Google Chrome has long been associated with high RAM usage. A look at the Task Manager can show several browser processes occupying memory, but that figure is not necessarily a sign of a problem. The behavior is tied to how Chrome manages tabs and keeps the browser stable.
Rather than running every tab through a single process, Chrome creates an individual process for each open tab. This approach helps the browser continue working if one page encounters an error, instead of allowing a problem on one tab to close the entire application. It also adds a security layer by isolating content.
Websites have also become more demanding. Unlike the largely static pages of the past, many modern sites function more like web applications, with constantly updated data and more complex structures. RAM helps keep this information available so services such as WhatsApp Web can remain updated without reloading the entire site.
High memory usage is not automatically a problem if the computer remains responsive. Chrome can place tabs that have been inactive for a long time into the background and adjust its usage according to the amount of memory available on the device. This means the results can vary between computers.
Users who want to reduce consumption can enable Memory Saver in Chrome’s settings. The feature deactivates tabs that are not currently being used, freeing memory for other tasks. Chrome’s built-in task manager, opened with Shift + Esc, shows which browser processes are using the most resources.
Other browsers can also consume significant amounts of RAM because they use similar tab-management models. Chrome may appear more demanding, but several popular browsers are based on Chromium, including Microsoft Edge, Opera and Vivaldi. Their memory-management options differ: Firefox uses a content-processing limit, while Edge offers a feature designed to suspend inactive pages.
Sources: Canaltech.