First you need to understand that avast doesn't block, it is looking for malware by signature and the only time there would be any blocking was if it found something and all hell would break loose with the visual and audible alert.
Some AVs that have heuristics might find that type of activity suspicious and so may block, but they too I would guess should also through up an alert and not simply block.
Now avast5 whilst it doesn't have 'heuristics by name' as there is a sort of hard and fast definition for what heuristics is, it will however have something closer to HIPS so that may get in on the act in something like the activity you mention. However, again I would suspect that you will get the audible and visual alert and not simply be blocked. If that were the case then you could choose to pause the protection if you are happy at what is being done is legit for the task you set out to do.
I have also installed nvida graphics drivers without pausing avast.