Chrome Memory Optimisation Guide

Why Chrome uses so much memory

Chrome keeps a lot of data in memory so pages feel instant: images, scripts, caches, and separate processes per tab. Each tab runs in its own process for security and stability, but this architecture comes at a memory cost.

Quick wins

• Close truly unused tabs and windows.
• Disable heavy extensions you rarely use.
• Restart Chrome occasionally to clear long-running leaks.
• Use Chrome's built-in Task Manager (Shift+Esc) to identify memory-hungry tabs.

The tab hoarder solution

If you keep lots of tabs open "for later", the best approach is to freeze/suspend background tabs so they stop consuming RAM, then restore them instantly when you click back.

TabQuell does this invisibly in the background, so your browsing stays smooth even with large sessions. Unlike other extensions that close or hide your tabs, TabQuell keeps them visible while releasing their memory.

How much can you save?

Users typically see 60-80% reduction in browser memory usage. A frozen tab uses just 10-50MB instead of 200-500MB+ for active tabs with heavy content.