Don’t you find it annoying when your web browser starts lagging and acting out? You blame your web browser for being trash and bad at its job but in reality, it could be because of something that you are doing.
There are many factors that determine how well your web browsers run, it could be the software you have installed, your hardware, virus, etc. So let’s check out the top 7 factors that affect your browser’s performance:
Your Processor
Your processor determines how fast your computer is able to handle applications, programs, and instances. This concept applies to your web browsers as well which is why you’ll notice that older and or low-end computers will tend to have slower browsers despite having a stable internet connection.
The internet isn’t the problem, it’s your hardware! I3 Processors simply won’t cut it anymore especially with Google chrome since these web browsers require a lot of processing power to run. We suggest using at least an i-5 or if you have the budget, i-9 processors. I-9 processors are the fastest processors we currently have on the market and will ensure that your computer can run most high-end processes as well as having your browser run on the side.
Your RAM
Just like with processors, your RAM also determines how well your web browser will run. RAM (Random Access Memory) is the short term memory a computer has that allows it to run programs randomly without accessing preceding bytes. RAM is very important to a computer and it should be something you should consider when choosing to buy a laptop or any computer.
Generally speaking the more RAM the more applications your computer can run at a given time, it also determines how well these applications will run as well so a computer with higher RAM will be able to run web browsers like Chrome, Opera, Firefox, much easier.
Your Internet Speed
Now before you start blaming your computer or the web browser you are using, you might want to take a look at your internet speed. Your internet speed that your ISP provides might not be fast enough to buffer that video or load that webpage. This is more apparent for web pages with tons of unoptimized code.
If you’re using Wi-Fi, then the signal could be a problem. Make sure that you have at least 3 bars of signal on your Wi-Fi if you want to browse the internet normally. If not, you should move closer to your Wi-FI or buy an extender.
The number of extensions you have installed
Browser extensions and plugins are really convenient for most of us. We use them to block ads, perform special tasks like batch downloading, as well as speed uploading time. A good example of this would be the “Survey Remover Tool” and other survey bypasser extensions. They make browsing the internet a whole lot better but it comes at a price.
The price is RAM and CPU usage. The more extensions you have on your browser, the more RAM and processing power it consumes. When you have a lot of extensions then it could use up too much of your computer’s resources that it slows down other processes as well.
This is why we advise that you avoid downloading too many extensions as well as uninstalling the ones you don’t need.
Viruses
One reason that most people overlook when it comes to browser performance is viruses. Your web browser could be infected with tons of viruses, spyware, and malware. These malicious programs are hidden in plain sight and take up your computer’s resources as they run.
Sadly these viruses are installed unknowingly since it usually comes with other software that you’ve downloaded. A good example of this is “Secure Browser”, a malware that poses as something that increases browser security but in reality creates intrusive ads for your computer to view.
So make sure to scan your browser for viruses from time to time as well as using antivirus programs to prevent them from getting infected in the first place.
Your current tabs
Most people leave a lot of tabs when browsing the internet. There’s nothing wrong with this, especially since most web browsers allow for multiple tabs as well as making it easier and faster for people to access multiple webpages at once. However, it becomes a problem when people open too many tabs at once.
Each tab consumes a few of your computer’s resources. So 5-10 tabs aren’t really a problem. However, once you reach more than 10 tabs, low-end and some mid-end computers will start having laggy browsers and web pages that will take a long time to load. So we advise limiting the tabs you use in your browsing sessions.
You could also use macOS to store web pages and view them for later which solves the multiple tabs problem. So far this feature is only available for macOS which gives us one more reason to use a Mac.
Your browser’s cache
Your web browser has a cache which it uses to copy and store data taken from the internet. This speeds up your browsing since it simply loads the previously stored data on your computer allowing the browser to almost instantly load the webpage.
This is really convenient and it gives you a reason to not delete your browser’s cache, however it comes with a catch. The more data your web browser puts in its caches, the higher the likelihood that your browser will freeze or experience errors.
So instead of speeding up your browsing, your cache could do the opposite and make it much more inconvenient for you. Which is why we advise clearing your web browser’s cache once in a while. It might slow down your browsing but it’s only temporary since new data will be stored after a few hours.