A powerful computer with a high-speed processor as well as plenty of RAM is essential to play games smoothly. A gaming computer is susceptible to malware because gamers often utilize peer-to-peer connections. This leaves their computers open to cybercriminals. And as a result, they require a reliable antivirus that will perform well with minimal impact on their gaming.

To help you select the best antivirus program for PC gamers We’ve compared the best-performing programs in terms of real-time protection and gaming performance impact, and much more. Bitdefender Total Security is our winner for its excellent detection rates, auto gaming mode and memory-freeing performance. It’s also simple to use, and is among the most affordable options on our list at just $36/year.

McAfee my latest blog post Gamer Security is another great option. It comes with an extremely powerful Game Booster, and offers top-tier security with zero interruptions during games. It’s pricey, and its protection isn’t as good as Kaspersky or BullGuard but it is still an excellent option for gamers.

Panda is a powerful behavioural scanner and a malware quarantine function, but it’s not the fastest in its processing speed. It offers a 30-day money-back warranty, but also additional features like a VPN, parental controls, and a password manager. It is also smaller than other antivirus programs and all scanning is performed in the cloud.