Computers & Electronics

resource friendly alternatives to ESET NOD?

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  • Jul 28th, 2010 7:55 am
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Deal Addict
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Mar 4, 2008
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resource friendly alternatives to ESET NOD?

Im using using NOD in conjunction with Spybot S&D on an older pc and was wondering if there are any other AV software alternatives that would be as good if not better than NOD, but with a smaller foot print (resource wise). I would appreciate any suggestions or real world feedback since i dont keep up with the latest reviews/comparisons of AV software :o ...
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Jul 10, 2008
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o.O

NOD32 is one of the most resourceful AVs out there.

Take it from me FWIW... I'm the poster child for NOD32.
Network Architect/Engineer - I.T. Professional
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I guess its time to get a SSD...thanks anyways.
Deal Guru
Sep 13, 2007
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Whats the specs on that older pc?
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Sep 10, 2005
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avira antivir
panda cloud antivirus is pretty light too
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Jun 15, 2009
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ChinpokoMon wrote: I've had very good experiences with Microsoft Security Essentials. Scans fairly quickly and on idle it's only taking ~3MB of memory right now.
I second this. I've tried AVG free, NOD, Kaspersky and a few others. In the end I liked this one the best. No ads, least intrusive and fairly lean when it comes to resources.
zzz3 wrote: Im using using NOD in conjunction with Spybot S&D on an older pc and was wondering if there are any other AV software alternatives that would be as good if not better than NOD, but with a smaller foot print (resource wise). I would appreciate any suggestions or real world feedback since i dont keep up with the latest reviews/comparisons of AV software :o ...
Sure they serve different purposes, but there is no real point to use Spybot S&D or Adaware or any such product in one of their "always on" modes. If you run a simple antivirus the most you will need is to run a full system scan once a month using those anti-spyware tools. And even then the most you will be accomplishing is most likely cleaning cookies and internet history.
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Sep 6, 2007
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Have you tried Microsoft Security Essentials? It's free if you have a if you have a genuine copy of Windows 7 (not sure about XP). If you check out its reviews at AV-Comparatives (http://www.av-comparatives.org/), its very highly rated.

If you want to try it out check here:
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

I checked task manager and its using 59MB of RAM at idle.
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Mar 19, 2006
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I'm using Micrsoft Security Essentials as well, had used SEP and NOD32 before, but I like the MSE and run it on all my Windows-based systems.
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Feb 4, 2002
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Another one for Avira. Very light and also tops in detection.
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ok i have narrowed it down to avira and after reading some reviews, i have decided to give it a try (see how the interface is, memory usage is etc).

Also the reason i use spybot in real time is because i picked up a nasty infection from focal price (iirc) a while back which literally turned my pc into a vegetable. I know its probably over compensating lol...
McLaren__F1 wrote: Whats the specs on that older pc?
Windows 7 64bit
TL-60
4GB
5400rpm HDD

Its an older tablet that stays at home and its only use is pretty much surfing, comics and videos (channelsurfing/atdhe or .mkv to hdtv).
Deal Fanatic
Aug 13, 2007
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Don't use an AV. Just don't download anything sketchy looking.
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Jun 4, 2007
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ChinpokoMon wrote: I've had very good experiences with Microsoft Security Essentials. Scans fairly quickly and on idle it's only taking ~3MB of memory right now.
+1

It's free, pretty lightweight, and does what you need it to do. Avira is decent as well though their free version has popups (not too hard to disable though).
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May 28, 2002
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Nod32 is as lightweight as they come. Install Norton and compare, you can then go back to NOD32 and feel better :P
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hyperion wrote: Nod32 is as lightweight as they come. Install Norton and compare, you can then go back to NOD32 and feel better :P
im using avira at the moment and its under 2MB. Ill probably go back to nod32 for comparison purposes...I have a few questions though:

1) for nod32, are the examples of light usage some of you guys posted include the start up scan?
2) avira is really fast. Does it not do a start up scan? The other thing i noticed is that unlike nod32, i dont seen any options of integration with browsers etc. Perhaps its all automated?
3) if a AV software were to utilize 64 bit, would it yield any benefits over 32bit?
(sorry if these questions sound dumb, redundant or dont make sense :o )
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zzz3 wrote: im using avira at the moment and its under 2MB. Ill probably go back to nod32 for comparison purposes...I have a few questions though:

1) for nod32, are the examples of light usage some of you guys posted include the start up scan?
2) avira is really fast. Does it not do a start up scan? The other thing i noticed is that unlike nod32, i dont seen any options of integration with browsers etc. Perhaps its all automated?
3) if a AV software were to utilize 64 bit, would it yield any benefits over 32bit?
(sorry if these questions sound dumb, redundant or dont make sense :o )
NOD32 used to be the best.. 2 years ago. More recent versions are more bloated and less effective. People still recommend NOD32 based on it's reputation for version 2.8. Just like people say Norton is bloatware, it was a few years ago but the latest versions are actually in the top for using low resources.

If you want a secure browser, install firefox with noscript. Avira will catch the nasties browsing though.

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