Why Is Google Chrome Using So Much RAM? Here's How to Fix It

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If you've done any research at all into different browsers, you're familiar with the fact that Chrome can be a bit of a resource hog. Glance at your Task Manager or Activity Monitor, and you'll often see Chrome at the top of the list.

But why does Chrome use so much RAM, especially compared to other browsers? And what can you do to keep it in check? Here's how to make Chrome use less RAM.

Does Google Chrome Really Use More RAM?

Several years ago, the only answer was Yes. Google Chrome's RAM-hungry reputation was well known.

However, changes to Google Chrome have improved browsers' memory usage, especially compared to other popular browsers. At times, Mozilla, Edge, Opera, and Safari all use more RAM than Chrome. How do I know this? I ran a short test, opening a Facebook page, a YouTube video, the BBC Sport website, and Twitter in a clean browser.

The results will interest you.

There is Google Chrome, sitting happily in the middle of the other browsers. Sure, this is anecdotal, and there is more than enough evidence that Chrome eats more RAM than other browsers. If you have ever run your own browser RAM-use test, there's a strong chance you found Chrome using more RAM than other browsers.

Google Chrome is absolutely one of the fastest browsers, but it needs a lot of RAM to take that title.

Why Does Google Chrome Use So Much RAM?

"Aw, Snap! Google Chrome ran out of memory while trying to display this webpage."

That's the message you see when Chrome runs out of memory. To understand why Chrome uses so much memory, you need to understand how most modern browsers operate.

Every app on your computer runs processes in your computer's RAM, where the hard work of running your computer takes place. RAM is temporary storage for all kinds of data, and it is very fast. Your CPU can access data held in your system RAM much faster than a hard drive or even an SSD.

Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Microsoft Edge store every tab, plugin, and extension in a different RAM process. This process is called isolation and prevents one process from writing to another one.

Hence, when you open your Task Manager or Activity Monitor, Google Chrome displays multiple entries. If you look closely, you can see that each process only uses a small amount of RAM, but the load is very high when you add them up.

How Does Google Chrome Manage RAM?

Browsers like Chrome manage RAM this way to offer better stability and faster speeds. But Chrome still uses a lot of RAM. At least, in many cases, it appears to be using more RAM than other browsers. Here's a short explanation as to how Chrome handles RAM.

The main reason for running each process separately is stability. By running each process separately, if one crashes, the entire browser remains stable. Sometimes, a plugin or extension will fail, requiring you to refresh the tab. If every tab and extension was run in the same process, you might have to restart the whole browser instead of a single tab.

The downside is that some processes that single-process browsers can share between tabs must be replicated for each tab in Chrome. Splitting into multiple processes comes with security benefits, too, similar to sandboxing or using a virtual machine.

For example, if a JavaScript attack occurs in one tab, there is no way to cross into another tab within Chrome, which may well happen in a single-process browser.

Adding the amount of RAM usage in Chrome are plugins and extensions. Each plugin or extension you add to Google Chrome requires resources to run. The more extensions you have installed, the more RAM Chrome needs to run.

Pre-rendering is a notable example. Pre-rendering lets Chrome start loading up a webpage that it predicts you'll go to next (it might be the top search result from Google or the "next page" link on a news site). The pre-rendering process requires resources, and so uses more RAM. But it also speeds up your browsing experience, especially for frequently visited sites.

The flip side is that if there is a bug with the pre-rendering process, it can use more RAM than you might expect, slowing down other areas of your computer or making the browser tab unresponsive.

Chrome RAM Use on Limited Hardware Devices

Chrome has some answers for RAM use on low-power devices or devices with limited hardware. However, the general rule is that when Chrome runs on capable hardware, it will operate using the processes model explained previously.

Whereas, when Chrome runs on a device with fewer resources, Chrome will consolidate into single processes to reduce the overall memory footprint. Using a single process allows for a reduction in resources but comes at the risk of browser instability.

Also, Chrome is aware of how much memory it is using. It isn't mindlessly eating every bit of RAM it can find. Chrome limits the number of processes it can start depending on your system hardware. It is an internal limit, but when reached, Chrome switches to running tabs from the same site in a single process.

Updates Attempt to Stop Chrome Taking Up Memory

In late 2020, Google Chrome developers announced they would introduce a RAM-saving feature known as "PartitionAlloc Fast Malloc." Without delving too far into the feature's technicalities, PartitionAlloc should stop any single process consuming more than 10 percent of the total system memory.

The improvement comes after Microsoft managed to reduce RAM use in the Chromium-based Edge browser using "Segment Heap," another improvement dedicated to reducing browser memory usage.

In March 2021, with the release of Chrome 89, PartionAlloc went live. Google claims that the feature reduces memory usage in 64-bit Windows by more than 20 percent, with a further 8 percent reduction in memory use through rendering. The change is notable. If you're using any version Chrome from version 89 onwards (Chrome 93 is the latest version at the time of writing), your browser will discard old memory faster, reducing the RAM overhead and Chrome's reputation as a memory hog with it.

RELATED:These Features Make Edge More Productive Than Chrome

Is Google Chrome's RAM Usage a Problem?

How much RAM does Chrome need? Is there a limit to the amount of RAM Chrome will use before it becomes a problem? The answer lies with your system hardware.

Just because Chrome uses a lot of RAM doesn't mean that it is necessarily causing a problem. If your system isn't using the available RAM, it isn't doing you any good; your computer only uses RAM to access data quickly and speed up processing. If you're keeping your RAM as clear as possible, you're not taking advantage of the power of your computer.

Just like on a smartphone, clearing out your running processes and the RAM might slow things down in the long run. That's why RAM cleaners and boosters are bad for your smartphone.

Chrome Using Too Much Memory

However, if Chrome is using too much memory, it could turn into a problem. When Chrome uses too much memory, it limits the amount available for other programs. Chrome could even begin to struggle to keep the important information from your browser available for quick access, negating the use of the RAM to begin with.

When it comes down to it, Chrome's RAM usage is only a problem if it slows your computer down, be that your browser or your entire system. If you see Chrome using a lot of memory, but there are no negative performance consequences, it is not worth worrying about.

For instance, I sometimes have 50 or more Chrome tabs open, using 2.5GB RAM or more. It sounds like a huge amount, but my system has 32GB RAM to use, so it isn't an issue. Try the same on a laptop with 4GB RAM, and you're going to have a bad time.

If Chrome's memory use is slowing things down, it is time to take action.

How to Make Chrome Use Less RAM

There are several ways you can speed up your browsing experience and reduce the amount of RAM Chrome uses. The most important tool at your disposal is the Chrome Task Manager.

Similar to the Windows Task Manager, the Chrome Task Manager shows the performance and consumption of each tab and extension within the browser. You can use the Chrome Task Manager to figure out what is using the most memory, then close them to free up space.

In Windows, hit Shift + Esc to access the Task Manager. On a Mac, you'll need to open it from the Window menu. Select the process, then hit End process.

Look out for tabs and extensions that have ballooned in size. Sometimes, a single Chrome tab can use lots of memory due to a bug or poor configuration. Sometimes, a Chrome memory leak will cause your browser to freeze (or even your whole system).

Once you've killed off the resource-heavy processes, there are some other things you can do to fix frequent Chrome crashes.

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