Why does Google Chrome use so much of your CPU?

Chrome is feature-rich and easy to use, but it can also be a resource hog that some people find uses too much CPU when they look at Task Manager on Windows or Activity Monitor on Mac. When the situation gets this bad, Chrome can use up to 90% of the CPU. The next thing you know, your computer shuts down, applications crash and freeze, fans start making noise, and the battery drains faster, signaling that the computer is having trouble operating.

One of the biggest causes of Chrome’s CPU usage is having too many tabs open. Each tab is treated as a separate process with its own processing power. As you open more, they can put a lot of strain on the CPU, especially when running demanding processes, such as streaming high-definition videos and games or using web applications like video editors, photo editors, or design tools. Chrome can also use too much CPU if loaded with heavy extensions. They are also their own separate processes and each installed extension runs in the background.

Outdated Chrome can also cause high CPU usage. This is because it will not benefit from the latest improvements and performance improvements that will allow it to work well with your hardware. This can force the processor to work hard to keep running. Fortunately, all of this can be fixed before you think about abandoning Chrome.

Reducing Load is a quick way for Chrome to free up CPU resources. Close any tabs you are not using. If you have more than one Chrome window open, which sometimes happens when you write something in one window while cross-referencing or referencing information in the other, close one of them and use Chrome’s View feature. While you’re at it, uninstall or disable any extensions you don’t use to save CPU resources. Make sure you only have essential extensions to minimize Chrome’s CPU usage.

If you need to be more specific about which tabs to close, you can use Chrome’s task manager. Here’s how to do it:

1. Click the three-dot icon in the upper right corner.
2. Select More Tools.
3. Select Task Manager.
4. Select the Tabs & Extensions tab.
5. Look for any process starting with “Tab”, “Extension” or “Background Page” with high numbers in the CPU column.
6. Select it.
7. Click End Task.

You should also keep Chrome up to date. Normally, Chrome will download updates automatically, so you just need to do the following:

1. Click Finish Update in the upper right corner.
2. Click Relaunch to update.
3. Chrome will close, finish installing the update, and restart.

If you have tried everything and the situation has not improved, you need to reset Chrome to default settings. Maybe a good start is what he needs. Here’s how to do it:

1. Click the three-dot icon in the upper right corner.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select Reset Settings.
4. Click Restore settings to their original defaults.
5. Click Reset Settings.

If nothing worked or you need some time to continue investigating the reason for Chrome’s high CPU usage without giving up on it, try a CPU throttling app. When Chrome starts to get a little CPU intensive, these apps can throttle it to behave well. You may notice Chrome getting a little slow, but at least it won’t slow down your entire computer. It’s a dressing solution that helps in a pinch.

On Windows, you can use an application called Process Lasso. There is a free limited version that you can use indefinitely, with the ability to set Chrome’s affinity (how many CPU cores it can use). Here’s how to do it:

1. In Process Lasso, click Pause to stop processes from constantly updating.
2. Right-click Chrome.exe.
3. Select CPU Affinity.
4. Select Always.
5. Uncheck the cores you don’t want Chrome to use. Be sure to experiment and see how many cores you can uncheck before Chrome becomes too slow.

On Mac, you can use App Tamer, which can detect CPU issues and alert you so you can take action. You can download and try it for free for 15 days. Afterwards, you will have to pay a one-time fee of $14.95. Here’s how to use App Tamer on Mac:

1. In App Tamer, select Chrome from the process list.
2. Check Slow down this app if it uses more.
3. Adjust the slider to the percentage you want the app to limit Chrome to when its CPU usage exceeds it.