It's a reasonable question. Every piece of software running on a computer consumes resources. Every agent checking in with a cloud service uses bandwidth and processing power. If you're managing hundreds of devices - especially older ones with limited resources - you need to know whether the management tool itself will cause performance problems.
The short answer: Faronics Cloud is designed to be lightweight, and in many cases, Deep Freeze actually improves device performance by preventing the degradation that typically slows computers down over time. But the complete answer requires understanding what the software actually does and how it uses system resources.
This guide addresses performance concerns directly, explains resource usage in practical terms, and examines impact on older devices specifically.
Performance Concerns Addressed
Let's address the most common performance concerns directly:
"Will this slow down my computers?"
Under normal operation, users shouldn't notice any performance impact from Faronics Cloud. The agent runs quietly in the background, using minimal resources. It's not constantly scanning files, analysing behaviour, or performing intensive operations that compete with user activities.
What actually happens:
• The agent checks in periodically with Faronics Cloud - a brief network operation
• Deep Freeze operates at a low level, redirecting disk writes - not blocking or scanning them
• Anti-Executable checks executables when they launch - a quick whitelist lookup
• WINSelect applies interface restrictions - no ongoing processing required
None of these operations are resource-intensive. They're designed to be invisible to users during normal work.
"Won't it be like antivirus, constantly scanning?"
No. Faronics products work fundamentally differently from antivirus software:
Antivirus: Continuously scans files, monitors behaviour, analyses patterns, downloads signature updates. This requires significant CPU, memory, and disk activity.
Deep Freeze: Redirects disk writes to a separate area at the driver level. No scanning, no analysis, no pattern matching. The operation is simple and fast.
Anti-Executable: Checks executables against a whitelist when they launch - a simple lookup, not a deep scan. If it's on the list, it runs. If not, it's blocked. Milliseconds, not seconds.
The architectural approach is lightweight by design, not heavyweight with optimisation applied.
"Will boot times be affected?"
Deep Freeze does perform operations during boot:
What happens at boot: Deep Freeze discards changes made during the previous session and restores the baseline. On modern hardware with SSDs, this typically adds only a few seconds to boot time.
On HDDs: The impact may be slightly more noticeable - perhaps 10-20 seconds on older spinning disk systems - but still modest compared to overall boot time.
Practical impact: Users typically don't notice. The boot process includes many operations; Deep Freeze's contribution is a small fraction of the total.
"Will it consume network bandwidth?"
The Faronics Cloud agent communicates with the cloud service, but bandwidth usage is minimal:
Regular check-ins: Small data packets every few minutes - status reports, configuration checks. Kilobytes, not megabytes.
Policy updates: When configuration changes, the new policy is downloaded. Still small - configuration data, not large files.
Not bandwidth-intensive: Faronics Cloud doesn't stream data, download large updates (Windows Update does that separately), or perform cloud-based scanning. It's management traffic, not data traffic.
Resource Usage: What the Numbers Actually Look Like
Let's get specific about resource consumption:
Memory (RAM) usage
The Faronics agent and Deep Freeze driver typically use:
• Agent process: Approximately 20-50 MB of RAM
• Deep Freeze driver: Minimal kernel memory footprint
• Total typical usage: 50-100 MB
For context: a single Chrome tab often uses more memory than the entire Faronics installation. On a system with 4 GB or more of RAM, this usage is negligible.
CPU usage
During normal operation:
• Idle: Near zero - the agent isn't doing continuous work
• During check-in: Brief spike, returns to idle within seconds
• Deep Freeze disk operations: Handled at the driver level with minimal CPU involvement
• Anti-Executable checks: Imperceptible - whitelist lookups are fast
You won't see Faronics processes consuming significant CPU in Task Manager during normal use.
Disk space and I/O
Deep Freeze does use disk space for its redirection mechanism:
ThawSpace: You can configure protected "ThawSpace" partitions for data that should persist. Size is configurable based on your needs.
Redirect space: During a session, changes are written to a separate area. This space is reclaimed on reboot. Adequate free space should be maintained - typically recommend keeping 10-15% of the drive free.
Disk I/O: Deep Freeze adds a layer to disk operations, but modern systems handle this with no perceptible delay. SSD performance impact is essentially unmeasurable.
Network bandwidth
Actual bandwidth consumption:
• Per check-in: A few kilobytes
• Daily total per device: Typically under 1 MB
• Policy updates: Small incremental data
• 100 devices: Perhaps 100 MB daily total - less than a single Windows update
This is management overhead, not data-intensive traffic. It won't strain school networks or consume meaningful internet bandwidth.
Impact on Older Devices
This is where the story gets interesting. For older devices, Faronics often improves performance rather than degrading it:
Why old computers get slow
Older computers typically slow down over time due to:
• Accumulated temporary files and cached data
• Registry bloat from installed and uninstalled software
• Background processes from accumulated software
• Malware and potentially unwanted programs
• Fragmented storage (especially on HDDs)
• Changed settings and configurations
On shared computers with many users, this degradation accelerates. What starts as a reasonably fast machine becomes painfully slow over months.
Deep Freeze prevents degradation
Deep Freeze stops this degradation cycle:
No accumulation. Temporary files, cached data, registry changes - all wiped on reboot. The system never fills with cruft.
No unwanted software. Programs installed during sessions are removed on reboot. No background processes from software you didn't authorise.
No malware persistence. Infections are cleared on reboot. Cryptominers, adware, and other resource-draining malware can't establish permanent residence.
Consistent baseline. The machine performs the same way today as it did when you froze it. Performance doesn't degrade over time.
The net performance effect on older hardware
Consider the trade-off:
Without Deep Freeze: No agent overhead, but performance degrades significantly over weeks and months. Eventually, reimaging becomes necessary just to restore usable performance.
With Deep Freeze: Small agent overhead, but performance stays consistent. The machine runs the same way month after month, year after year.
For older machines especially, preventing degradation typically delivers better sustained performance than the small overhead costs. The 50 MB of RAM used by the agent is easily offset by not having dozens of unwanted background processes consuming resources.
Practical recommendations for older devices
To maximise performance on older hardware:
Create a lean baseline. Before freezing, optimise the system. Disable unnecessary startup programs. Remove bloatware. Configure for performance. This optimised state becomes permanent.
Maintain adequate free space. Keep 10-15% of the drive free for Deep Freeze's redirect operations. More free space means smoother operation.
Consider SSD upgrades. If older machines have HDDs, an SSD upgrade dramatically improves performance - both general responsiveness and Deep Freeze operations. Often the single best investment for ageing hardware.
Ensure adequate RAM. 4 GB is a practical minimum for Windows 10/11. If machines have less, upgrading RAM helps more than worrying about agent overhead.
Minimum system requirements
Faronics products have modest requirements:
• Windows 10 or Windows 11 (current supported versions)
• 2 GB RAM minimum (4 GB+ recommended)
• Adequate free disk space (10-15% recommended)
• Network connectivity for Faronics Cloud management
If a machine can run Windows 10/11 adequately, it can run Faronics products without significant additional burden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Deep Freeze slow down disk-intensive applications?
For most applications, no perceptible difference. Deep Freeze's disk redirection adds minimal overhead. However, extremely disk-intensive workloads (video editing, database servers) may see slight impact. These workloads typically aren't run on shared, frozen machines anyway - they need persistent storage.
Does performance get worse as a session continues?
Session changes accumulate in the redirect space until reboot, but this rarely causes performance issues unless the drive is nearly full. Maintain adequate free space, and sessions can run normally. Very long sessions with heavy disk writes might eventually fill redirect space - this is an edge case, resolved by rebooting.
Will the agent slow down boot time significantly?
On SSD systems, typically 2-5 seconds additional boot time. On HDD systems, perhaps 10-20 seconds. Compared to total boot time and considering the benefits, this is generally acceptable. Users rarely notice in practice.
Can I test performance impact before full deployment?
Yes, and you should. Deploy to a pilot group first. Monitor performance. Gather user feedback. If there are concerns about specific hardware, test on representative machines. The 30-day free trial gives you time to evaluate thoroughly before committing.
What if I notice performance problems after deployment?
First, verify the baseline is optimised - performance problems often trace to the frozen configuration, not Faronics itself. Check for adequate free space. Ensure the machine meets minimum requirements. If issues persist, Faronics support can help diagnose specific situations.
The Bottom Line: Lightweight Design, Often Net Positive
Faronics Cloud is designed to be lightweight. The agent uses minimal memory, negligible CPU, and modest network bandwidth. Deep Freeze operates at a low level with efficient disk redirection. Anti-Executable performs fast whitelist lookups, not resource-intensive scanning.
For most environments - especially shared computer labs, libraries, and kiosks - the net performance effect is often positive. The small overhead is outweighed by preventing the degradation that typically makes computers slow over time. Devices stay fast because they stay clean.
On older hardware specifically, Deep Freeze can breathe new life into machines that would otherwise need replacement or constant reimaging. The agent overhead is a small price for consistent, sustained performance.
Ready to Test Performance for Yourself?
Try Faronics Cloud free for 30 days. Deploy to a pilot group and measure actual impact in your environment.
