The Latest Chrome Update Will Finally Make Your Computer Not Slow to a Crawl

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If you're one of the 42% of people using Google Chrome on the regular, you've undoubtedly noticed how quickly your computer slows to a crawl -- and how swiftly its battery depletes -- when you insist on keeping a bunch of tabs open. It's the cross we bear as tab-happy Internet junkies. 

Fortunately, Google's heard our cries, and finally addressed the issue in a brand new version of Chrome that keeps your machine running smoothly -- and for much longer -- no matter how many tabs you've got open. 

Although earlier versions of Chrome somewhat reduced how much energy tabs running in the background consume, this latest update takes things a step further. Essentially, it throttles how much processing power is allotted to a tab once it's been unused for 10 seconds. Specifically, each "suspended" tab -- except for those playing audio or running messaging apps -- is restricted to using just 1% of the core processing power of your laptop. According to Google's developers, this cuts back on how much power and energy these multiple tabs eat up by 25% -- meaning significantly fewer spinning wheels of death or premature battery konk-outs.

And while this is certainly a leap in the right direction for Chrome, if your tab-launching habit is out of control you owe it to yourself to download the brilliant browser extension The Great Suspender, which will even more dramatically cut back on how much memory you're using.

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Joe McGauley is a senior writer for Thrillist who browses most comfortably with no fewer than 15 tabs open at a time.