Google claims Chrome is faster than ever, but what about RAM?

In its ongoing push to refine browser performance, Google has announced that Chrome is now 10% faster than it was a year ago, thanks to a series of under-the-hood improvements. The company bases this claim on Speedometer 3.0 benchmarking, boasting the highest score Chrome has ever achieved. But while speed is a key win, Chrome’s heavy memory usage continues to cast a shadow over its reputation.

Chrome gets speed boost from deep-level optimizations

According to Google, the engineering team improved Chrome’s core rendering paths, enhancing how the browser transforms website code into visual content. These enhancements span multiple areas, including memory optimizations, smarter use of caching, and restructured data handling. As a result, web pages should load quicker, and the browser should respond more fluidly to user input.

These efforts align with previous speed gains made in recent years, showing a consistent focus on boosting real-world performance. However, while Speedometer 3.0 is widely regarded as a fair benchmark, Google has not offered direct comparisons with rival browsers such as Firefox or Edge.

RAM consumption remains a persistent concern

Despite performance gains, Chrome still faces criticism for high memory consumption, particularly on low-end devices. Although Google has introduced features aimed at reducing RAM usage, many users report that Chrome continues to strain system resources during multi-tab sessions or when running heavy web apps.

Some of this perception may stem from outdated experiences, but ongoing discussions in online forums suggest that frustrations remain. While Chrome may now be faster than ever, its battle with RAM efficiency is far from over.