Chrome to use less RAM thanks to Windows 10 integration
The RAM hog is about to get a little less gluttonous
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Although the vast majority of Internet users browse with Google Chrome it is notorious for using a massive amount of memory. Often dubbed “the RAM hog,” Chrome has been gluttonous since its release. However, that is about to change thanks to an unlikely ally -Microsoft Edge.
It’s not often that a competing product amplifies one of its rivals. Yet, that is exactly what is set to happen in a soon-to-be-released Chrome update that includes better Windows 10 integrations. The feature comes courtesy of an update designed to make Edge run better.
Giving Chrome the ‘Edge’
Google Chrome is a feature-filled browser that lets users completely customize their experience. It also gobbles up a vital but scarce resource that every computer needs-RAM memory. Browsers have come a long way since the days when they were primarily used to display documents.
Now, they are sophisticated pieces of software that allow users to access the Internet in endless ways.
Web apps, meanwhile, continue to grow hungrier for memory as well. They are increasingly built on pre-existing frameworks. This decreases the amount of work for developers on the backend but requires more memory from a user’s machine.
Fortunately, Google is getting ready to roll out an update to Chrome that will make it a little more RAM friendly. The patch was originally added by Chrome programmer Bruce Dawson. It allows the browser to take advantage of some new technology within Windows 10’s May update.
Kim Denny, principle product manager for Microsoft Edge said earlier this week that part of the update is a modernization of the way that Windows 10 manages memory. The feature was originally developed to help Edge cut back on memory use. It reportedly helps the browser use up to 27 percent less memory on Windows.
Now, Google is planning to harness the same Windows 10 tech for its Chrome browser. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a similar figure in terms of less RAM usage.
Buggy Upgrade
Unfortunately, Chrome users still have some waiting to do before they can spare their computer’s memory. While the patch was successfully integrated into Chrome’s upcoming version, the team is now experiencing “mysterious” bugs. It is in the process of ironing out those problems before rolling out the update to users.
While this certainly isn’t a conventional upgrade, Chrome should be better for it.
Notably, the RAM-sparing feature is arriving thanks to Microsoft’s recent decision to ditch its own browser foundation in favor of Google’s open-source Chromium platform. That change has made Edge and Chrome something like cousins. To date, Microsoft has made more than 3,000 contributions to the Chromium codebase.
It released an overhauled Edge in January and the updated version is actually pretty impressive. Chrome users should feel at home in the modern, snappy browser. Even so, Microsoft has some work to do before it can catch up to Google’s flagship software.
Its engineers are currently working on updates and testing Edge before the latest version is pushed to users automatically through its Windows update service.
For Chrome users, the upcoming update is very exciting and should make web browsing a bit less resource-intensive.
Originally published at https://www.theburnin.com on June 21, 2020.
