ESET Antivirus Review
Out of all the well known antivirus software, ESET Antivirus is among the most popular. ESET Nod32 antivirus is said to be one of the fastest antivirus security software. However, my research shows a different view. Read this ESET antivirus review and know the capabilities of the software. I have heavily tested the antivirus software to see how it performs on my lab computer. Based on my research and testing, I have provided ESET antivirus ratings that will help you understand if ESET is suitable for your computer or not.
ESET Antivirus Features
- Antivirus and Spyware provides proactive protection against all types of online and offline threats and prevents malware spreading to other users
- Cloud-powered scanning Speeds up scans by whitelisting safe files based on file reputation database
- Scan while downloading files. Decreases scanning time by scanning specific file types − such as archives or iPhone updates − during the download process
- Idle-State Scanning. Aids system performance by performing in-depth scan when the computer is not in use. Helps detect potential inactive threats before they can cause damage
- Removable Media Control. Allows you to block CDs, DVDs, USB & other media and storage devices. Lets you set rules based on type of media, manufacturer, size, and other attributes
- Host-based Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS): Lets you customize the behavior of the system in greater detail. Gives you the option to specify rules for system registry, active processes and programs to fine-tune your security posture
- Small System Footprint: Maintains high performance and extends the lifetime of hardware. Fits any type of system environment. Saves internet bandwidth with extremely small update packages
- Gamer Mode: ESET NOD32 Antivirus automatically switches to silent mode if any program is run in full-screen mode. All pop-up windows, updates and other system-demanding activities are postponed to preserve system resources for gaming
- One-click Solution: Lets you view your protection status and access the most frequently used tools from all screens. Offers comprehensive, one-click solutions to potential issues
ESET Antivirus Review
If you have been reading my antivirus reviews you know that I rank antivirus programs based on three major aspects:
- Speed/Performance of Test: Performance of the computer system after installing the antivirus software.
- Stealth Test: Can the antivirus software find all of the infections present on the computer?
- Strength Test: Can the antivirus software remove all of the infections found on the computer?
I have tested ESET on all of these three factors and also, I have made a few observations that are worth sharing in this review. All of the tests and observations will be helpful in deciding if ESET security is the right security software for your home or business computers.
Speed/Performance Test
In order to assess the impact of an antivirus software on the computer system, I have used an industry leading PC benchmarking software. I will use the benchmark software prior to installing the antivirus program and will take down the system ratings. Then I will install ESET security and again will use the benchmark software to assess the system performance. Based on the two system ratings (one taken prior install and the other taken after install), we will understand how much impact does ESET antivirus impose on the computer system.
System Performance prior to installing ESET Security 6 on the system:
In the system performance rating image above, you can see how the system performed before installing the antivirus program. The CPU ratings were 7270 MIPS (million instructions per second). Memory rating was 3090 MB/s (megabytes per second). Hard Drive ratings were 16.8 MB/s and the 2D graphics rating was 8.67 MP/s (million pixels per second). After taking these ratings, I installed the ESET antivirus and checked system performance again using the same PC benchmark software.
System Performance after installing ESET Security 6 on the system:
In the system performance image above, you can see the change in the system performance after installing the ESET antivirus program. The software has noticeable impact on the system performance. The CPU performance has dropped down to 6960 MIPS, memory performance has dropped to 2750 MB/s, hard drive performance has dropped down to 13.1 MB/s and the 2D graphics ratings have fallen down to 5.27 MP/s.
System performance ratings comparison before and after installing ESET Antivirus:
| Component | Before Install | After Install |
| CPU | 7270 | 6960 |
| Memory | 3090 | 2750 |
| Hard Drive | 16.8 | 13.1 |
| Video | 8.67 | 5.27 |
Conclusion of the test: Comparing the two system performance ratings, I felt that ESET has a considerable impact on the computer system. The results amazed me because I did not expect the software to impact system performance that much. There are hundreds of authoritative websites that suggest ESET is the fastest antivirus software. However, my research shows that it is not the fastest one. ALL of the ratings (CPU, Memory, Hard Drive and 2D Graphics) have fallen down after installing ESET Security 6. I would give ESET a score of 8 out of 10 in the speed/performance test.
ESET Antivirus Stealth Test
For testing the capabilities of ESET antivirus, I installed it on a computer system that had loads of infection. There were more than 20 different viruses on the computer. The system was intentionally infected for educational purposes. Also, I made sure that the internet connection was disconnected so that the worms do not spread to other computers on the network.
Installation of ESET Security 6 was successful on this computer system. As soon as the software was installed, it began detecting infections in real-time. Some infections were quarantined straight away. Then a full system scan was run which took about one and a half hours to complete. Here is a list of infections ESET detected on the lab computer.
- Crypt.AQLW
- Agent r.ATS
- win32/patched.y
- Win32/Bamital.N
- Win32/Olmarik.TDL4
- Win32.GEMA
- ZeroAccess.kmem
- Trojan.KillAV
- PUM.Hijack.Regedit
- SHeur4.AEJT
- Win32/Gataka.B
- ATRAPS.Gen
- TR/Rootkit.Gen2
- Trojan.win32.VB.AHH
- Ukash/Metropolitan
- TDSSKiller
- Win32/sirefef.EB
All of the infections were quarantined/removed. But at this point I wasn't too sure that the antivirus software had removed all of the infections from the computer. So I uninstalled ESET Security and installed BitDefender antivirus and run a full system scan. It came out clean! Zero infections found! This test proves that ESET Security is robust and has the capabilities of removing all old and new viruses, spyware and malware.
Conclusion of the test: ESET Security was installed on a computer system which had lots of infections. The software was able to detect and block all of the infections. To make sure, I installed BitDefender antivirus and scanned the whole system. No infections were found. ESET Security is capable of detecting and removing all old and new infections. I would give ESET security a score of 10 out of 10 for detection and stealth test.
ESET Antivirus Strength Test
In the above mentioned test, ESET security was able to disinfect the computer system by quarantine/removing all the infected files. ESET had no problems in removing the malware from my lab computer. Also, after removal of infections, the computer system is working absolutely fine. But I do feel that the system is running a bit slow. I would give ESET Security a score of 8 out of 10 in the strength test.
ESET Antivirus Overall Ratings
| Speed/Performance Test | Scored 8 out of 10 |
| Stealth Test | Scored 10 out of 10 |
| Strength Test | Scored 8 out of 10 |
Pros of ESET Antivirus
Based on the ratings above, we can talk about the Pros and Cons of using ESET antivirus software. ESET antivirus is an award winning software. Power packed with the latest technology engines, it can find all the known and unknown (newer) viruses and malware. ESET provides robust security to your Windows computer, MAC computer and/or mobile devices. With this security software installed on your computer, you can rest assured that none of the infections can invade your computer.
Cons of ESET Antivirus
Based on the ratings above, specially, the speed/performance test, I can say for sure that it is certainly not the fastest security solution. ESET has a considerable impact on the system resources and it can slow down a computer system. If you do not wish to install a security software that slow down your computer, you should consider another antivirus software that has a lesser impact on the system resources of your PC.
ESET Antivirus Screenshots
