Some people regard Windows Defender (which comes built into Windows) as perfectly adequate, whereas others have their doubts. (Things weren't helped by a statement from a senior Microsoft executive, who suggested that it should be regarded only as a first line of defence, thereby suggesting that something more is really necessary).
From reading countless relevant posts on AB, across more than a decade, it appears to me that the majority of AB members either stick with Windows Defender or use the free versions of AVG, Avast, Avira, Kaspersky, etc. (I use Avast:
https://www.avast.com/en-gb/lp-ppc-hp ).
However, even if you're paying megabucks for a full commercial security suite, I'd still advise having a standalone anti-malware program on your laptop, either free or paid-for (such as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware or Spybot Search & Destroy). Antivirus programs, or even full security suites, can often let malware through. At the very least I'd recommend bookmarking AdwCleaner, which provides a handy little program that doesn't need to be installed. (You just run it directly from the downloaded file). That means that malware can't disable it by making registry changes (as it can with other anti-malware programs):
https://www.malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner/