Software Review AV test #5 - underrated Emsisoft vs recent malware

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rifteyy
Here we go again... people complaining about Emsisoft's RAM usage.

Using high RAM only slows does a system if that system has inadequate RAM such as 4 or 8 GB. Most systems today should have at least 16 GB RAM, which unless the user is constantly doing heavy video editing work, should not be maxxed-out even with Emsisoft on the system.

The trend for the past few years are devices with 32 and 64 GB RAM. So unless everybody is using 10 to 15 year old systems, there is more than sufficient RAM for Emsisoft.

Emsisoft prioritizes CPU usage so it could cause spikes if an infection is detected. Those old CPUs will putz along for a few minutes.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Emsisoft's system resource usage.

All the features in the Emsisoft web portal - I think most home users don't need them.
 
bazang said:
The amount of RAM used by any AV is irrelevant because the AVs have methods to hide the actual RAM usage - and most of them do hide the actual RAM usage. Emsisoft does not do that.
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You mean Kaspersky, for example, is hiding its real RAM usage?
In such a situation, would not task manager shows higher total RAM usage, even if not showing high RAM usage by K processes?
 
Parkinsond said:
You mean Kaspersky, for example, is hiding its real RAM usage?
In such a situation, would not task manager shows higher total RAM usage, even if not showing high RAM usage by K processes?
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Yes.
No, it would not.
Ever notice with some applications that when the CPU fan is running and you open Task Manager, the CPU fan stops?
They're doing it to hide both RAM and CPU usage. Most of them do it. Some don't attempt to hide the CPU usage, only the RAM usage because people are weird and think using lots of RAM slows a system down. That used to be true for 4 GB RAM systems with HDD.
 
bazang said:
Ever notice with some applications that when the CPU fan is running and you open Task Manager, the CPU fan stops?
Click to expand...
But I can see my RAM usage without opening task manager using a lovely, small program called "Core temp"; it shows RAM usage of 40% while using K or MD, while it can reach 60% while using B and Emsisoft, after elimination of other confounders.
 
The Direct "Hiding" Methods

These are the techniques that can make an antivirus's memory usage appear lower in a tool like Task Manager than it actually is.

Driver-Level Memory Usage.

The most common method. Antivirus software loads a significant portion of its data, especially its core signature database, directly into a low-level system driver. Since Task Manager typically doesn't report memory used by drivers under a specific application's name, this usage becomes effectively invisible to the user.

Aggressive Use of the Page File.

The antivirus can instruct the operating system to move its less-used or non-essential data from your physical RAM to the "page file" on your hard drive. This frees up physical RAM, making the program's usage look lower, but it can potentially slow down the system if the page file is accessed frequently.

Process Splitting.

Instead of running as one large program, the antivirus breaks its different functions (e.g., real-time scanner, user interface, update manager) into many smaller processes. Each process shows a low memory usage, but when combined, the total is much higher. This makes it harder for a user to see the full resource impact at a glance.

The Broader Resource Management Strategies.

These aren't "hiding" methods, but they are modern techniques that minimize the overall system impact, which can give the impression of lower resource usage.

Cloud-Based Scanning.

Modern antivirus suites offload a lot of the heavy lifting—like analyzing a suspicious file—to remote servers in the cloud. The local software only needs to send a small file "fingerprint" for analysis, which means it doesn't need to load a massive, resource-intensive signature database into local RAM.

Caching and Whitelisting.

Once a known, good file has been scanned, the antivirus "whitelists" or "fingerprints" it so it doesn't need to be scanned again. This dramatically reduces the workload for day-to-day use and keeps RAM usage low because the program only needs to monitor new or modified files.

Resource Prioritization (Being "Polite").

Antivirus software can be programmed to run its scans and updates in the background with a low priority. When you start using a resource-intensive application, the antivirus will automatically back off and reduce its resource consumption to avoid impacting your user experience.

The key takeaway is that the amount of RAM shown for a single process in Task Manager is not the full story. A well-designed antivirus will use some or all of these methods to ensure it's both highly effective and has a minimal impact on your computer's performance.
 
Parkinsond said:
But I can see my RAM usage without opening task manager using a lovely, small program called "Core temp"; it shows RAM usage of 40% while using K or MD, while it can reach 60% while using B and Emsisoft, after elimination of other confounders.
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While that might be the case, still the amount of RAM usage is irrelevant. RAM is intended to be fully utilized. If a system has 16 GB RAM and the user chooses programs and settings to keep RAM at 2 GB or less, all they are doing is wasting the RAM that they paid for.

Some AV use a small local signature database, others use a large one and load it into RAM in the case that the system goes offline. You will find that K is not so good with offline detection as it relies very heavily upon cloud whereas BItdefender and Emsisoft do much better offline - if that is something that matters to the user.

There's always tradeoffs, but the constant complaints on forums like this that "The program uses too much RAM" is only relevant if the system is 10 or more years old with limited RAM. My systems, for example, consume 8 to 12 GB or RAM constantly.

Nobody has a problem with their browser hogging 1+ GB RAM routinely for speed, yet they complain when an AV uses 750 GB RAM. It is ridiculous.
 
bazang said:
Emsisoft prioritizes CPU usage so it could cause spikes if an infection is detected. Those old CPUs will putz along for a few minutes.
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That's the case with many AVs as the solution starts going through behavioural reports (rather messy databases), attempting to classify and connect the dots what's related, what's the result of the attack or incident which is the proper way to call it, and to generate a removal script, which in the end is executed.
In real life how many pieces of malware will be detected on a user's machine, for this to be a problem?
It's not just Emsisoft.
 
Parkinsond said:
What about a higher "TOTAL" RAM?
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Think of your computer's RAM like your desk. When your desk is clear, you're not getting much work done. As you start a project, you pull out folders, notes, and books. A higher "total" usage just means your computer's desk is full of useful things it might need again, so it's ready to go.

Here's what's happening.

Caching

Your operating system intelligently uses a part of your RAM as a cache. When you open a program or a file, the OS keeps it in memory for a while, even after you close it. If you decide to open it again, it launches almost instantly because it's still in the super-fast RAM, not the much slower hard drive or SSD. The "total" usage reflects all of this cached data.

Background Processes

Your computer is constantly running dozens, if not hundreds, of small background processes that you never see. These include system services, drivers, and various small tasks that keep your computer running smoothly. While each one might use a tiny amount of RAM, they add up quickly.

Pre-loading

Modern operating systems and applications will often "pre-load" data that they think you'll need soon. For example, your web browser might pre-load a few links on a webpage before you even click them. This makes your experience snappier, but it adds to the total RAM usage.

High total RAM usage is only a problem if you're experiencing actual performance issues.

Lag or Stuttering

Your computer feels slow, unresponsive, or freezes when you try to switch between applications or open a new one.

Programs Crashing

You get "Out of Memory" errors, or applications suddenly close.

Heavy Disk Activity

Your hard drive or SSD light is constantly blinking, even when you're not doing anything, because your computer is "paging" data back and forth to the slower disk
 
Trident said:
And what about the RAM Defender uses, and not just RAM but CPU usage as well? :D
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MD is very efficient for me; uses between 50-100 MB RAM, and almost 0% CPU most of the time, almost as good as K, followed by Avast.
Capture.PNG
 
Trident said:
This is probably the result of you RAM being limited because on my device it uses around 250. I can't show you now as I have something else installed.
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It is a good design of AV to efficiently use limited RAM, not a drawback; I would trust well-engineered AV for my protection more than a one which cannot utilize RAM in an economic way.
 
Parkinsond said:
It is a good design of AV to efficiently use limited RAM, not a drawback; I would trust well-engineered AV for my protection more than a one which cannot utilize RAM in an economic way.
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I see your point but these are structural and operational properties, that have very little to do with how "good" the code is, how efficient the performance is, how well malware is detected. Using less RAM can actually lead to increase in the number of operations the CPU must perform. Furthermore, this in task manager is not the real ram. For years Norton was reporting 10-12 MB in task manager but other tools were showing that the RAM usage was 100-150 MB.
 

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