So Llama, what are your recommendations for system security in terms of the average Joe Schmoe?
OK. Here we go.
If you insist on only using free av software, then Avira's AntiVirus (that's its name) is the best of the lot. The free version pops up a daily window advertising the paid-for version, and it would be wrong-wrong-wrong to use Google to see how to disable it.
If you have $40 a year to spend, then the best standalone AV product is Eset's NOD32, especially for a gaming system you're trying to keep lean and mean. It has virtually no system drag and among the best detection rates based on AVComparitive's testing.
Either way, I recommend a hardware firewall/router between you and your broadband modem, even if you're only using 1 computer. I think Window's own software firewall is just fine. I think outbound software firewalls only alert you when your system is already infected, which is of very limited use.
If you're looking to prevent new spyware outbreaks on a system you know to be clean, then the free ThreatFire is very good, and is friendly on system resources. If you need to clean an infested system, then Spyware Doctor ($40) from pctools.com is my current favorite and gets the best results (and I test these things for a magazine, and use them to clean clients' infested machines - these aren't idle recommendations).
If you feel you must use software from a brand you recognize, and you feel you want a two-way software firewall, then Norton Internet Security 2009 is quite good, and unlike versions even just two years old, isn't going to bog your system down. It costs $70 but that's good for 3 computers, which is a pretty good deal.
People who go on and on against Norton products just haven't worked with the latest versions, IMHO. Symantec burned a lot of us with the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 product lines, so suspicion is warranted. But it's time to get over it and try out the latest versions on a test machine before branding it as junk.
Hope this helps,
Llama