- Edge browser version 125 and newer let you control maximum RAM usage.
- If your computer has a small RAM memory you can use these settings to restrict browser usage, keeping more memory availably for other apps.
- Setting a value that is too low might result in lower browser performance.
I’ve made a habit of swapping my main browser once in a while. I keep multiple browsers on my computer, mainly for web development purpose, but I mostly use one.
Surprisingly, I’m on Edge for a few years already and I can’t seem to find a better alternative. I hate how intrusive is Microsoft when it comes to user privacy, but I’ve partially solved that problem by locking down Windows with O&O ShutUp10++ (something I recommend you also do).
One thing that bothered me with Edge was RAM usage. I have at least a few dozen tabs opened at each time, so RAM gets filled up eventually, even if both my computers have 32 GB of RAM.
Update: after trying several browsers, including Chrome, Vivaldi, Brave, I came to the conclusion that Edge is a pretty RAM efficient browser. I still stand by the idea that you should always have a few browsers installed on your system, and switch between them at any time.
OK, RAM never gets close to 100% in normal usage. Sometime a website gets stuck for some reason, and I can see RAM usage spike, but that’s not necessarily the browser’s fault. Also, I have to point out the fact most browsers eat RAM for breakfast.
So I have to aplaud Microsoft for including a new RAM control option in Edge 125. Here’s how it works and how you can tweak the few options that are available to you.
Note: the option is disabled by default so you need to enable it in Edge Settings.
CONTENTS
How to enable RAM Resource controls in Edge
1. Open the Settings menu (three-dot icon at the top right).
2. Click on Settings.
3. In the left side panel, navigate to System and performance.
4. Scroll down to the Manage your performance section in the middle.
5. Toggle on the Resource controls checkbox.
Once enabled you have a few options you can control independently.
The most important one is the Control how much RAM Edge can use slider. By default, it’s set to the maximum amount on RAM detected in your computer, even if Resource controls is enabled.
Ideally, if you wish to use RAM controls, set this to a lower value. Microsoft gives you a warning if you set this too low. 1 or 2 GB of RAM is too low and will severely impact performance. I suspect that’s because Edge will try to use the system disk to swap data in and out of RAM. That’s at least 10 times slower than RAM, so allow Edge to use a healthy amount.
The last important option is when RAM control takes place. If you’re a gamer, you can set this mechanism to activate only when you’re playing, but you can choose to let Edge always monitor and adjust RAM usage.
Monitor actual RAM usage in Edge with the Browser essentials panel
Before we end, I’ll show you how to check manually what happens, without resorting to the Task Manager performance monitor.
Edge includes a cool Browser essentials panel, and that’s available from Settings > Browser essentials.
Once enabled you will see a right side sidebar like this one:
The RAM usage section and the usage slider only appear when Resource controls are enabled in the Edge settings. They show you how much system RAM is in use at a given time. Note the dotted vertical line. It represents the maximum allowed amount you have set.
I’ve played with this option for a few hours, and I frequently saw Edge going past the set limit if it was too low (4 GB RAM or less).
Frankly, on my computer I couldn’t tell the difference, but maybe on older systems the option can be really useful. So, if you’ve had a different experience I’m curious to hear how it went for you.
