Learn how to limit how much memory (RAM) Microsoft Edge can use in this simple and easy guide.
The Edge browser’s memory usage depends on the number of open tabs, the activities of those tabs, and extensions installed. Generally, the browser is pretty good at memory management and doesn’t hog all the RAM it can. To further reduce the RAM usage, Edge puts unused tabs to sleep using the Sleeping Tabs feature. However, even with the built-in optimizations, depending on what you are doing and the types of extensions installed, the Edge browser might use up most of the available memory, which in turn causes problems for your other applications or slows down your system.
In such cases, you can enable the resource controls option in the Edge browser to limit how much RAM (memory) your browser can use. For example, if you have 16 GB RAM, you can limit Edge to use only 8 GB. That means the browser won’t cross that limit, leaving more RAM for other applications.
In this quick and easy guide, let me show you how to enable and configure the resource controls feature to limit RAM (memory) usage by Microsoft Edge. Let’s get started.
Limit How Much RAM (Memory) Microsoft Edge Can Use
- Open the Start menu by pressing the “Windows” key.
- Search and open “Microsoft Edge“.
- Click the “Menu” icon in the top right corner.
- Select the “Settings” option.
- Got to the “System and performance” tab on the sidebar.
- Click the “Performance” option.
- Turn ON the “Enable resource controls” toggle.
- Use the “Control how much RAM Edge can use” slider to limit the RAM.
- Select the “Always” option.
- With that, you’ve limited how much RAM Edge can use.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
You can enable the resource controls feature via Edge settings. If the browser is not open, you must open it first. To do that, open the Start menu, search for “Microsoft Edge“, and then click the “Open” option.
Once the browser is open, click the “Menu” icon (three horizontal dots) in the top right corner and select the “Settings” option.
In the Settings tab, go to the “System and performance” and then click the “Performance” option on the right page.
Now, turn ON the “Enable resource controls” toggle.
As soon as you do that, you will see additional options under the toggle. Here, use the slider next to “Control how much RAM Edge can use” to limit how much RAM your browser can use.
Next, you can choose to apply this resource control only when you are gaming or always. By default, “While PC gaming” is selected. That means the Edge’s RAM usage is only limited while you are gaming. If you want to restrict the browser’s RAM usage always, select the “Always” option.
That is all. From now on, Microsoft Edge will automatically limit its RAM usage according to the limitations.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
