I recently ran a full scan using Windows Defender on Windows 11, and I noticed that my CPU usage shot up to 100%. The fans were really loud during this time, which got me concerned. Is this kind of CPU usage typical for a full scan? I haven't experienced this before with my Ryzen 9 9900x.
2 Answers
Yeah, that's actually pretty normal. Antivirus scans, especially full ones, can be really CPU-intensive because they have to check every single file and folder on your PC. As long as it's just during the scan, you shouldn't worry about it.
Just to clarify, I assume you're using Windows Defender? If it's any third-party antivirus, those can really bog down a system. Most of them are just bloatware taking up unnecessary resources.
I’ve been using AVG for over two decades without issues. My dad used it in his cyber security job, and it served him well. It just depends on the software you trust!