Advice Request Microsoft Defender can Significantly Impact Intel CPU Performance, We have the Fix

[bayasdev]

Windows Defender can Significantly Impact Intel CPU Performance, We have the Fix

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...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[oldschool]

They don't provide any kind of official documentation for the "bug", only test info, so I take this as a kind of scaremongering.

 

[forgottenuser79643]

Honestly, rather than the (supposed) fix or (supposed) bug. I find it more curious and interesting on how it only effects Intel CPU's, if not a specific generation(s) of Intel CPU's. If you ask me, they may have been asking the wrong question. Instead of is "Windows Defender bugged/glitch?" to "Why this CPU or generation of CPU?".

 

[ForgottenSeer 93475]

I don't know why many people refuse to acknowledge the impact of Windows Defender on performance
I have done several tests on my desktop and laptop and it was always heavy and this appears clearly and painfully when dealing with large or many files such as thousands of photos, videos and songs
Even Kaspersky, which has always been heavy on devices, does not suffer from this problem
while for some reason eset internet security was very, very fast so I put it on my gaming PC

 

[plat]

Interesting...this observation involves the same generations as those approved by Microsoft for Windows 11. 8th gen to 11th gen, it says. Now, whether there's a connection is anyone's guess.

Also, it states in the article that AMD products are not affected but as rain2reign said: no further explanation

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.

I have not notice this myself with my 9th gen cpu, but admittedly haven't done any formal testing to rule it out, nor do I copy a lot of bulky folders where it's most obvious. I do trust the results of TechPowerUp though, until it's publicly stated otherwise.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

I don't know why many people refuse to acknowledge the impact of Windows Defender on performance
I have done several tests on my desktop and laptop and it was always heavy and this appears clearly and painfully when dealing with large or many files such as thousands of photos, videos and songs
Even Kaspersky, which has always been heavy on devices, does not suffer from this problem
while for some reason eset internet security was very, very fast so I put it on my gaming PC

Does everyone have the same computer specs and same software on their computer as you? If the answer is no then why would you think that because WD is slow on your computer that it would be the same on everyone else's?

 

[oldschool]

I don't know why many people refuse to acknowledge the impact of Windows Defender .. appears clearly and painfully when dealing with large or many files such as thousands of photos, videos and songs

Indeed, this has long been known about Defender but I can't think of one MT member that disagrees with that fact, which isn't the specific subject of the article. It's about CPU performance generally and not about opening large folders.

 

[plat]

It's about CPU performance generally and not about opening large folders.

Yup.

Is anyone considering trying out the TPU "fix" to reset cpu counters when Defender is misbehaving? I don't think my use-scenario justifies this so I'll pass.

The comments following the article are overall positive so far for the fix of UncleWebb (dev. of Throttlestop).

Anyone try this yet?

 

[Trooper]

I definitely feel the perfoermace issues for sure. Home users will likely not feel it as much. That said, I would not touch this fix. If so, it would have to be done in a vm. Snake oil to me unless someone feels like testing it.

 

[Andy Ful]

Interesting. This might explain why some MT members reported that their CPU load is usually a few percent even if it should be idle.

 

[Azure]

One of the comments there, showed this.

Redirecting

 

[forgottenuser79643]

Interesting. This might explain why some MT members reported that their CPU load is usually a few percent even if it should be idle.

I had that exact issue with Windows Defender on Windows 10, before I did a fresh installation of Windows 11 when that came out. Currently, not experiencing it at least.

One of the comments there, showed this.

Redirecting

That is similar to what my experience was on Windows 10. But I thought it was just my machine and OS install doing weird things.

 

[Andy Ful]

One of the comments there, showed this.

Redirecting

The issue in this comment is probably unrelated to the Defender bug with Intel processors. The bug makes a difference about 6%, and from the comment, the difference is over 2000%.
The build time (tested in the comment) must be much longer when real-time protection is enabled because Defender tries to scan the files used in the build. The build time can be significantly shortened after excluding some file extensions or the folder with files used in the build. The same is true on my machine with AMD processor which is bug-free.

 

[oldschool]

Out of curiosity I tried Counter Control even though I had no performance issues and it identified my OS as having the Defender 0x222 "bug". Using only Task Manager it appeared to have some minor impact on CPU which was otherwise indiscernible. Windows Defender resets the counter eventually anyway so I fail to see the point of using it. No harm, no foul, but otherwise not worth it.

 

[Andy Ful]

This minor issue can lower the CPU clock on some computers by about 50MHz (kind of throttle), so some gamers may be unhappy.

 

[ForgottenSeer 93475]

Does everyone have the same computer specs and same software on their computer as you? If the answer is no then why would you think that because WD is slow on your computer that it would be the same on everyone else's?

Google search that will answer you

Remember that complaints do not have the same computer or software specifications

 

[Numeriku]

Google search that will answer you

View attachment 267754

Remember that complaints do not have the same computer or software specifications

I can also replicate your evidence by using any other antivirus out there on google search. Not gonna bother screenshotting the others down.

 

[ForgottenSeer 93475]

Indeed, this has long been known about Defender but I can't think of one MT member that disagrees with that fact, which isn't the specific subject of the article. It's about CPU performance generally and not about opening large folders.

I did not refer to MT specifically, but perhaps if you search a little, you will find some denying any effect of WD on performance
Outside of MT, most discussions or questions about Defender slowdowns end with a complete denial of any slowness caused by wd and blaming any slowdown on third-party security software
I know that large files have something to do with protection in Windows Defender, but the effect on the CPU affects the overall performance and makes it worse

 

[ForgottenSeer 93475]

I can also replicate your evidence by using any other antivirus out there on google search. Not gonna bother screenshotting the others down.

My answer was in response to (why would you think that because WD is slow on your computer that it would be the same on everyone else's?)

I guess I didn't ask you the same question about Kaspersky until you quote the same answer

 

[vuksha_xc60]

I can also replicate your evidence by using any other antivirus out there on google search. Not gonna bother screenshotting the others down.

That's a likely behaviour for third party antivirus. The bigger problem is Windows's integrated antivirus which slows PC the same or even more than third party solutions. It's harder to control. You can't be sure what's it doing in background and on low end (or older) machines it sometimes makes a disaster in terms of CPU and disk usage leaving those machines practically unusable.