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Anyone you ask will say that Chrome is the clear winner in terms of browser speed. Well, unless they’ve grown an affinity for the new Microsoft Edge, which is based on Chromium. However, Google wants to make it clear that it is hoping you and others see it equally as an experience that doesn’t suck away all of your battery or system memory.
In a new update, which is set to roll out over the next few weeks, Chrome will implement two new modes which are meant to optimize one approach or another. First, the “Memory Saver” mode will free up a certain amount of memory on your device while tabs are inactive.
You’ll want to use Memory Saver while gaming, running many intensive apps simultaneously, video editing, and so on. Once you click a tab to make it active again, that system memory will once more be dedicated to the experience in focus.
The “Energy Saver” mode will reduce background activity like smooth scrolling and other visual effects to preserve your laptop’s battery. This way, you won’t need to rush to a charger in fear of losing your place on a document or any other important endeavor.
Once your battery reaches 20%, Chrome will automatically activate Energy Saver mode on your behalf – kind of like your Android phone does! Google states that either mode can be disabled in the browser settings via the three-dot menu. You can toggle between each mode by clicking the appropriate icon at the top-right side of the browser. To disable whichever one is active, you can click the indicator in the address bar or “Omnibox” and choose “Turn off now”.
I think reception for both of these features will be mixed, but I’m at least glad there is a way to turn them off entirely. I will personally be utilizing the “Memory Saver” mode while playing Android games on my desktop with a gamepad. There’s truly nothing worse than having to kill all Chrome processes in order to get a good gameplay experience, and Tab Groups Freeze doesn’t seem to do quite enough.
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