Question Which AV are you using and why did you choose this one ??

[rashmi]

Kaspersky spins up the cpu (9800X3D) after boot like there is no tomorrow, the fans go crazy for a good few seconds.

Try disabling the rootkit scan, etc.

 

[partha_roy]

My first choice is always Kaspersky. But if you want something else, second paid choice is BitDefender. Nothing else comes nearby in terms of protection. These two play in their own league.

Now, if none of these are an option for you, I wouldn't consider paying for any other antivirus. Else, I'd go for Microsoft Defender + VoodooShield CyberLock, and harden Defender with DefenderUI (free software). As for VPN, I'd go for a separate, decent option, like Windscribe/NordVPN/AirVPN if you want a decent, no-log VPN.

I usually find that AVG gives better protection than Kaspersky or Bitdefender in my tests. McAfee is a solid choice too, but its one downside is that it only scans files upon execution, rather than when you access them in the file explorer.