Have you checked task manager to see what is using up your resources?
Avast 7 was first released on Feb. 23, 2012. This was eleven months ago.
If it is the resource hog that you say it is there would be many more users with a problem identical to yours.
What puzzles me is that this is your first post in over 1.5 years and is a rant with no signs that you intend on receiving any help from anyone.
Suddenly, even though Avast 7 was released 11 months ago, it has recently become this big resource hog for you?
snip> I've been a user of Avast for close to a decade, now. During that time I have recommended Avast to the MANY people I know and have gone so far as installing and configuring it on their computers when some of them have messed them up and asked me to straighten them out. (Friends don't let friends use Norton! .... or, worse yet, nothing at all!) A few of these people whose computers I've installed Avast on have even BOUGHT it!!! I've also recommended Avast on way too many message boards and forums to count. <snip
You make no mention that your friends also consider avast a resource hog. Must not have been considering they purchased it.
snip> First, I've had slowdowns caused by Avast AV on every single computer that I've installed it on ranging from older computers running XP all the way up to brand new Win 7 computers. These slowdowns have obviously ranged from extremely severe all the way up to just somewhat noticeable. Therefore, system specs - while they have SOMETHING to do with the problem - are much less an issue than the code they are attempting to run. <snip
You recommend avast to your friends even though you have had slowdowns caused by avast on every computer you have installed it on. How can you recommend this to your friends if it is so problematic?