Google Chrome has a lot of amazing features, but in exchange for those is its excessive use of system RAM. It runs an unbelievable number of processes that eat up your memory. The browser started using more RAM after fixes for Spectre security were developed.
While it's pretty normal for Chrome to gobble up multiple gigabytes of RAM in Windows 10, there's a new feature that will finally address this irksome gluttony. Microsoft is, in fact, already using it on the Edge browser, which has seen some significant improvements.
Windows Latest reports that Google has released a new version of Chrome that will reduce the amount of memory the browser needs to run. This will benefit users with multiple tabs open and lots of processes on, as well as those who own older models of PCs.
This much-needed change is made possible by Segment Heap, which shipped alongside the Windows 10 May 2020 update. This feature helps in the optimization of memory management, which has been tested by Microsoft on Chromium-based browsers that had their memory consumption reduced by as much as 27%.
"Experiments with per-machine opting-in to the segment heap for chrome.exe suggests that this could save hundreds of MB in the browser," Google said.
Perhaps what's more newsworthy is how swift Google was to have this feature implemented. Google engineers have confirmed that Segment Heap has been enabled in Chrome Canary.
If you're tempted to download Chrome Canary, know that it's usually for developers, so if you're a regular user, best not to get it. That being said, if you're really keen to experience the benefits of Segment Heap, you can get Canary alongside the standard version so you can keep any important tabs away from the developer version.
Segment Heap may arrive at all Chromium browsers soon, as Google is working to improve its memory saving features further. This is just the start, but while you're waiting, you can try out other Chromium-based browsers. Brave, for one, has amazing ad-block features so you won't have to deal with pesky ads.
Before installing the Windows 10 May 2020 update, however, check out its long list of issues first so you can prepare for them and have a workaround ready. It's tempting to quit Chrome at times, but the browser is becoming more and more reliable these days. Anyone thinking to quit ought to stick around.
