New PC - What programs maintain its speed?

Not sure I worded the subject well, but i'm currently using Vanquish Lvl 4 and loving it.

I download allot of torrents so I daily run Spy Bot Search and Destroy, Malware Bytes and the Windows Defender (Microsoft Essentials ) for antivirus. I also ran WinASO registry optimizer and Perfect Disk defragment software.

I was able to maintain a 6.6 second boot time even though I've installed quite a few games and some other software. I kept start-up programs all off except I kept "Delayed Launcher" from Intel, which has subsection IAStorIcon and Delayed Launcher again - i read online that has to do with SSD. I also run PeerBlock software and have that turned on on start-up because when I am downloading torrents it helps protect me.

Currently using Google Chrome as browser and using Ad Block Plus there.

I was wanting to check the PC temperature of the various parts, but was unable to find reliable or easy to use software for that, I am just hoping the temperature in my rig is adequate on all parts until I can figure out a good way to keep an eye on it without slowing down the system.

All my games are installed on the SSD and loving it.

Anyhow, just wondering if any of the above can be improved on or any new software that would be good. I would not mind paying for decent AntiVirus software, so far Kaspersky antivirus would be the one I was considering to get and replace the default WindowsDefender (formerly known as Microsoft Security Essentials).

Thanks guys!

Edited by ChaosProdigy - 05 May 2014 at 11:43pm

OCCT has a lot of features for monitoring, testing and stressing.

I use Malwarebytes on a regular basis and always recommend it.

I shut much pc down every night but others that leave it on have no problems.   A personal preference.   I unplug chargers and the toaster and coffee maker when done with them, so that's my thing.

I keep my system on 24/7 also. Grant it, I have a much more exotic cooling... still, it runs constantly with maybe me shutting it off once a week.

But that doesn't matter. We won't get into theories of the comp sci and comp engineering world here on the health of constantly shutting off. I want to touch on your programs. Get rid of Spybot. It's garbage. All you need is:

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
RogueKiller (optional but amazing rootkit scanner, host file, etc...)
And a decent AV. Malwarebytes is easily the best anti-spyware/malware scanner there is. Spybot has been garbage since about mid way through XP.

Originally posted by Snaike DS has mentioned in another thread, and I've learned from personal experience, that HWMonitor reads Vanquish II (4) mainboard temps in the 120ºC range.   I use a second source for temps, Speccy, from Piriform, same folks that gave us CCleaner.   Malwarebytes, SUPERAntiSpyware, CCleaner and avast! pro keep the machine safe.  A monthly defrag of the F: (HDD/1Tb) drive helps, too... (NEVER defrag SSD!)   Since there are two of us that us this machine now, and one of us works nights, the machine is on 24/7.  We generally hit the 'sleep' button on the keyboard if we're going to be away for an hour or more.  Never turn it off (so far).

Why never defeag SSD?
Also, any way to turn off Vanquish blue lights at night? They are too bright in my bedroom way brighter than 10 night lights would be :)

Originally posted by ChaosProdigy Originally posted by Snaike DS has mentioned in another thread, and I've learned from personal experience, that HWMonitor reads Vanquish II (4) mainboard temps in the 120ºC range.   I use a second source for temps, Speccy, from Piriform, same folks that gave us CCleaner.   Malwarebytes, SUPERAntiSpyware, CCleaner and avast! pro keep the machine safe.  A monthly defrag of the F: (HDD/1Tb) drive helps, too... (NEVER defrag SSD!)   Since there are two of us that us this machine now, and one of us works nights, the machine is on 24/7.  We generally hit the 'sleep' button on the keyboard if we're going to be away for an hour or more.  Never turn it off (so far).     Why never defeag SSD? Also, any way to turn off Vanquish blue lights at night? They are too bright in my bedroom way brighter than 10 night lights would be :)

Flash memory vs tradition hard drive disks. First off, defragging isn't need as it once was, even for HDD's. File systems and file optimization is much smarter than it use to be. But SSD's use flash memory, which is one of the causes for not needed to Defrag. Windows 7 and newer use TRIM to keep your SSD's nice and clean. But there are benchmarks out there, that show 1.) SSD's don't show degraded performance once heavy fragmented and/or filled past the 50% mark and 2.) Because of them being flash memory and fragmentation not being an issue, you regain performance from either TRIM or just doing a simple garbage clean up.

You can run a defrag on it and not cause any harm... but you also won't cause any performance increase or benefit. You'll essentially just waste time.

The red switch is for the internal light strip they mount on the bottom.  Some of the latest Vanquish didn't have it.   It doesn't do anything for the front LED fans.  No option I know of to turn them off, short of snipping a wire , but I'd have to see if that would even work.

Nice writeup Snaike.

Issue with putting the PC to sleep is that the only reason i leave the PC on all night is to download giant torrents that sometimes have few seeders so take a few days to gets - so to put it to sleep is not viable in my case.

Wondering if Digital Storm can chime in on ability to turn off the lights somehow

Originally posted by ChaosProdigy Nice writeup Snaike. Issue with putting the PC to sleep is that the only reason i leave the PC on all night is to download giant torrents that sometimes have few seeders so take a few days to gets - so to put it to sleep is not viable in my case. Wondering if Digital Storm can chime in on ability to turn off the lights somehow

Funny that we are talking about Vanquish II Ultimate fans.... I was just thinking that mine could use a couple more blue LED fans on top...   

(But then I'm reminded that will cause a "negative pressure" in the case and the air would come in through all the mesh work on the Corsair 230T case, bypassing the filters and making dust buildup a problem.... /sigh ....   MOAR BRITE FANZ!!)