If there’s one thing we’ve all experienced as Windows PC users, it’s the inevitable degradation of our computers. After all, PCs get bogged down with junk files, registry issues, fragmented hard drives, and other computer-related ills. Fortunately, AVG TuneUp can deal with those issues, and give your PC a jolt of new life. Although the application duplicates some of Windows 10’s basic, built-in tune-up tools, it’s worth a purchase if you want a simple way to improve your PC’s performance.
Prices and Licenses
AVG TuneUp is available in free and premium varieties. Unlike many other tune-up utilities, AVG TuneUp’s free tier lets you clean up a PC. There is, however, a 30-day limit before the app asks you to shell out a pricey $69.99-per-year subscription. Fortunately, AVG runs many TuneUp discounts, so you can download the app for, say, $29.99 (its price at the time of this writing). For comparison, Ashampoo WinOptimizer costs $49.99 (as a one-time purchase) and Iolo System Mechanic costs $49.95 (as an annual purchase).
Like Ashampoo WinOptimizer, an AVG TuneUp purchase comes with a 10-PC license. That should be more than enough licenses to cover the typical household. That said, Iolo System Mechanic lacks a license cap, so you can install it on any number of PCs for non-business purposes.
AVG TuneUp’s Tools
AVG TuneUp is an extremely easy-to-read digital toolbox that contains many performance-boosting applications, as well as extra tools, such as a software updater and driver updater. There are far too many to list here, but I’ll highlight a few standout features.
One of AVG TuneUp’s numerous features is Sleep Mode. It works by identifying software that has lots of startup items or processes running in the background and puts them to sleep until you need them. It’s designed to alleviate the resource strain put on your PC and keep things moving at a brisk pace.
Browser Cleaner and Disk Cleaner have been a part of AVG TuneUp for some time, but they’re now improved to better clean up your hard drive. You see, as you use your computer, the machine can build up leftover temporary data files that can impact browser and general computer effectiveness. These two apps, between them, delete those useless files.
Software Uninstaller is an app that removes bloatware, toolbars, and other unnecessary programs. Like Slimware Utilities SlimCleaner, Software Uninstaller leverages a cloud-based rating system—made up of blacklists, white lists, heuristic algorithms, and user ratings—to recommend apps to ditch. This is valuable for freeing up hard drive space, and it might help you screen out sketchy software, too.
AVG TuneUp vs. Windows 10
I tested AVG TuneUp’s ability to tune up a Windows PC by performing two tests—running the Geekbench system performance tool and measuring boot times—before and after running the tune-up utility to compare the computer’s speed. I ran each test three times, and then averaged the numbers.
Before I ran AVG TuneUp to clean up the system, my testbed—which has an Intel Core i5 CPU, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics card, 16GB of RAM, 2TB hard drive—booted in a lengthy 2 minutes and 32 seconds. The rig scored 605; 2,469; and 61,032 on Geekbench’s Single-Core, Multi-Core, and OpenCL tests, respectively.
As expected, I saw significant test score improvements after running AVG TuneUp. My testbed’s boot time dropped to a respectable 1 minute and 25 seconds, which is 14 seconds slower than Iolo System Mechanic’s category-leading time. In addition, the Single-Core, Multi-Core, and Compute Score numbers rose to 792; 2,584; and 62,061, respectively. AVG TuneUp didn’t claim a top spot in any of the four testing categories, but it put up solid numbers across the board.
Windows 10‘s built-in tools offered comparable improvements. The testbed’s boot time dropped to a respectable 1 minute and 14 seconds (just three seconds behind Iolo’s result), while its Single-Core, Multi-Core, and OpenCL numbers improved to 820; 2,637; and 62,578, respectively.
Clearly, AVG TuneUp positively impacts your PC, but you may be wondering how its improvements compare to the ones that come from Windows 10’s own tune-up apps. AVG TuneUp didn’t top Windows 10 in any of our test categories, but that doesn’t mean AVG TuneUp isn’t worth a purchase.
More Than Numbers
AVG TuneUp has all its valuable tools in one convenient location. With Windows 10, you have a Disk Defragmenter, Storage Sense, and Startup applications, but all are in different places in the operating system. There’s no one button—or even one interface—that controls them all.
Plus, you get the Fire Shredder app that Iolo claims permanently deletes unwanted, sensitive files. Windows 10 also has a feature that overwrites deleted data, Cipher, but it requires firing up Windows Powershell and tinkering with the command line. Most people aren’t willing or even able to do that. Likewise, AVG TuneUp’s Rescue Center simplifies the process of backing up Windows 10’s shortcuts and registry, which comes in handy when disaster strikes.
Do You Need More Than What Windows 10 Offers?
AVG TuneUp has many advantages. It not only improves a lethargic PC’s performance, but includes a file shredder, backup app, and other useful utilities. That said, tune-up utilities as a whole aren’t quite as valuable as they once were due to Windows 10’s integrated tools that let you tune-up your PC for free. Our testing numbers prove that.
Plus, third-party tune-up utilities caused two our our testbeds to suffer hard drive failures; Windows 10’s built-in tools haven’t fried our drives. Unfortunately, Windows 10’s tools don’t live on your desktop or Start menu, so it’s easy to overlook them. AVG TuneUp, on the other hand, is something that you know exists after purchasing it.
AVG TuneUp is the tune-up suite to purchase if you want an easy-to-read utility that effectively cleans PCs and don’t want to tinker with Windows 10 (its 30-day, free version is surprisingly potent, too). Otherwise, Iolo System Mechanic is your pick, due to its clean-up effectiveness (the app posted the best boot time of all tested tools) and a tier featuring antivirus protection.
