Microsoft Edge with memory usage limit

Microsoft is testing a RAM usage slider in the latest version of Edge Canary. This setting forces Edge to limit memory usage and may improve the performance of other applications on your system.

A RAM limiter is built into Edge Browser Essentials alongside power saving and safe browsing tools. Click the heart icon in the Edge toolbar, select the maximum amount of RAM you want to use for Edge, and get on with your life. It's that simple.

Unlike the Google Chrome browser, which is a notorious memory user, the Edge browser performs quite modestly. We doubt this feature will make much of a difference to the average user, although it can be useful when playing games or using an underpowered computer. You can also request that Edge limit RAM usage only when a PC game is open. Microsoft is not offering any other advanced features or functionality in this beta test.

Edge is not the first browser to have a RAM limiter. Opera GX, a "game browser", was equipped with a RAM limiter as early as five years ago. Still, it's nice to see this feature in other web browsers as well, especially one that competes with Google Chrome. However, Edge and Chrome still include some memory-optimizing features, such as tab hibernation. Since the Windows operating system is responsible for managing system resources, the advantages of the RAM limiter in the browser are somewhat questionable. By now, your computer should automatically allocate the appropriate amount of system memory for video games and other applications, and in most cases this automatic process works well.

If you're having issues with your computer's performance when Edge is open, try this new feature. Just know that this will probably make Edge slower. Pay attention and see if your other apps run faster when you limit Edge's memory usage, and if there is no noticeable improvement, we suggest disabling the RAM limiter.

The RAM limiter in Edge is currently in beta, so you don't necessarily have it available yet. To test the feature, you must install the latest Edge Canary build. It will be rolled out to stable versions of the Edge browser in a future update.