Chrome 55 Out In December? Newest Update Promises To Use Less RAM?

Users pestered by how much random access memory (RAM) Google Chrome browser is consuming will have no more worry. Developers of Google Chrome promise the Chrome 55 release for Dec. 6.

The versions of Chrome 55 for desktop and mobile will be loaded with an upgraded JavaScript dubbed V8, which "significantly reduced the memory footprint" of websites like Imgur, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and The New York Times, according to tests conducted by the developers of V8. On the other hand, Cnet.com reported a 50-percent reduction on one aspect called heap memory and a 40-percent drop on zone memory, compared with the current Chrome 53.

While desktop users whose computers have larger free RAM may not feel the decreased memory consumption, mobile users of Chrome with less than 1 gigabyte of RAM will appreciate the memory saving update. The stable version of Chrome 55 is set to be released on Dec. 6, according to The Next Web.

Chrome offers the newest version on their Beta channel. Prereleases of programs, however, are prone to bugs and glitches. An article from Lifehacker, however, explained how the memory-hogging browser offers convenience.

"Chrome splits every tab, plugin, and extension into its own process, so that if one thing crashes-like Flash-it doesn't bring down the whole web page, or all your tabs at once."

In a test among web browsers by Digital Trends, Chrome bested Microsoft's Edge, Firefox and Vivaldi, among other browsers. It topped the HTML5 and Octane 2.0 benchmark tests.

"It's getting closer every month, but it still seems like Chrome is the best browser overall. It's still a top-performing browser, and its extension ecosystem is the best," the article concluded.

No doubt why Chrome dominates the browser competition. According to the September data of analytics StatCounter, Chrome has 51.52 percent of desktop and mobile browser share worldwide. Safari comes second at 10.96 percent, followed by UC Browser at 8.14 percent.