Windows Defender can Significantly Impact Intel CPU Performance


  • Staff
Kevin Glynn, aka "Uncle Webb," our associate software author behind popular utilities such as ThrottleStop and RealTemp, developed a new utility named Counter Control, which lets you monitor and log the performance counters of Intel Core processors since 2008 (Core "Nehalem"). During development for ThrottleStop, Kevin discovered a fascinating bug with Windows Defender, the built-in security software of Windows, which causes significantly higher performance impact on the processor than it should normally have. Of course a security software is bound to have some (small) performance impact during real-time protection, but this is much bigger.



The first sign that something is happening is that HWiNFO will be reporting a reduced "Effective Clock" speed when the CPU is fully loaded. A much bigger problem is that when Defender is affected by the bug, performance of your machine will be significantly reduced. For example, a Core i9-10850K running at 5.00 GHz all-core loses 1000 Cinebench points (or 6%). Such a performance loss has been reported by owners of Intel Core 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Gen, both desktop and mobile CPUs, on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. AMD processors are not affected.


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hmmm - solution is to disable real time Defender or download an app by author?

I will wait for positive proof this is not just scaremongering in order to self promote author.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
I'll leave things as is and leave it up to Microsoft to address the issue.... if they even deem this an issue.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (Build 22631.3296)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Xtreme
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair RGB Dominator Platinum (3600Mhz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon VII
    Sound Card
    Onboard (ESS Sabre HiFi using Realtek drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242w (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    5 Samsung SSD drives: 2X 970 NVME (512 & 1TB), 3X EVO SATA (2X 2TB, 1X 1TB)
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova I000 G2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Cooler Master H500M
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i RGB Platinum
    Keyboard
    Logitech Craft
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    500mb Download. 11mb Upload
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    System used for gaming, photography, music, school.
  • Operating System
    Win 10 Pro 22H2 (build 19045.2130)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-Z270X-GAMING 8
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum (3333Mhz)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R9 Fury
    Sound Card
    Onboard (Creative Sound Blaster certified ZxRi)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2415 (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    3 Samsung SSD drives: 1x 512gig 950 NVMe drive (OS drive), 1 x 512gig 850 Pro, 1x 256gig 840 Pro.
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova 1000 P2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Phantek Enthoo Luxe
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 710
    Internet Speed
    100MB
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    This is my backup system.
It is well known, that Defender does not like certain hardware configurations.
Good to know that it is confirmed so maybe they will do something about it.
Just like at first MS denied SSD defrag problems or AMD denied stuttering.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 3600 & No fTPM (07/19)
    Motherboard
    MSI B450 TOMAHAWK 7C02v1E & IFX TPM (07/19)
    Memory
    4x 8GB ADATA XPG GAMMIX D10 DDR4 3200MHz CL16
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Radeon RX 580 ARMOR 8G OC @48FPS (08/19)
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster Z (11/16)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" AOC G2460VQ6 (01/19)
    Screen Resolution
    1920×1080@75Hz & FreeSync (DisplayPort)
    Hard Drives
    ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro SSD 512GB (07/19)
    PSU
    Seasonic M12II-520 80 Plus Bronze (11/16)
    Case
    Lian Li PC-7NB & 3x Noctua NF-S12A FLX@700rpm (11/16)
    Cooling
    CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U12S@700rpm (07/19)
    Keyboard
    HP Wired Desktop 320K + Rabalux 76017 Parker (01/24)
    Mouse
    Logitech M330 Silent Plus (04/23)
    Internet Speed
    400/40 Mbps via RouterOS (05/21) & TCP Optimizer
    Browser
    Edge (No FB/Google) & Brave for YouTube & LibreWolf for FB
    Antivirus
    NoAV & Binisoft WFC & NextDNS
    Other Info
    Headphones: Sennheiser RS170 (09/10)
    Phone: Samsung Galaxy Xcover 7 (02/24)
I have automatic sample submission off as well as reputation based protection.
Get in the way more than anything. Hopefully shouldn't cause too many people issues with intel setups. Cant say i've noticed anything, Prob due to have most of it turned off anyway
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    10700k@5.2
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Gaming X Z490
    Memory
    Viper Steelseries 32gb@ 3600mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte 2070 Super 8GB, +200 core + 600 memory
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 4k HDR, Two 1080p Benq and Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160/2560x1440/1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Adata XPG SX8200 PRO 1tb
    Samsung EVO 870 500GB
    PSU
    Corsair RX 650
    Case
    NZXT h510
    Cooling
    CM HYPER 212 RGB
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata Chroma
    Mouse
    Steelseries Rival 710
Hi,
Someone suggested just disabling virtualization features plus control flow guard helps to

Never noticed this one @Brink I just whack defender entirely so it goes bye bye with those scripts
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win-7-10-11Pro's
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer 17" Nitro 7840sn/ 2x16gb 5600c40/ 4060/ stock 1tb-os/ 4tb sn850x
    CPU
    10900k & 9940x & 5930k
    Motherboard
    z490-Apex & x299-Apex & x99-Sabertooth
    Memory
    Trident-Z Royal 4000c16 2x16gb & Trident-Z 3600c16 4x8gb & 3200c14 4x8gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Titan Xp & 1080ti FTW3 & evga 980ti gaming
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek x3
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1-AOC G2460PG 24"G-Sync 144Hz/ 2nd 1-ASUS VG248QE 24"/ 3rd LG 43" series
    Screen Resolution
    1920-1080 not sure what the t.v is besides 43" class scales from 1920-1080 perfectly
    Hard Drives
    2-WD-sn850x 4tb/ 970evo+500gb/ 980 pro 2tb.
    PSU
    1000p2 & 1200p2 & 850p2
    Case
    D450 x2 & 1 Test bench in cherry Entertainment center
    Cooling
    Custom water loops x3 with 2x mora 360mm rads only 980ti gaming air cooled
    Keyboard
    G710+x3
    Mouse
    Redragon x3
    Internet Speed
    xfinity gigabyte
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    mbam pro
Hi,
Someone suggested just disabling virtualization features plus control flow guard helps to

Never noticed this one @Brink I just whack defender entirely so it goes bye bye with those scripts
I don't think too many people used it.

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
So this is interesting. Many benchmarks have shown a significant reduction due to Microsoft Defender, but there was little to no insight into why and what benefits the performance hit means.

I'd be curious for independent malware testers to review what security improvement (hopefully) is gained by taking ~6% of Intel CPU performance.

It's weird why it is only affecting Intel CPUs. Does that mean 1) AMD users are less protected (I hope not!!) or 2) Intel CPUs require more precise timers for the same protection as AMD CPUs or 3) Microsoft has an Intel-only bug here?

That is, AV-Comparatives tests have consistently shown Microsoft Defender is worse for PC resources than most other AV suites: worse than McAfee, Norton, Avira, and pretty much every other AV. It seems like AV-Comparatives has been using Intel CPUs for their test systems for a while.

hVIhlgg.png


Now, I still use it, but it's been a sore spot for a long time. Before people think this is "cooked data", AV Comparatives has been independently testing Windows AVs for two decades now.

In PC Mark 10, which is a pretty tame benchmark all things considered, Microsoft Defender causes an almost chart-leading 25% reduction in scores (Norton & McAfee were 7%, ESET was 3%; Avira was 15%). PC Mark 10 tests pretty normal things: browsing, app startup, video conferencing, documents & spreadsheets, photo editing, and video editing.

VvoiWeu.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY
    CPU
    i7-12700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-I GAMING WIFI
    Memory
    32GB (2x16GB) G.Skill Ripjaws S5 / DDR5-6400 (32-39-39-102)
    Graphics Card(s)
    XFX Speedster MERC 319 AMD RX 6950XT
    Sound Card
    n/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VP349CGL + Lenovo G24qe-20 + Lenovo L24q-30
    Screen Resolution
    3440 x 1440 + 2x 2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    2x 2TB Samsung 990 PRO
    PSU
    FSP Hydro PTM Pro 850W (HPT2-850M)
    Case
    Fractal Meshify 2 RGB
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooling Liquid Freezer II 280mm + MX-6
    Keyboard
    Mountain Everest
    Mouse
    Razer Deathadder V3
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps down / 35 Mbps up
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    All frequencies stock, except XMP II (MemTest86+ passed)

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (Build 22631.3296)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Xtreme
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair RGB Dominator Platinum (3600Mhz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon VII
    Sound Card
    Onboard (ESS Sabre HiFi using Realtek drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242w (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    5 Samsung SSD drives: 2X 970 NVME (512 & 1TB), 3X EVO SATA (2X 2TB, 1X 1TB)
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova I000 G2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Cooler Master H500M
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i RGB Platinum
    Keyboard
    Logitech Craft
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    500mb Download. 11mb Upload
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    System used for gaming, photography, music, school.
  • Operating System
    Win 10 Pro 22H2 (build 19045.2130)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-Z270X-GAMING 8
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum (3333Mhz)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R9 Fury
    Sound Card
    Onboard (Creative Sound Blaster certified ZxRi)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2415 (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    3 Samsung SSD drives: 1x 512gig 950 NVMe drive (OS drive), 1 x 512gig 850 Pro, 1x 256gig 840 Pro.
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova 1000 P2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Phantek Enthoo Luxe
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 710
    Internet Speed
    100MB
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    This is my backup system.
I didn't.

Anyway, with all these security features I guess it's going to come down to whether you want a benchmark PC or extreme security.

My new computer is noticeably faster than the computer it replaced. I use Microsoft Security (Defender). I'm good! :hug:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9510 OLED
    CPU
    11th Gen i9 -11900H
    Memory
    32 GB 3200 MHz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 3050Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" OLED Infinity Edge Touch
    Screen Resolution
    16:10 Aspect Ratio (3456 x 2160)
    Hard Drives
    1 Terabyte M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
    2 Thunderbolt™ 4 (USB Type-C™)
    1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (USB Type-C™)
    SD Card Reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC)
    Internet Speed
    900 Mbps Netgear Orbi + 2 Satellites
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge (Chromium) + Bing
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Security (Defender)
    Other Info
    Microsoft 365 subscription
    Microsoft OneDrive 1TB Cloud
    Microsoft Outlook
    Microsoft OneNote
    Microsoft PowerToys
    Microsoft Visual Studio
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Macrium Reflect
    Dell Support Assist
    Dell Command | Update
    LastPass Password Manager
    Amazon Kindle
    Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation
    Lightroom/Photoshop subscription
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Tablet
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface Pro 7
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    8 GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD
    Internet Speed
    900 Mbps Netgear Orbi + 2 Satellites
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge (Chromium) + Bing
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Security (Defender)
    Other Info
    Microsoft 365 subscription (Office)
    Microsoft OneDrive 1TB Cloud
    Microsoft Outlook
    Microsoft OneNote
    Microsoft Visual Studio
    Amazon Kindle
    Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation
    Lightroom/Photoshop subscription
As I said, I'm keeping things where they are, don't plan on dumping Defender, nor obsessing over performance loss as my PC is pretty fast enough, and hasn't affect my gaming or any other app performance.

Now if I'm after "benchmark numbers" I know to disable Defender before running them :D
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (Build 22631.3296)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Xtreme
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair RGB Dominator Platinum (3600Mhz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon VII
    Sound Card
    Onboard (ESS Sabre HiFi using Realtek drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242w (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    5 Samsung SSD drives: 2X 970 NVME (512 & 1TB), 3X EVO SATA (2X 2TB, 1X 1TB)
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova I000 G2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Cooler Master H500M
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i RGB Platinum
    Keyboard
    Logitech Craft
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    500mb Download. 11mb Upload
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    System used for gaming, photography, music, school.
  • Operating System
    Win 10 Pro 22H2 (build 19045.2130)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-Z270X-GAMING 8
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum (3333Mhz)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R9 Fury
    Sound Card
    Onboard (Creative Sound Blaster certified ZxRi)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2415 (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    3 Samsung SSD drives: 1x 512gig 950 NVMe drive (OS drive), 1 x 512gig 850 Pro, 1x 256gig 840 Pro.
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova 1000 P2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Phantek Enthoo Luxe
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 710
    Internet Speed
    100MB
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    This is my backup system.
i7-6700K and i5-10400 not affected here, Defender stays at 0.1 or thereabouts when running Cinebench or anything else, I don't have virtualization enabled as don't need it, Control flow guard is enabled.
I have conducted tests with Cinebench on both PCs with Defender enabled an disabled, no difference in results other than the slight differences what you would expect when running benchmarks multiple times.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 22H2 OS Build 22623.1095
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Build
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
    Motherboard
    Asus PRIME B350-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 @3000Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS - GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB TUF GAMING OC
    Sound Card
    On Board Realtec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer KA241
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    240GB PNY CS900 SSD - OS
    2 x 1TB Crucial MX500 SSD
    1 x 500GB Crucial MX300 SSD
    2TB Seagate ST2000DM001-1ER164
    2TB Seagate ST2000DM008-2FR102
    PSU
    750 Watt Corsair TX750 Plus
    Case
    Cooler Master 690 III
    Cooling
    Akasa AK98 5 Case Fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270 - wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech - M185 wireless
    Internet Speed
    BT Fibre 75 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Use hardware KVM to switch monitors on three PCs and software (input director) to use mouse and keyboard on all 4 PCs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 build 22621.900
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 3881 - modified with SFX PSU fitted internally
    CPU
    Intel i5 - 10400
    Motherboard
    Dell 032w55 version A00
    Memory
    16GB of HyperX Fury @ 2133 Mhz
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 6GB GTX 1060.
    Sound Card
    Builtin
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ACER KA241
    Screen Resolution
    1920x 1080 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    256GB SK hynix NVMe
    1TB Western Digital WD10EZEX-75WN4A1
    PSU
    Modular 450 Watt Corsair SF450 Platinum ( Mod to replace the Dell 265 Watt PSU)
    Case
    Inspiron Small Desktop
    Cooling
    Dell stock cooler
    Mouse
    Dell
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    BT Fibre 75 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Use hardware KVM to switch monitors on three PCs and software (input director) to use mouse and keyboard on all 4 PCs.
It may not affect all users, I think. I have Defender's real-time protection enabled and I have the "best" state, apparently, with none of the performance-degrading counters in use.
  • Not Used - 0x000: The three fixed function counters are stopped. None of the counters are presently being used.
fhtqxby.png


As a follow-up, I ran a quick test here. I only disabled real-time protection + cloud-delivered protection + automatic sample submission + tamper prevention. Just the whole page, heh. Disabled the Ethernet + WiFi, of course.

Cinebench R23 multi-core
Real-time protection disabled = 21,973 points (100.00%)
Real-time protection enabled = 21,999 points (100.12%)

Seemed to have zero effect for me / fully within the margin of error. Can't reproduce the 1000+ point difference noted by unclewebb. This may not be the main culprit why Defender has a notably worse effect on system performance vs other AVs.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY
    CPU
    i7-12700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-I GAMING WIFI
    Memory
    32GB (2x16GB) G.Skill Ripjaws S5 / DDR5-6400 (32-39-39-102)
    Graphics Card(s)
    XFX Speedster MERC 319 AMD RX 6950XT
    Sound Card
    n/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VP349CGL + Lenovo G24qe-20 + Lenovo L24q-30
    Screen Resolution
    3440 x 1440 + 2x 2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    2x 2TB Samsung 990 PRO
    PSU
    FSP Hydro PTM Pro 850W (HPT2-850M)
    Case
    Fractal Meshify 2 RGB
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooling Liquid Freezer II 280mm + MX-6
    Keyboard
    Mountain Everest
    Mouse
    Razer Deathadder V3
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps down / 35 Mbps up
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    All frequencies stock, except XMP II (MemTest86+ passed)
hmmm - solution is to disable real time Defender...
No one said to disable Windows Defender Real-time protection. It is the Windows Defender Real-Time Protection notification feature that is causing the high CPU usage and reduced performance. The Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.exe) shows this explanation.

This policy setting turns off real-time protection prompts for known malware detection.

Turning off the prompts and turning off real-time protection are two different things.

download an app by author
I wrote a free app called Counter Control so users can test for this problem as well as fix it. No use in releasing an app that only reports a problem if it cannot also fix it. Counter Control includes a TechPowerUp logo so anyone that sees this free app in a forum will know where to go to safely download it. It is a "proof of concept" type app to help users understand this issue.

not just scaremongering
My 10850K shows a repeatable drop of 1000 points in Cinebench R23 when Windows Defender sets the fixed counters to mode 2 and starts running this portion of its algorithm. No one is trying to scare anyone. Those are just the facts.

It does not seem to be all of Windows Defender that is causing this. Other users with completely different processors have reported similar results. A 6% drop in Cinebench performance seems to be typical. This decrease in performance has been reported in a wide variety of Core i CPUs from the 7th Gen through the 11th Gen. Both desktop and mobile CPUs are affected by this issue.

self promote author
I must not be very good at self promotion. I forgot to include both my name and email address within the program itself. Adding an About box is on the things to do list but realistically, that will likely never happen. Too busy for that.

BTW, I do not need any self promotion. I am already quite well known in the user community. My popular free utilities have been downloaded more than 16 million times from TechPowerUp alone. These programs are used by millions around the world every day for the last 15 years. Counter Control was written to inform and make user's Intel based computers faster if that is what they choose to do. Counter Control was not written to make a quick buck.

It may not affect all users
That is correct. User testing has shown that Intel's 12th Gen CPUs do not have this problem. Intel's 12th Gen CPUs have the exact same fixed function and programmable counters as all of the previous Intel Core i CPUs have. For some unknown reason, the part of the Windows Defender algorithm that is being run on the 7th to 11th Gen CPUs does not get started on the 12th Gen CPUs. None of the counters are being started so this part of the Windows Defender algorithm must not be starting.

Can't reproduce the 1000+ point difference noted by unclewebb.
A person will only see this sort of difference if Counter Control reports that the Windows counters are initially set to 0x222. You have a 12th Gen CPU so this problem does not affect your computer. Your counters are reporting 0x000 which means they are not being used. If you do not have a problem that needs to be solved, running Counter Control is not going to change anything. Cinebench performance will be exactly the same.

Cant say i've noticed anything
That is not surprising. When you have six or more cores like most people do along with hyper threading, an inefficient antivirus program is not going to be noticed by most users during normal use. This issue has been around for years because very few people ever noticed anything out of the ordinary. Just recently, I finally found a way to reproduce this issue and I came up with a simple way to fix it. That is why I wrote Counter Control. Most users appreciate some extra performance, especially when it does not cost anything.

Now that this problem is a little more out in the open, maybe Microsoft will notice this. They can decide if there is any room for improvement in the efficiency of their Windows Defender algorithm. Most minor issues like this are likely to be quickly forgotten before they are ever fixed.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    10850K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRIX Z490-E GAMING
    Memory
    G.Skill DDR4-4000 8GB x 2
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
hmmm - solution is to disable real time Defender or download an app by author?

I will wait for positive proof this is not just scaremongering in order to self promote author.
Hi there

I had experience definitely excessive CPU consumption after installing W11 (latest releases) from clean install -- not sure what was causing it but definitely lap top fan really whirring loudly and laptop getting hot. This was even before I had installed any extra software after the basic Windows 11 Clean install.

The only thing I did probably not according to the book was to get round the Microsoft account by specifing a silly Email address -- nobody@nobody.com with a password : rubbish. Got a message "Oops --something went wrong and then the next screen appeared Who is going to use this computer -- and then set up OK on local account. (W11 PRO ENG GB version) . Maybe Ms has found a new way to "penalize Local account users" !!!!!!

I resolved the issue by installing W10 (clean) and then running upgrade to the W11 versions I wanted (Insider preview). Problem fixed. Got a W10 iso from UUPDUMP so no prob there. If you do it that way ensure all the latest updates are applied to W10 before updating to W11.

Whether it was WD or whatever I haven't a clue -- Something obviously wasn't correct and I'm not minded to delve into those issues -- I leave that to those more familiar with the intricate processes of Windows internals etc --- CPU was i5 Gen 8 and Intel graphics.

All working now.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
No one said to disable Windows Defender Real-time protection. It is the Windows Defender Real-Time Protection notification feature that is causing the high CPU usage and reduced performance. The Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.exe) shows this explanation.



Turning off the prompts and turning off real-time protection are two different things.


I wrote a free app called Counter Control so users can test for this problem as well as fix it. No use in releasing an app that only reports a problem if it cannot also fix it. Counter Control includes a TechPowerUp logo so anyone that sees this free app in a forum will know where to go to safely download it. It is a "proof of concept" type app to help users understand this issue.


My 10850K shows a repeatable drop of 1000 points in Cinebench R23 when Windows Defender sets the fixed counters to mode 2 and starts running this portion of its algorithm. No one is trying to scare anyone. Those are just the facts.

It does not seem to be all of Windows Defender that is causing this. Other users with completely different processors have reported similar results. A 6% drop in Cinebench performance seems to be typical. This decrease in performance has been reported in a wide variety of Core i CPUs from the 7th Gen through the 11th Gen. Both desktop and mobile CPUs are affected by this issue.


I must not be very good at self promotion. I forgot to include both my name and email address within the program itself. Adding an About box is on the things to do list but realistically, that will likely never happen. Too busy for that.

BTW, I do not need any self promotion. I am already quite well known in the user community. My popular free utilities have been downloaded more than 16 million times from TechPowerUp alone. These programs are used by millions around the world every day for the last 15 years. Counter Control was written to inform and make user's Intel based computers faster if that is what they choose to do. Counter Control was not written to make a quick buck.


That is correct. User testing has shown that Intel's 12th Gen CPUs do not have this problem. Intel's 12th Gen CPUs have the exact same fixed function and programmable counters as all of the previous Intel Core i CPUs have. For some unknown reason, the part of the Windows Defender algorithm that is being run on the 7th to 11th Gen CPUs does not get started on the 12th Gen CPUs. None of the counters are being started so this part of the Windows Defender algorithm must not be starting.


A person will only see this sort of difference if Counter Control reports that the Windows counters are initially set to 0x222. You have a 12th Gen CPU so this problem does not affect your computer. Your counters are reporting 0x000 which means they are not being used. If you do not have a problem that needs to be solved, running Counter Control is not going to change anything. Cinebench performance will be exactly the same.


That is not surprising. When you have six or more cores like most people do along with hyper threading, an inefficient antivirus program is not going to be noticed by most users during normal use. This issue has been around for years because very few people ever noticed anything out of the ordinary. Just recently, I finally found a way to reproduce this issue and I came up with a simple way to fix it. That is why I wrote Counter Control. Most users appreciate some extra performance, especially when it does not cost anything.

Now that this problem is a little more out in the open, maybe Microsoft will notice this. They can decide if there is any room for improvement in the efficiency of their Windows Defender algorithm. Most minor issues like this are likely to be quickly forgotten before they are ever fixed.
Oh i can assure you i'd notice, I simply dont have the issue :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    10700k@5.2
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Gaming X Z490
    Memory
    Viper Steelseries 32gb@ 3600mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte 2070 Super 8GB, +200 core + 600 memory
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 4k HDR, Two 1080p Benq and Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160/2560x1440/1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Adata XPG SX8200 PRO 1tb
    Samsung EVO 870 500GB
    PSU
    Corsair RX 650
    Case
    NZXT h510
    Cooling
    CM HYPER 212 RGB
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata Chroma
    Mouse
    Steelseries Rival 710
We have three devices that are running Intel CPU's and we don't have any noticeable performance hits. One device is my wife's laptop and the other two are my mini pc's.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SAM0A87 Samsung SAM0D32
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-S
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
We have three devices that are running Intel CPU's and we don't have any noticeable performance hits. One device is my wife's laptop and the other two are my mini pc's.
You *think* you don't have any performance loss because you don't know how your PC performs without Windows Defender or have never benchmarked it. If you have, then you must be really special that all the reports have confirmed this but in some mysterious way, your computer is so special that it doesn't suffer from this performance loss. :ROFLMAO:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware m18 R1
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX
    Motherboard
    Alienware
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Impact 64 GB 5200 MHz DDR5 RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4090 16 GB GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+ (2560 x 1600) 165Hz, 3ms 300-Nit Screen + LG 32GQ850-B 32" UltraGear QHD 240hz Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    WQHD (3440 x 1440)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 PRO 2TB + 4TB SSDs
    PSU
    330W AC Power Adapter
    Cooling
    Noctua NT-H2 + Fujipoly Extreme Thermal Pads
    Keyboard
    Alienware CherryMX mechanical keyboard (Laptop) + AW510K Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (external)
    Mouse
    Alienware Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Mouse AW720M
    Internet Speed
    1 GBPS Down / 350 MBPS Up
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Avast Antivirus
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9500
    CPU
    Intel i7-10875H
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Impact 64 GB 3200 MHz DDR4 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    nVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q w/ 4 GB GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6 UHD+ Touch, InfinityEdge, 500-nits, Anti-Reflecitve
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 PRO 2TB + 4TB SSDs
    PSU
    Dell 130W Laptop Charger USB C Type C AC Adapter
    Cooling
    Noctua NT-H2 Thermal Paste on CPU + GPU
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3
    Internet Speed
    1 GBPS Down / 350 MBPS Up
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Avast Free Antivirus
You *think* you don't have any performance loss because you don't know how your PC performs without Windows Defender or have never benchmarked it. If you have, then you must be really special that all the reports have confirmed this but in some mysterious way, your computer is so special that it doesn't suffer from this performance loss. :ROFLMAO:
Depends on the computer -- but a laptop where the fan starts whirring faster and more noisily and the case getting much warmer than usual (not a modest amount but significantly noticeable) - even if Windows itself "Seems to be working OK" is a sure sign that something is causing more power consumption, and the fact it only happens on some machines with W11 means there's something in W11 that is causing this. I have other intel computers that are fine -- it's the laptop with an i5 gen 8 and built in intel graphics that seems to have this problem - nvidia graphics on the other machine --it's OK.

Seems also strange that re-installing W10 and THEN updating doesn't cause the problem but installing W11 from scratch directly does -- and this event is repeatable --not just a one off -- and from different releases too -- DEV build and insider preview build. 225... and 22.xxx builds.

I don't think I need "benchmarking" to notice if more power is being consumed than normal. At least not on a typical laptop.

It doesn't effect every machine - but there are a significant number of people even on these forums who have seen the problem.

I await the next few releases / updates to W10 with interest -- I'm sure the RTM 22H2 version will have fixed it before being fully rolled out. If not there are going to be quite a few "laptop's RMA'd" !!.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7

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