I Ran Every Antivirus At Once

In this experiment centered on the question can you safely run multiple antivirus programs at the same time, Linus and the crew set up two nearly identical Windows 11 rigs to compare performance when Defender sits alongside a dozen or more third party AV tools. The video opens with a playful premise about adding more antivirus software to a PC, then quickly transitions to a boot-time test between a Defender-only machine and one crammed with various AV suites. Early on, they note the interlinked ownership among major antivirus brands and establish that Threat Locker is not a direct replacement for consumer AV but a different security approach for businesses. The team proceeds to install around fourteen antivirus programs, monitors boot times, and records the impact on system responsiveness, including popups, tray icons, and startup delays. They observe that many AV programs slow the machine in subtle, background ways, especially when users initiate activity rather than when the software is idle. The narrative moves from boot tests to real-world usage, including USB drive scans and game performance, where the extra overhead becomes more noticeable under load, not just in launch times but in sustained CPU and GPU pressure. The discussion then pivots to historical context, tracing antivirus evolution from signature-based detection to heuristic and cloud-based approaches, and how Defender has evolved to compete with third-party tools. The videos’ verdict is practical and pragmatic: more AV software isn’t inherently better, and for most users a single solid tool with cautious supplemental scans is sufficient. The host also highlights Threat Locker’s zero-trust approach for business networks and stresses that in a real-world enterprise context, a granular, policy-driven security model can provide protection without overwhelming endpoints. The closing segments emphasize that users should prioritize a single reliable security solution for daily use while recognizing Defender’s capability to detect threats, with Threat Locker presented as an enterprise-grade complement for more specialized needs. The takeaway is that antivirus software is not a magic shield and that strategic defense, software design, and system performance should guide security choices rather than the number of programs installed.

Topics · technology · computer_security · software_testing · hardware_performance