PC gamers are going to want an anti-virus that’s effective at getting rid of malicious content as well as one that uses little resources when playing PC games to avoid any interruptions. This page shares the anti-virus programs we here at PCG Pedia recommend to PC gamers.
If you’re wondering what the best anti-virus programs are for a gaming PC, look no further.
Bitdefender Anti-virus
I have been using Bitdefender for years and the only problem I’ve had with it was related to its auto-renewal, however that’s a story for another time. The service they have offered me over the past years has been everything I could ask for except for a minor issue (not problematic).
I started out with its anti-virus subscription and over time upgraded to its Total Security Suite.
The security program offers a game mode that does not affect you while playing PC games. It worked exceptionally well for me while I played my favorite PC games on my quad-core i7 computer with 8 GB of RAM.
Detection rate is also one of the best for the anti-virus in this day and age and you are required to do little to nothing when the program is on auto-pilot mode. Viruses will be dealt with even without your knowledge for example.
What I dislike about Bitdefender :
Even though the intention is to do more good than harm, the safe search add-on drastically slows down how long it takes for a web page to load when using the Internet from my experience with it. Thankfully, such a feature can be disabled while keeping Bitdefender running.
Pros:
– One of the best virus and phishing detection rates you will find in an anti-virus.
– Automatically switch into Game Mode whenever playing PC games to run Bitdefender in the background, using limited resources.
– A lot of useful tools and much more with Total Security.
– A lot of discounts if you know where to look.
Cons:
– Internet feels slowed-down when surfing the web with safe search enabled.
– Auto-renewal will renew at the expiration date at bill you without notice.
ESET NOD32 Anti-virus
Even though its detection rate is not as good as Bitdefender (not really far behind either), it does have a better positive detection rate. In several virus scanning tests, Bitdefender concluded some false results as viruses while ESET NOD32’s number was lower.
With low resource usage, a game mode for those PC gamers and a good detection rate, ESET NOD32 is worth considering over a majority of anti-virus software out there even though I would personally recommend Bitdefender over it.
Pros:
– Good virus detection rate.
– Game mode for PC gamers.
Cons:
– No top-notch phishing protection.
Common sense and no virus protection
If you choose not to use either of the anti-virus programs mentioned on this page, Microsoft Security Essentials and a bit of common sense might be sufficient.
- Don’t visit strange/shady websites.
- When downloading files, avoid running .exe files you do not know.
- Do not download anything from suspicious sources.
- Avoid clicking links from spammers on the Internet (eg. social networks and email).
- Make sure you enter log-in details into the correct website (look at the URL address bar).
Malwarebytes is also a free anti-virus that should help clean up a computer from viruses.
This route saves you a lot of money, however, if you know you might slip up at some point in time, you should invest into getting a paid subscription of an anti-virus for your machine. Beginning with a free trial is a good idea for starting.
