Why Is Chrome Using up So Much RAM? (And How to Fix It Right Now)

 

If you’ve done any research at all into different browsers, you’re likely familiar with the fact that Chrome can be a bit of a resource hog — looking at Task Manager or Activity Monitor, you’ll often see Chrome at the top of the list.
But why does it use up so much RAM, especially compared to other browsers? And what can you do to keep it in check?

Does Chrome Really Use More RAM?

In short, yes. Chrome’s RAM-hungry reputation is deserved. Compared to other browsers, it doesn’t always use a huge amount of memory, but it does use more. ITPro’s recent test showed that with a Facebook page, a YouTube video, a BBC article, the Outlook web app, and a webpage open, Chrome used almost 600 MB of RAM, while Firefox used just over 400 MB.
And if you’ve ever run your own test, you’ll almost certainly have found that Chrome uses more memory than other browsers, including Opera, Firefox, Edge, and—just barely–Internet Explorer. Chrome is one of the fastest browsers out there, but it needs a lot of resources to take that title.

Why Does Chrome Use So Much RAM?

To understand why Chrome uses so much memory, you need to understand a bit about what makes Chrome different from other browsers. Every app on your computer runs a number of processes in your computer’s RAM, where the hard work of running your computer is done. RAM is temporary storage for data, and it’s very fast; your CPU can access the data that’s there much faster than it could pull the data off of your hard drive.
What makes Chrome’s use of RAM unique is that it stores every tab, plugin, and extension in a different RAM process. This is called process isolation, and it prevents one process from writing to another one. This is why you see a ton of different entries for Chrome when you open up Task Manager or Activity Monitor on your computer. Each of these processes only uses a small amount of memory, but when you add them up, the load can be very high.

 

How to Reduce Chrome’s RAM Usage

There are a lot of ways you can speed up your browsing and reduce the amount of memory that it’s using, but possibly the most important is Chrome’s Task Manager. Much like the Windows Task Manager, you can use this window to see which tabs and extensions are using the most memory and close them to free up some space.
In Windows, just hit Shift + Esc to access the Task Manager; on a Mac, you’ll need to open it from the Window menu.

Once you’ve gotten rid of the resource-heavy processes, there are a number of other things you can do. Enabling tab discarding, for example, will allow Chrome to get rid of tabs that you haven’t used in a long time if memory is low.

You can also disable extensions that are using a lot of power, or add a few extensions that will help you manage the amount of resources that Chrome is using. You can also delete the History Provider Cache to free up some space, and tweak hidden settings or mess around with Chrome flags. And, of course, you can always use a different browser, which may be a good idea if you’re using a MacBook.

How Does Chrome Work for You?

Because Chrome still controls a huge majority of the browser market, it’s unlikely that you’ve switched to another browser, like the ever under-appreciated Opera, or the ultra-new Edge. If you’re still using Google’s popular browser, we want to know why, and if you have any problems with resource consumption or speed.
How do you find Chrome? Does it use up all of your RAM? Or is it pretty reasonable in how many resources it consumes? Have you tried solving the problem, or is it still happening? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!