Global tech giant Google has outlined changes it made to Chrome 89, the most recent version of its browser released earlier this month, in terms of performance.
Google claims that the browser can use fewer resources, start faster, and feel more sensitive depending on whether you’re using it on Windows, macOS, or Android. The firm has not shared any updates specifically for iOS users.
Benefits vary by platform
The specific advantages differ depending on the operating system. Chrome can recover up to 100MB (or over 20 percent on some sites) by using foreground tab memory more effectively across platforms, and it can save up to 8 percent of its memory consumption on macOS depending on how it manages background tabs (something which Chrome already does on other platforms). Google said that these enhancements on macOS have improved the browser’s Energy Impact score by up to 65 percent, “keeping your Mac cooler and those fans quiet.”
The browser is now using a more modern memory allocator in more areas on Windows and Android to reduce memory consumption and improve browser responsiveness. On Windows, Google pointed out to be seeing “significant memory” savings of up to 22 percent in the “browser process,” 8 percent in the renderer, 3 percent in the GPU, and a 9 percent improvement in overall browser responsiveness.
There is also a slew of Android-specific enhancements, including 5 percent less memory use, fewer crashes, 7.5 percent faster startup, 2 percent faster page loads, and a 13 percent faster startup, according to Google. High-end Android devices with at least 8GB of RAM and Android 10 or newer can load pages 8.5 percent faster and run 28 percent smoother.
Similar promises have been made by Google in the past about previous Chrome launches as well. It said, for example, that Chrome 87, which was released at the end of last year, was the “largest improvement in Chrome performance in years”. CPU usage, power efficiency, and startup times are all said to have improved as a result of the under-the-hood performance improvements.
