Spent months perusing message boards, anti-virus engine reviews, seeking, pondering, then read some more.
I noticed a large number of techno-geeks, the chaps who code for a living or run the IT department for a corporations, using on their own computers Nod32 from Eset.
Have used it for 3 years. Pleased with the program. Firm believer in the "yah' gets whatcha' pays for" adage. I gladly pay the $29 bux or whatever yearly fee for virus signature updates.
Of course, your mileage may vary.