Do I need an Anti Virus for my gaming PC?

[Guest]

I don't use this computer to go to the internet. I don't plug any usb devices to it. I only use steam, Origin, Uplay.

Do I really need an anti virus? If so Would you suggest Avast.

Btw I only have 8GB of Ram. I am playing titles like GTA V

I only use video game discs in my dvd drive

And I play multiplayer games a lot

 

[Vlad Rose]

Running without anti virus is a very risky thing, even if you don't use it to browse the web. You can still potentially get a virus through Steam, Origin, or Uplay exploits. Heck some viruses can automatically attack due to flaws in windows services (code red, nimda) as long as the computer is connected to the internet.

For free antivirus, I personally use BitDefender Free Edition as it seems to be one of the lower ones for resource usage and still protects well.

 

[ss202sl]

"I don't use this computer to go to the internet". How do you get to Steam?

 

[Guest]

"I don't use this computer to go to the internet". How do you get to Steam?

Well I go to internet to get those But I don't browse hours with that LOL

 

[Ezo Legendz]

No need for an antivirus the built in windows defender is good enough

 

[Guest]

Running without anti virus is a very risky thing, even if you don't use it to browse the web. You can still potentially get a virus through Steam, Origin, or Uplay exploits. Heck some viruses can automatically attack due to flaws in windows services (code red, nimda) as long as the computer is connected to the internet.

For free antivirus, I personally use BitDefender Free Edition as it seems to be one of the lower ones for resource usage and still protects well.

Thanks. Well I will need an antivirus then

 

[thently]

I don't run any on my gaming rig no problems yet so if you are careful and don't let anyone else on your computer it will be ok. and as a gaming computer just backup your saves and you can blow it away and reload to fix the one off issues you might run into. I would never do this on any normal persons computer but I am careful and know if i do mess up its on me sooo reload and move on 😛

Thent

 

[Ezo Legendz]

I don't run any on my gaming rig no problems yet so if you are careful and don't let anyone else on your computer it will be ok. and as a gaming computer just backup your saves and you can blow it away and reload to fix the one off issues you might run into. I would never do this on any normal persons computer but I am careful and know if i do mess up its on me sooo reload and move on 😛

Thent

Same her i do everything on my PC i havo no antivirus , and im fine . Just dont go on sketchy sites and dont download unlees you know its good

 

[Guest]

No need for an antivirus the built in windows defender is good enough

Windows defender? Having only that is great? What do the others say?

 

[Guest]

I don't run any on my gaming rig no problems yet so if you are careful and don't let anyone else on your computer it will be ok. and as a gaming computer just backup your saves and you can blow it away and reload to fix the one off issues you might run into. I would never do this on any normal persons computer but I am careful and know if i do mess up its on me sooo reload and move on 😛

Thent

Does Windows defender handle everything decently?

 

[James Mason]

Avast in gaming mode would be better than nothing, you won't know it's there and it'll keep you safe, you also don't know you have a virus unless your antivirus finds it or your computer gets FUBAR'd.

Windows Defender is kinda mehhhhhh:
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/microsoft-bombs-antivirus-tests,news-20703.html

 

[Guest]

Avast in gaming mode would be better than nothing, you won't know it's there and it'll keep you safe, you also don't know you have a virus unless your antivirus finds it or your computer gets FUBAR'd.

Windows Defender is kinda mehhhhhh:
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/microsoft-bombs-antivirus-tests,news-20703.html

Hey You won a gift card didn't you? Congratz on that.

Is there a way I can permanatly enable gaming mode?

 

[James Mason]

Hey You won a gift card didn't you? Congratz on that.

Is there a way I can permanatly enable gaming mode?

Yep.

 

[Guest]

Hey You won a gift card didn't you? Congratz on that.

Is there a way I can permanatly enable gaming mode?

Yep.

So there's no need to enable it every time I play?

 

[James Mason]

So there's no need to enable it every time I play?

correct, it stays on permanently, it never gives you any popups or alerts, which means you will have to check it if your worried about a file.

 

[thently]

I would not consider Windows defender enough even microsoft says it's not. If you are going to run something avast is not bad i have it on other computers not gaming PC though.

Thent

 

[anoori9000]

http://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html

Get this. First off its FREE.

Next it's low impact so it won't harm gaming FPS as much as other AVs.

I have been using this free version and it has been working great so far.

 

[king3pj]

I have only been running Windows Defender for a couple years and I have never had a problem. I only visit trusted sites and use my computer almost exclusively for gaming.

I used to run AVG but I got sick of popups for updates and them constantly asking me to switch to the paid version so I finally uninstalled it.

I'm sure my computer isn't as secure as it could be but it's never been a problem for me. AVG just gave me headaches.

Edit: just don't be dumb on the internet. Don't click on shady links and don't download anything that's not from a trusted source. I have over 300 PC games bought from Steam, Origin, uPlay, and GOG and I have never gotten a virus from playing any of them.

If you are the type to pirate games or bit-torrent all kinds of media from who knows where it's probably more important to have good anti-virus software. I don't think you have to worry about that when downloading from legitimate digital retailers though.

 

[James Mason]

I have only been running Windows Defender for a couple years and I have never had a problem. I only visit trusted sites and use my computer almost exclusively for gaming.

I used to run AVG but I got sick of popups for updates and them constantly asking me to switch to the paid version so I finally uninstalled it.

I'm sure my computer isn't as secure as it could be but it's never been a problem for me. AVG just gave me headaches.

Edit: just don't be dumb on the internet. Don't click on shady links and don't download anything that's not from a trusted source. I have over 300 PC games bought from Steam, Origin, uPlay, and GOG and I have never gotten a virus from playing any of them.

If you are the type to pirate games or bit-torrent all kinds of media from who knows where it's probably more important to have good anti-virus software. I don't think you have to worry about that when downloading from legitimate digital retailers though.

The problem is viruses can be in Ads on websites, even trusted ones like Tom's. A year back my company's internet security blocker was throwing a fit randomly when I would load up a tom's hardware page because of an ad that was on it was no good. Tom's got rid of the ad eventually, but the problem is if you aren't protected you wouldn't know about it.

 

[king3pj]

I have only been running Windows Defender for a couple years and I have never had a problem. I only visit trusted sites and use my computer almost exclusively for gaming.

I used to run AVG but I got sick of popups for updates and them constantly asking me to switch to the paid version so I finally uninstalled it.

I'm sure my computer isn't as secure as it could be but it's never been a problem for me. AVG just gave me headaches.

Edit: just don't be dumb on the internet. Don't click on shady links and don't download anything that's not from a trusted source. I have over 300 PC games bought from Steam, Origin, uPlay, and GOG and I have never gotten a virus from playing any of them.

If you are the type to pirate games or bit-torrent all kinds of media from who knows where it's probably more important to have good anti-virus software. I don't think you have to worry about that when downloading from legitimate digital retailers though.

The problem is viruses can be in Ads on websites, even trusted ones like Tom's. A year back my company's internet security blocker was throwing a fit randomly when I would load up a tom's hardware page because of an ad that was on it was no good. Tom's got rid of the ad eventually, but the problem is if you aren't protected you wouldn't know about it.

That's one of the reasons I run an ad blocker. In addition to ads being annoying and making websites load slower they can also carry viruses.

 

[Guest]

I have only been running Windows Defender for a couple years and I have never had a problem. I only visit trusted sites and use my computer almost exclusively for gaming.

I used to run AVG but I got sick of popups for updates and them constantly asking me to switch to the paid version so I finally uninstalled it.

I'm sure my computer isn't as secure as it could be but it's never been a problem for me. AVG just gave me headaches.

Edit: just don't be dumb on the internet. Don't click on shady links and don't download anything that's not from a trusted source. I have over 300 PC games bought from Steam, Origin, uPlay, and GOG and I have never gotten a virus from playing any of them.

If you are the type to pirate games or bit-torrent all kinds of media from who knows where it's probably more important to have good anti-virus software. I don't think you have to worry about that when downloading from legitimate digital retailers though.

Actually I don't use it to browse internet but woul download steam,uplay and origin. But just go to the first answer. What would you say about it?

 

[Guest]

I have only been running Windows Defender for a couple years and I have never had a problem. I only visit trusted sites and use my computer almost exclusively for gaming.

I used to run AVG but I got sick of popups for updates and them constantly asking me to switch to the paid version so I finally uninstalled it.

I'm sure my computer isn't as secure as it could be but it's never been a problem for me. AVG just gave me headaches.

Edit: just don't be dumb on the internet. Don't click on shady links and don't download anything that's not from a trusted source. I have over 300 PC games bought from Steam, Origin, uPlay, and GOG and I have never gotten a virus from playing any of them.

If you are the type to pirate games or bit-torrent all kinds of media from who knows where it's probably more important to have good anti-virus software. I don't think you have to worry about that when downloading from legitimate digital retailers though.

Actually I don't use it to browse internet but woul download steam,uplay and origin. But just go to the first answer. What would you say about it?

 

[king3pj]

I have only been running Windows Defender for a couple years and I have never had a problem. I only visit trusted sites and use my computer almost exclusively for gaming.

I used to run AVG but I got sick of popups for updates and them constantly asking me to switch to the paid version so I finally uninstalled it.

I'm sure my computer isn't as secure as it could be but it's never been a problem for me. AVG just gave me headaches.

Edit: just don't be dumb on the internet. Don't click on shady links and don't download anything that's not from a trusted source. I have over 300 PC games bought from Steam, Origin, uPlay, and GOG and I have never gotten a virus from playing any of them.

If you are the type to pirate games or bit-torrent all kinds of media from who knows where it's probably more important to have good anti-virus software. I don't think you have to worry about that when downloading from legitimate digital retailers though.

Actually I don't use it to browse internet but woul download steam,uplay and origin. But just go to the first answer. What would you say about it?

The things mentioned in the first answer may be possible but like I said, nothing like that has ever happened to me. Could some rouge developer put a virus in their game? Sure but Steam probably checks for this kind of thing and even if they don't it wouldn't be long before other PC gamers discovered it.

Anyone willing to try something like that would be risking their entire career because if they got caught they would have an extremely hard time getting a job in software development ever again.

I still say that the odds of getting a virus from a legitimate purchase on Steam, Origin, uPlay, GOG, etc are extremely low.

That being said, I wouldn't connect to the internet without a firewall. For me the one built into my router along with Windows Defender is enough.