Do I Need Antivirus For Gaming PC?

It is not always “necessary” to have an antivirus for your gaming PC. However, it is always better to have one!

It depends on how much time you spend on your PC, what you do on it, and if you have a lot of sensitive files to protect. If your game is going to be on the same server as other players though, or if you have a lot of sensitive information that needs to be kept private and safe, then antivirus is definitely something you should invest in.

The thing with computers today is that they can store personal information. Sometimes malware can get on your gaming computer and do something malicious like storing passwords.

So it’s better to have anti-virus for gaming PCs.

Here are some suggestions for antivirus that will work just fine for your gaming PC:

  • Microsoft Security Essential(MSE) is free and has a minimal use of CPU and RAM.
  • Avast is also free and has a lot of features that are useful for the average user.
  • Malwarebytes, not only will remove adware and spyware but also protects against malware and malicious software like keyloggers that can give people your personal information if you happen to click on links from those sources.

 

Let’s take a closer look at each application:

Microsoft Security Essential(MSE)

Do I Need Antivirus For Gaming PC

One of the first things that entice people to purchase an antivirus program is the price. If you have a limited budget and do not want to pay a lot for such an app, Microsoft Security Essential is one of the top choices for people at this time. It is free to download from Microsoft’s website.  The program will protect your computer from any viruses and Trojan horses, spyware, hackers, adware, and more threats.

It is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions which can be downloaded for a variety of operating systems including Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8. The program comes with an easy to use interface which can be used by people who are not computer savvy and even beginners.

Pros

  • It’s free.
  • It’s fast and can be used by beginners as well as experienced people.
  • It has a very low impact on your system’s overall performance and speed.


Cons

  • It might not be a good choice if you have an old PC. It will slow down your system because of the outdated code on it that was used to protect older operating systems.
  • Realtime protection is not by default but you can turn it on.

Avast! Free Antivirus

This antivirus program is another top choice for people who do not want to spend a lot of money on antiviruses that they can get for free and want to have an efficient one. The program is available for a free trial on the official site. It scans your system in real-time and can detect any threat as soon as it appears.

Its premium version has a firewall that protects the computer against any cyber-attacks and makes sure that all malicious data is being blocked at its early stages. The antivirus uses signature-based detection which means it can detect all known and unknown viruses in real-time.

Pros

  • It’s free.
  • It has a decent algorithm for detection and can detect all kinds of threats with real-time scans. It uses a variety of techniques including signature monitoring to protect your system. This means the program is not limited only to detecting viruses but can also block spyware, adware, hacked websites, etc.
  • The premium version has an automatic updater that keeps it updated on all changes made to the virus databases as well as new types that might be created in the future by hackers and other malicious programs. It is available for a free trial period of ten days.


Cons

  • It has been reported that the program can slow down your system’s performance in some cases. Although most of the time it did not have such issues, it’s good to know this in advance.
  • It requires online activation when installed on your computer for the first time. It means you will have to connect to the internet for its first activation before using it on your computer.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

This is one of the best antivirus apps for PC protection and doesn’t require any monthly fees. The program can detect all sorts of malicious threats including Malwares, Trojans, viruses, worms, spyware, adware, ransomware, rootkits, and more. It can also block pop-ups, stop unwanted downloads as well as change settings like homepage and search engine which are usually done by malware. It also protects your system from identity theft and phishing sites.

Pros

  • The Free version does not require you to pay any monthly fees.
  • It is available for all major operating systems including Windows, OSX, Linux, and Android devices. The program can be used in combination with other antivirus programs such as Norton and even Kaspersky.
  • It has a fast scan and a deep scan. The fast scans are able to detect threats within a few minutes while the deep scans are more thorough and can take hours to complete. You can schedule the scans to run at specific times if you choose so.


Cons

  • The program does not have an auto-update feature which means it will need you to update it manually every time it is needed.
  • The program is not useful for people who do not want to use many features or change its settings.

 

So, Which One Is The Best?

All these three have unique characteristics that make them ideal for different usage. We think the best one would be Malwarebytes Anti-Malware because it detects malware on top trojans, viruses, and others.

However, all these three programs are free so you can’t go wrong with any of them. These free antivirus apps listed above will help you protect yourself against viruses on your gaming computer so please do not hesitate to download or install one if you are looking for a good antivirus program for your system.

In conclusion, most of the time, the best solution is to make sure that your system is adequately protected against any threats. You can do so by downloading any of these free antivirus applications available on this list and using them very often. It’s better to take advantage of a free program, even if it is not as advanced as some paid software, rather than risking your system getting hacked by malware or adware.