Google’s update 45 for Chrome is all about speed and memory

By Dave LeClair September 5, 2015

chrome 45 ram performance improvements google icon 2011 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

One of the biggest issues people have with Google Chrome is the way it handles memory. Those running a high-end PC probably don’t notice the memory issues, but for anyone who’s ever tried to use Chrome on a lower-end device, it becomes an issue when some tabs can easily suck down all of the available RAM too quickly. Now, Google is rolling out Chrome 45, an update that it promises will improve RAM usage, improve the overall performance of the browser, speed up the launch time, and reduce battery usage, as broken down by Google on its Chrome blog.

The first, and probably most important, part of Chrome 45 is a new method of saving memory on running tabs. Now, it will detect when a webpage isn’t busy with some other task and use that time to clean up old memory. Google has found that this will save an average of 10 percent of memory on most tabs, and for more advanced Web apps like Gmail, it found that it can save up to 25 percent, which is certainly substantial for users who are pushing their memory to the limit when using Chrome.

There’s also a new feature that will help improve the launch speed of the browser for users who choose to have Chrome remember where they left off. They’ll restore from most to least recently viewed, and if it runs out of memory, it will stop restoring tabs until the user clicks on it manually.

Since Flash is always an issue with resources, Chrome 45 will further implement Google’s feature that auto-pauses Flash content that’s not central to a website’s core functionality. Google found that implementing this feature can save up to 15 percent of a user’s battery life. Over the next few weeks, the team plans to make this feature on by default for all users.

Chrome 45 is available for desktop users of the browser now.

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Dave LeClair has been writing about tech and gaming since 2007. He's covered events, hosted podcasts, created videos, and…

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