Quick Answer
If Chrome just showed you ERR_OUT_OF_MEMORY or the “Aw, Snap!” crash screen, it means Chrome ran out of RAM to keep that specific tab running – not that your computer is broken. This usually comes down to one of three things: too many tabs kept fully active instead of suspended, a handful of memory-heavy extensions running on every page, or hardware acceleration fighting with your GPU drivers. Turning on Chrome’s built-in Memory Saver fixes the tab problem immediately – the extension and GPU issues need a bit more digging.
Check This First: Chrome’s Own Task Manager
Before changing any settings, see what’s actually using the memory. Chrome has its own task manager separate from Windows.
- Click the three-dot menu (top right) – More tools – Task manager
- Sort by Memory footprint by clicking that column header
- Look for extensions or specific tabs sitting far above the rest
If one extension is sitting at 500MB+ while everything else is under 100MB, that extension is your actual problem, not Chrome itself.
Turn On Memory Saver to Stop ERR_OUT_OF_MEMORY in Chrome
This is Chrome’s built-in fix for exactly this problem, and it’s off by default on some setups.
- Click the three-dot menu – Settings
- Go to Performance in the left sidebar
- Turn on Memory Saver
Memory Saver automatically frees up RAM from tabs you haven’t touched in a while, and reloads them instantly when you click back. The tradeoff is a brief reload flash on inactive tabs – worth it if you regularly have 20+ tabs open.
| Setting | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Saver | Suspends inactive tabs, frees RAM | You keep many tabs open at once |
| Hardware acceleration off | Stops Chrome offloading rendering to GPU | Memory usage spikes during video/graphics-heavy pages |
| Extension audit | Removes background memory hogs | One tab in Chrome’s task manager is way above the rest |
Audit Your Extensions
Extensions run on every tab you open, even ones that seem unrelated to what the extension does. An ad blocker or a shopping-deal extension scanning every page you visit adds up fast across dozens of tabs.
- Go to
chrome://extensions - Toggle off anything you don’t use daily
- Restart Chrome and check the task manager again
If ERR_OUT_OF_MEMORY in Chrome Happens on GPU-Heavy Pages
Chrome uses your graphics card to render pages smoothly, but outdated or conflicting GPU drivers can cause Chrome to use far more memory than it should, especially on video-heavy sites.
- Go to
chrome://settings/system - Turn off Use hardware acceleration when available
- Restart Chrome
If memory usage drops noticeably after this, your GPU drivers are the underlying issue – updating them through Windows Update or your GPU manufacturer’s site is the longer-term fix rather than leaving hardware acceleration off permanently. Google’s own official Chrome crash troubleshooting page covers this same driver angle in more depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal for Chrome to use a lot of RAM?
Some memory usage is normal since Chrome runs each tab as a separate process for security and stability. The problem isn’t Chrome using RAM in general – it’s Chrome using RAM it never releases even from tabs you’re not looking at, which Memory Saver specifically addresses.
Does closing tabs actually free the memory back up?
Yes, closing a tab releases its memory almost immediately. If memory usage stays high after closing tabs, check Chrome’s task manager for a runaway extension or a tab that’s technically closed but still running a background process.
Will using a different browser just avoid ERR_OUT_OF_MEMORY entirely?
Every modern browser uses a similar per-tab process model, so the same tradeoff exists elsewhere too. Chrome’s Memory Saver is one of the more effective built-in solutions compared to leaving the same number of tabs open in a browser without an equivalent feature.
Final Thoughts
Start with Chrome’s own task manager to see what’s actually responsible before changing settings blindly. Memory Saver solves the tab-hoarding problem behind most ERR_OUT_OF_MEMORY errors in one click, and the extension audit catches the cases Memory Saver can’t fix on its own.
If your PC feels slow beyond just Chrome, our guide on fixing a slow PC covers the broader picture outside the browser itself.
Tested on: Windows 11 24H2, Chrome 130 – Updated September 2026
