# I said YES to every Bloatware Pop-up Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKPvYbCSWT8 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/QKPvYbCSWT8 Generated: 2026-03-08T17:32:50.517+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The Dell Tower Plus desktop, tested out-of-box and after removing bloatware (including installing ThreatLocker), showed minimal performance differences in synthetic benchmarks but experienced significant power consumption increases (up to 60% higher idle draw) and much longer boot times (up to 4 minutes slower) when gaming peripherals were connected alongside the de-bloated configuration. **Key Points:** - The de-bloated configuration with ThreatLocker showed negligible performance differences compared to the out-of-box configuration in PCMark 10 (2884 vs 2855) and Cinebench 2024 (1494 vs 1481). - In Adobe Premiere Pro testing, the de-bloated configuration scored 123318, slightly lower than the out-of-box score of 123532. - When gaming peripherals were added, performance degradation was clear: Cyberpunk 2077 dropped from 108 FPS (average) to 104 FPS (average) without RT, and from 47 FPS to 40 FPS (average) with RT enabled. - The system startup time suffered significantly when peripherals were connected, taking 224 seconds (fully started) with peripherals versus 153 seconds out-of-box. - System idle power draw increased dramatically when peripherals were connected, jumping from 35.34W (de-bloated) to 61.84W (de-bloated + peripherals), a 74% increase. - The presenter ultimately concludes that while de-bloating is beneficial for idle power and startup time, adding numerous gaming peripherals negates these benefits, especially in power draw. ![Screenshot at 1:20: The PCMark 10 Storage Test chart visually demonstrates that the de-bloated configuration \(2884\) slightly outperformed the out-of-box configuration \(2855\), indicating minimal impact from the removed software on pure storage speed.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QKPvYbCSWT8/00-01-20.jpg) **Context:** The video investigates the impact of pre-installed software (bloatware) on a new Dell Tower Plus desktop by comparing its out-of-box performance against a system where bloatware has been removed and a security application, ThreatLocker, has been installed. The testing spans synthetic benchmarks (PCMark 10, Cinebench 2024, PugetBench, JetStream 2.2), gaming performance (Cyberpunk 2077), and system idle power consumption. A key part of the investigation involves testing the system both clean and with a suite of gaming peripherals connected to see how background processes and accessory drivers affect the baseline experience. ## Detailed Analysis The video tests the performance of a Dell Tower Plus desktop in its out-of-box state versus a configuration where bloatware is removed and ThreatLocker security software is added. In synthetic benchmarks like PCMark 10 Storage Test, the de-bloated setup scored marginally higher (2884 vs 2855). Cinebench 2024 scores were nearly identical (1494 vs 1481 multi-core). PugetBench scores for Adobe Premiere Pro showed a slight drop (123318 vs 123532) after de-bloating, while Photoshop saw a slight gain (7824 vs 7703). JetStream 2.2 web performance was negligibly affected. However, the real impact appeared in startup times and idle power draw. The de-bloated system booted faster (121s fully started vs 153s out-of-box) and used less idle power (35.34W vs 37.86W). The major drawback emerged when gaming peripherals were connected: the de-bloated system's idle power jumped to 61.84W (compared to 38.63W without peripherals), and its startup time increased to 224 seconds, demonstrating that the cumulative effect of peripheral drivers and background software can negate the benefits of de-bloating. ### Performance Benchmarks (Synthetic) - De-bloated configuration generally matched or slightly exceeded out-of-box scores across PCMark 10, Cinebench 2024, and PugetBench for Adobe apps. ### Gaming Performance (Cyberpunk 2077 1080p Ultra) - No measurable difference was observed in FPS averages (108 FPS) between de-bloated and out-of-box configurations without Ray Tracing. ### Gaming Performance (Cyberpunk 2077 1080p RT Ultra) - No measurable difference was observed in FPS averages (47 FPS) between de-bloated and out-of-box configurations with Ray Tracing enabled. ### Startup Time Impact - The de-bloated configuration booted significantly faster (121s fully started) than the out-of-box configuration (153s), but adding peripherals caused a massive slowdown to 224 seconds. ### Idle Power Usage - De-bloating reduced idle power draw from 37.86W (out-of-box) to 35.34W, but adding gaming peripherals increased the draw to 61.84W, highlighting the overhead of constantly connected accessories. ### Software Installation Experience - The process involved installing numerous pieces of utility/bloatware, including Razer Synapse, MSI Center, Norton 360, and ASUS Armoury Crate, often prompting for administrative rights or reboots. ![Screenshot at 0:02: The host introduces the topic by questioning the user's knowledge of their current RAM usage, setting the stage for performance analysis.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QKPvYbCSWT8/00-00-02.jpg) ![Screenshot at 0:26: A slide detailing the specifications of the Dell Tower Plus desktop used for testing, including the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and RTX 5060.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QKPvYbCSWT8/00-00-26.jpg) ![Screenshot at 1:20: The PCMark 10 Storage Test chart shows a marginal win for the de-bloated configuration \(2884\) over the out-of-box configuration \(2855\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QKPvYbCSWT8/00-01-20.jpg) ![Screenshot at 11:38: The final startup timer benchmark chart illustrating that the de-bloated system with ThreatLocker installed took 120 seconds to fully start, significantly faster than the 153 seconds required by the out-of-box system.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QKPvYbCSWT8/00-11-38.jpg)