How to Stop Edge and Chrome From Using So Much of Your Computer’s Memory (RAM)
Both Edge and Chrome are notable for using a lot of your computer’s resources. And many of us leave a lot of tabs open all the time which exacerbates the problem. We’re going to show you how to keep Edge and Chrome under control and reduce their appeitite for RAM.
Let’s start with Edge
First, open Microsoft Edge, click the three dots in the top right corner, and go to Settings.
On the left sidebar, click System and performance.
Under the Optimize Performance section, turn on Efficiency mode and ensure that the option to save resources with sleeping tabs is switched on. This forces tabs you aren’t actively looking at to go to sleep so they stop stealing your RAM.
Second, give the browser a fresh slate by clearing out old, heavy background data.
While inside Edge, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete on your keyboard. Set the time range to All Time, check the boxes for Cookies and Cached images and files, and click Clear now. You can leave your passwords unchecked so you don’t lose your saved sign-ins.
Try these two quick adjustments next time you are working, and they should instantly lighten the load on your system.
Let’s Do Chrome
Google Chrome handles resource management almost exactly like Edge, but uses slightly different names for its features. You can absolutely pass these equivalent steps along to your Chrome users to get the same RAM-saving results:
1. Enable “Memory Saver”
Instead of “Efficiency mode,” Chrome calls this Memory Saver.
Click the three dots in the top-right corner and go to Settings.
On the left sidebar, click Performance.
Under the Memory section, toggle Memory Saver to On.
Chrome gives you three options for how aggressively it puts tabs to sleep: Moderate, Balanced, or Maximum. For users struggling with heavy RAM usage, select Maximum, which suspends inactive background tabs the fastest.
2. Clear Background Cache & Cookies
The shortcut and process for clearing out the heavy background junk are identical to Edge.
While inside Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete on the keyboard.
In the Clear browsing data window that pops up, set the time range to All Time.
Check the boxes for Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, but leave Passwords unchecked so you don’t accidentally wipe out their
Click Clear data.
AnotherTip for Chrome Users: If a you have a specific tab you never want Chrome to put to sleep (like a live chat, Gmail, etc.), you can click Add next to “Always keep these sites active” right below the Memory Saver toggle to protect it.