Best software for gaming computer

HWMonitor brands itself as a hardware monitoring solution rather than a benchmarking application. However, it is one of the most used tools among gamers.

HWMonitor is particularly useful if you are trying to figure out why your desktop is heating up. High temperatures are one of the most common reasons behind frequent shutdowns, and HWMonitor can help you diagnose the issue by recording your CPU and GPU temperatures under different settings and varying degrees of load.

However, there is also a more powerful paid version that is capable of monitoring devices remotely and has an improved interface for power users. It allows for up to 20 remote connections and comes with 2 years of free updates.

Furthermore, you get some estimated frame rate performance figures for a selection of popular games provided by 3DMark, too. And of course, these benchmarks are going to be useful for anyone looking into overclocking their rig — plus 3DMark gives you the ability to stress test the stability of your overclock by running a looped benchmark over and over. The software is built by a team of engineers as a passion project rather than a corporate offering.

Apart from generating a slew of data alongside the net score of your hardware, it offers suggestions on how to improve performance. Every single hardware component is graded specifically based on its performance in the tests, allowing you to pinpoint exactly where your desktop is underperforming. Users should keep in mind, however, that there are a lot of controversies involving this software. Norton for Gamers is the best internet security suite on the market — its antivirus engine detected all of my test malware and its game booster feature noticeably improved my system performance during gameplay.

And with great family protections, dark web monitoring, and a lot of other useful features, Norton is one of the most full-featured programs on this list. Visit Norton. The scanner uses a combination of signature-based scanning, advanced heuristics, and machine learning to detect virtually all threats — and because all the scanning is performed in the cloud, Bitdefender will barely slow your system down, even during full system scans. Bitdefender also includes an automatic gaming mode that detects when your device enters full screen mode and automatically suspends scans and notifications.

In my testing, Bitdefender automatically suspended scans and notifications whenever I was gaming, and its powerful real-time malware detection kept my device safe without affecting my framerate at all. Visit Bitdefender.

McAfee Gamer Security is a streamlined, easy-to-use gaming antivirus that does a great job at optimizing CPU performance. That said, less die-hard gamers will be satisfied with McAfee Total Protection , which provides more security features and still includes an automatic game mode. McAfee Gamer Security provides a streamlined cloud-based antivirus scanner, plus performance monitoring and optimization tools tailored for high-end PCs.

I really like how detailed the performance monitoring features are, and I also like how easy it makes tracking and monitoring different factors like GPU usage, frame rate, and RAM. While McAfee Gamer Security is a really good choice for avid gamers, users looking for a full-featured antivirus should go with McAfee Total Protection.

All McAfee purchases come with a day money-back guarantee. Visit McAfee. Avira Free Security is a secure, cloud-based antivirus with a simple game mode.

Avira is the only antivirus on this list that has a gaming mode in its free plan. Users looking for a VPN with unlimited data, multi-device coverage, and game booster should upgrade to Avira Prime, which also comes with a day money back guarantee.

Visit Avira. Kaspersky has everything I expect to see in a premium antivirus suite for gamers — it has a good anti-malware scanner, an automatic game mode, and a variety of internet security protections. Kaspersky is a comprehensive antivirus suite with a built-in gaming mode.

Kaspersky also has a variety of useful extra features, including online shopping and banking protection, a password manager, a VPN, and system clean-up tools. Selective, automatic, and easy. If you want to take a more specific backup, you can, and restoring later on is incredibly easy.

The format is far more widespread than it once was, and there are smaller, faster, and more versatile readers than, er, reader—SumatraPDF being the best among them. This includes PGP integration, so you can securely sign or encrypt your messages, along with advanced contacts management, importing from other email apps, and a chat client that supports most common IM protocols.

Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Box, even Mega, they all give you a local folder that automatically mirrors one online.

We favor Dropbox for this task, mainly because it feels like the most responsive and sensible way to magically clone your stuff. Perfect for backing up backups. The great benefit of being the biggest name in your field, as Evernote surely is, is integration. You can sync the basic free account with two devices. Efficiency is the name of the game where Ninite is concerned. If you have even a passing interest in making your new gaming PC's graphics card earn its price tag, free optimization software MSI Afterburner is essential.

Think of MSI Afterburner as the way to unlock the inner potential of your GPU — the software opens up the voltage settings of your chosen bit of hardware and enables you to improve its overall performance. Video memory and clock speed are the two areas MSI Afterburner shines the most when it comes to overclocking your machine. Be warned, though — mucking about with this settings can seriously overheat your rig, so make sure your cooling unit is set to full blast before you start cooking your GPU.

There are plenty of options out there when it comes to broadcasting your games, but far too many constrict you with unnecessary limitations. Away from your smartphone, gaming sessions usually mean long stretches in front of your display, straining those peepers of yours in the quest for trophies and achievements. One potential solution is a piece of software specifically designed to make your monitor that bit less damaging over long periods.

One such option is f. This free Windows app works by dynamically adjusting the colour temperature of your display depending on the time of day and the light sources in the place you have your new gaming PC PC set up.