall is the fastest and if you liked this article, then we would be glad if you tell your friends about its existence, as well as subscribe to our website updates.
And finally, write in the comments what antivirus program you use and whether you are satisfied with its work :-). Good luck.
Finding a lightweight antivirus for Windows 7 and older versions of this OS is considered a fairly popular topic today, because not every user has a powerful PC capable of “coping” with intensive applications. Every gadget and device needs an antivirus, since without it the risk of the device becoming infected with malware increases significantly. Various companies offer fast, lightweight, yet extremely reliable antiviruses that are ideal for budget computers.
As mentioned earlier, not all people have the opportunity to buy a PC with the latest configuration, a powerful processor, a solid amount of RAM, the latest video card, and so on. Therefore, many people opt for lightweight antiviruses for computers with medium and low configurations.
To finally determine whether a particular security program is suitable for a weak computer, it is necessary to analyze a number of aspects by type:
- simultaneous work with demanding utilities;
- downloading information from the Internet;
- threats from dubious resources;
- speed of copying or transferring information to the HDD;
- background functioning.
The best lightweight antiviruses for Windows 7
Many users have already been able to understand that on weak PCs, powerful antiviruses eat up almost all system resources, which is why the computer begins to slow down. Some companies took care of owners of budget devices and offered lightweight antiviruses for weak computers, which guarantee data protection without slowdowns or system overloads.
Comodo Internet Security
It is a well-proven free antivirus designed for budget PCs and consumes a minimum of RAM and other resources. It is able to provide protection both from threats from files and from the Internet. This program includes an antivirus with a firewall and a behavioral blocking system, so the virus will not penetrate the user’s PC in any way.
The following advantages of this utility can be highlighted:
- one service capable of monitoring all devices;
- full protection from spyware applications and Internet attacks;
- blocking dubious resources and downloads;
- assistance in locating devices that have been stolen or lost;
- ability to work on a PC with minimal requirements.
The above-described advantages distinguish this program from all others.
Trend Micro Internet Security 2016
The main feature of Trend Micro Internet Security 2016 is its extremely specific design. The antivirus interface and transitions between windows are considered animated. It is possible to choose one of the proposed design themes or even set absolutely any image as the background of the program.
The antivirus works quite smoothly on weak computers and includes a number of the following features:
- online scanning. We are talking about a file antivirus that monitors the file system around the clock;
- deb filtering. A special web screen created to filter HTTP traffic opens. Despite the fact that the above program automatically installs its extensions, even without them web protection works fine;
- checking the computer's performance. The utility checks for the latest updates for Windows OS, analyzes account and firewall settings, allows you to edit the list of software that downloads automatically, finds “garbage” in your PC and clears history;
- privacy scan. In this case, the social systems account is configured to make personal data available exclusively to friends.
G Data Internet Security
This antivirus uses Bitdefender's custom engine along with the new cloud-based CloseGap system to ensure immediate and ongoing protection against viruses, spam, online threats, and more. Regional threats are also taken into account, the firewall works in the background and does not bother the computer in any way, even when playing games. The presence of parental controls allows you to protect the younger generation from sites with dubious content.
Among the main advantages of the antivirus are the following:
- high level of detection of infected files;
- protection against theft of personal information in the form of passwords, e-mail, etc.;
- the ability to freely surf the web, do online banking and make online purchases;
- ease of installation and use;
- fairly fast startup;
- delete confidential information with one click.
F-Secure Internet Security
It is a comprehensive software that includes protection against threats on the Internet. The program runs on the Bitdefender engine, uses cloud technologies, proactive protection, anti-phishing, has the possibility of parental control and safe work with Internet banking.
The antivirus itself:
- protects against infections and spyware. E-mails are scanned regularly;
- There is a Firewall, advanced network protection, application analysis, intrusion elimination and network connection monitoring.
Internet protection is also offered:
- allows you to restrict children’s access to dubious sites;
- thanks to protection when surfing the network, pages with questionable content are blocked and security information is displayed;
- Banking transactions are protected, which protects clients from malicious actions when using online banking and making transfers.
Total Security
This is a free anti-virus program, which in its functionality is no worse than many paid programs, and in certain parameters even surpasses them. The program includes a free antivirus, PC acceleration, system cleaning, device scanning and a number of other additional features.
The antivirus offers several scanning modes (we are talking about fast, full and selective):
- quick scanning allows you to check system settings, running programs, startup software and basic system information in just a couple of minutes;
- a full scan differs only in that it also includes files stored on the PC. Therefore, the analysis completion time may vary - it all depends on how many files are stored on the user’s HDD;
- Selective scanning involves the ability to select files, folders or drives that are scanned for malicious elements.
Also, using this program, you can significantly speed up your computer by optimizing startup, scheduled tasks, utility utilities, critical system services and network connections. All this is done automatically.
The computer cleaning function involves searching for temporarily stored files created while surfing the Internet. All garbage that appears while watching a video and other unnecessary information is also removed.
A few more reasons to choose Qihoo to download antivirus for a weak PC
There are a number of main reasons why you should choose Qihoo to download a security application on a weak PC:
- the ability to simultaneously operate several engines at once (one of them is Bitdefender);
- the presence of additional functionality with which the program makes the operation of a weak PC faster;
- special plugins that are built into the browser and monitor dubious sites, as well as other signs of threats;
- work in background mode, so the user is not distracted from performing key tasks due to the constant pop-up of windows.
Important! It should be emphasized that it is recommended to download everything for weak computers exclusively from official resources. Only in this case will it be guaranteed that you will receive a full-fledged antivirus without code changes that could harm personal information and Windows 7 itself.
Antivirus installation instructions
Let's look at detailed instructions for installing an antivirus using the latest example, 360 Total Security from Qihoo. The installation of other antivirus utilities is similar, the only difference can be in the installer menu, with which you can easily and quickly install any antivirus.
Important! If your device already has an antivirus, you should remove it before installing a new one.
- Go to the official website of the utility developer using the link: https://www.360totalsecurity.com/ru/.
- Left click on the “Download for free” button.
- Run the downloaded installation file from the “Downloads” folder of your browser.
- Check the box to accept the license agreement, additional items if necessary, click “Install”.
- Wait for the installation process to complete. After the installation of the program is completed, offer to download additional software, click “Start” or close the window by clicking on the cross in the upper right corner.
- After installation, the antivirus will open automatically. Select the function you need from the list and click on it. We recommend performing a full test of the device by clicking on the large “Test” button.
Video - How to install 360 Total Security antivirus
All the antiviruses presented above are free!
Thus, to start using the antiviruses described above, all you need to do is download them to your computer and install them. After installation, you will need an Internet connection to update the anti-virus database - thanks to this, the protection will always be up to date. At the same time, weak PCs use a minimum of the system's potential and often miss viruses that are very difficult to detect.
Video - Top antiviruses. Choosing the best
The results presented by AV-Comparatives in this antivirus performance benchmarking report only show the impact on system performance (mainly the real-time/on-access protection components) of various antivirus programs under given conditions.
Users are encouraged to try the antivirus program on their own computer and see how the antivirus performs on a specific system configuration.
In April 2018, budget computers with HDD hard drives (instead of SSD) were used for performance testing.
Test computer
Antivirus performance testing was carried out on a Lenovo G50 laptop with an Intel Core i3-4005U CPU, 4 GB (RAM) of RAM and a HDD drive. Performance tests were carried out on a clean and fully updated Windows 10 (1709) system (64-bit, English version), and then with an antivirus program installed (with default settings). Tests were conducted with an active Internet connection to ensure real-world impact of cloud services and features.
Tested antiviruses
The following antiviruses took part in this comparative testing for performance and speed (default settings were used):
Tested antiviruses
- Tencent PC Manager 12.3 (English)
AV-Comparatives laboratory specialists used the latest versions of antiviruses available at the time of testing (April, 2018). The test includes products from both the Antivirus and Internet Security categories - all of which are marked as "security programs". The laboratory tested products that vendors provide for the main series of tests. Please note that the report results only apply to individual versions of the products listed above (i.e. a specific version for a specific system architecture, such as a 64-bit OS). You also need to take into account that different development companies offer different functions (and their number) in their antiviruses.
The following types of operations/tests were performed on a computer running the latest Windows 10 version 1709 64-Bit:
- Copying files
- Archiving / Unarchiving
- Installing / Uninstalling Applications
- Launching applications
- Downloading files
- Visiting websites
- PC Mark 10 Professional Testing Suite
Testing methodology
Care was taken to minimize external factors that could affect test results and/or system compatibility. The optimization technologies used in the products were also reviewed - meaning that the results represent the impact of the product on the system after a period of user use of the product. Tests were performed several times (with optimization technology enabled and disabled) to obtain average values and eliminate measurement errors. After each launch, the test computer was defragmented and rebooted 6 times. The researchers simulated different types of file operations: copying clean files from one location to another, compressing files into archives, unpacking archives, downloading files from the Internet, and launching applications (opening documents). The Windows Assessment and Deployment Toolkit (Windows ADK) with Windows Performance Toolkit (WPT) was used to conduct individual tests. This toolkit is widely used in the industry to measure the performance of computer systems. This tool allows vendors to easily replicate results and discover what is causing slowdowns. To prevent possible optimization of products for the test, our own drivers for ADK were implemented. These tools allow you to evaluate the impact of foods on performance on individual subtests, independent of other tests.
The lab used a third-party industry-recognized test suite (PC Mark 10 Professional) to confirm system impact during real-world use. Users are invited to evaluate various products on their own systems (results may vary due to software conflicts, user preferences, and varying system configurations).
Antiviruses should be loaded early on the system to provide maximum protection - such loading affects the startup time of the computer. Accurately measuring load times is challenging. The biggest challenge is determining when the system is fully ready, because in many environments startup activity continues for some time after the system has become fully responsive to the user. It is also important to consider when antivirus protection is fully active, because this can be an important criterion for completing the boot process. Some vendors implement very late loading for their products - in this case, the system may be sluggish for some time after it has fully booted. In reality, the product simply loads its services and processes late, leaving the system vulnerable for some time. The laboratory believes that this situation may be misleading and therefore loading times are not published in reports.
Test results
AV-Comparatives rating
- File copying- Copying files
- Archiving/unarchiving- Archiving / Unarchiving
- Installing/uninstalling applications- Install/Uninstall applications
- Launching applications- Launch applications - Download files
- Browsing Websites- Visiting websites
- Slow- slow
- Mediocre- average
- Fast- fast
- Very fast- very fast
Overall score including PC Mark test
Assessing the impact of the antivirus on the system (less is better)
Performance test. Which antivirus is the fastest?
Certificates issued based on the performance of antivirus programs with default settings on Windows 10 64-Bit:
(6) AV-Comparatives experts suggest considering products with the same award to have the same impact on system performance.
To assess the effectiveness of antivirus protection, look at the results of dynamic testing and checking the level of detection of malware, which were carried out at the beginning of 2018.
You can view the full report at this link.
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