How to Stop Microsoft Edge from Slowing Down Computer? Proven Methods

Why Is My Microsoft Edge Browser Eating All My Memory? Simple Fix That Works

Your computer feels slow. Tabs freeze. Programs crash. Sound familiar? Microsoft Edge might be the culprit, greedily consuming your computer’s memory like a hungry monster.

The good news? Microsoft heard our complaints. They built simple tools to tame Edge’s appetite for RAM. No technical skills needed.

The New Memory Control Feature That Changes Everything

Microsoft Edge version 125 brought something amazing: Resource Controls. Think of it as a leash for your browser. You tell Edge how much memory it can use, and it listens.

Here’s how this works:

1. Click the three dots in Edge’s top-right corner
2. Choose “Settings“
3. Find “System and performance” on the left side
4. Look for “Resource controls” and turn it on

Now comes the fun part. You see a slider? Move it left or right to set your limit. Want Edge to use only 4GB of RAM? Set it to 4GB. Have 16GB total and want to save some for games? Set Edge to 8GB.

You get two choices:

• Always: Edge stays within your limit all the time
• When gaming: Edge only limits itself when you play games

Warning: Don’t set the limit too low. Less than 2GB makes Edge painfully slow. Your tabs will reload constantly. Pages will crash.

Make Tabs Sleep Like Babies

Edge has another clever trick: Sleeping Tabs. Inactive tabs go to sleep after a while. They stay open but stop using memory and power.

This feature saves about 85% of memory and 99% of processing power for each sleeping tab. That’s huge.

To turn this on:

1. Go to Settings > System and performance
2. Turn on “Save resources with sleeping tabs“
3. Choose how long tabs wait before sleeping (5 minutes, 15 minutes, or longer)

Want to see which tabs use the most memory? Press Shift + Esc. Edge’s task manager opens. Sort by memory usage. Close the memory hogs.

Simple Tricks That Make a Big Difference

Clean House with Your Tabs

Each tab eats memory. Even the ones you forgot about. Close tabs you don’t need. Bookmark important pages first.

Can’t live without 50 tabs? Use tab groups or extensions like OneTab. They save your sessions without keeping everything loaded.

Check Your Extensions

Extensions are helpful. But they’re also memory vampires. Many run constantly in the background.

Go to edge://extensions. Look at your list. Do you really need all of them? Turn off or remove the ones you rarely use. Your memory usage drops immediately.

Turn On Efficiency Mode

This feature makes Edge smarter about using resources. It puts tabs to sleep faster. It reduces background activity.

Find it under Settings > System and performance > Efficiency mode. You can set it to run:

• Always
• When your laptop runs on battery
• When plugged into power

Perfect for older computers or laptops.

Turn Off Memory-Heavy Features

Some Edge features sound helpful but actually use more memory:

• Hardware Acceleration: Sounds fancy. Often causes problems.
• Startup Boost: Keeps Edge running even when closed. Uses memory for no good reason.

Turn both off in Settings > System and performance. Restart Edge. Watch your memory usage drop.

Clean Up Digital Junk

Old cache files pile up like digital garbage. They make Edge use more memory than needed.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete. Choose “All time” as your time range. Check these boxes:

• Cookies and other site data
• Cached images and files

Click “Clear now.” This signs you out of websites, so have your passwords ready.

Keep an Eye on Memory Usage

Edge now shows you exactly how much memory it uses. Click the three dots > Browser essentials. You see your current usage and your set limit.

Windows Task Manager works too. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Look for Microsoft Edge processes. Sort by memory usage to spot problems.

When Nothing Else Works

Still seeing high memory usage? Try these:

• Scan for malware: Viruses cause memory problems
• Update Edge: Newer versions fix memory bugs
• Restart your computer: Clears stuck processes
• Reinstall Edge: Nuclear option, but it works

Microsoft Edge doesn’t have to be a memory monster. These new tools give you control. Resource controls cap memory usage. Sleeping tabs free up RAM automatically. Efficiency mode makes everything run smoother.

Start with the memory limit feature. Set a reasonable limit based on your computer’s RAM. Turn on sleeping tabs. Clean up extensions you don’t use.

Your computer will thank you. Edge runs faster. Other programs get the memory they need. You get a better browsing experience without the sluggish performance that drives users crazy.

These fixes work on Windows 11 and older versions too. No technical expertise required. Just a few clicks in Edge’s settings menu.