Next Google Chrome update promises longer battery life
The upcoming Version 57 update for Google Chrome will integrate a new power management system that will help reduce CPU load when multiple unfocused tabs are open. These background tabs will be limited to just one percent of the CPU core, though background tabs running real-time streams or videos will still be allowed to use additional CPU resources as needed to operate smoothly.
According to Google, background tabs eat up one-third of Chrome's overall power demands. The new optimizations are expected to cut down busy background tabs by 25 percent with the end goal of fully suspending all inactive tabs. The Chrome browser is somewhat notorious for being a resource hog when compared to Edge or Opera, so Chrome fans on laptops should hopefully see tangible improvements in battery life.
Microsoft recently boasted longer battery life when running on Edge compared to Chrome. All of our WLAN battery life tests are performed on Edge as it ships pre-loaded on Windows systems. According to NetMarketShare, however, Chrome is used by at least 40 percent of active desktop PCs to be well ahead of both Firefox and Edge.