ESET NOD 32 PC gamers have to be picky about what programs they allow to run in the background. Few things can be more frustrating than an automatic update minimizing your game or a system scheduled task bogging down your ram. That’s why ESET’s NOD 32 stands out as one of NXL’s favourite antivirus software’s. With ESET, no longer will you be at the mercy of high ram scheduled scans, or will your game minimize for something as trivial as a pop-up window. GAMER MODE With a click of the button, ESET Nod 32 will activate its aptly named “Gamer Mode.” Though gamer mode probably won’t make you a better gamer, it can certainly even the playing field by both keeping your precious rig safe from viral harm while allowing you to maximize those expensive components. Gamer mode will automatically disable any potential ESET pop-ups, any updates and will significantly lower its background CPU usage. MALWARE SCANNER AND FEATURES ESET also maintains a consistent and robust anti-malware scanner, which uses advanced heuristics and machine learning to catch viruses that have yet to be added to its database. Over the course of a month, ESET was able to catch any and all of the Trojans, spyware and ransomware that were “purposefully” thrown its way. The user can choose between one of three scans to detect anything lurking in your files and registry, including a full system scan, a drag and drop custom scan, and a removable device scan. Depending on the number of files on your computer, however, the full system scan can take upwards of 5 hours and an average of 2-3. At least you know nothing is getting missed. As with most other high-end antivirus programs, ESET also provides some heavy-duty features to secure your privacy and data. This includes a relatively sensitive Firewall, a secure browser, webcam protection, anti-phishing, a spam filter and a connected home monitor. Though upon testing, some of these features seem a little less than perfect, the reality is that unless you plan to dish out a fair amount of money, ESET Nod 32 is certainly a safe bet that will protect your computer from almost every single type of threat out there. Similarly, few antivirus programs out there will consistently run as quietly as ESET will, especially with gamer mode activated.