Every browser tab uses resources such as RAM and CPU power—shocking, right? Opening only a few tabs can sometimes slow down your computer and lead to frustrating experiences.

Below, we’ve detailed how open tabs can affect your computer, and these signs could indicateslow computer performance. You might be surprised at a few of these:

• Computer performance is slow. Browsers take a long time to load pages, and video buffering occurs more often. In real-world terms, this means that your Netflix might buffer and interrupt your viewing time, or key articles might take too long to load, slowing down your daily work proceedings if you’re a writer, data analyst, or someone else who relies heavily on tabs for work.
• System-wide impact: Since resource-heavy tabs are used, they will freeze and crash other applications. This means that gaming applications, editing programs, chat apps, and other applications on your computer won’t function as they should.
• Overheating: When multiple tabs are open, the processor has to work extra hard because more RAM is used. This causes the system to overheat and causes the fans to become louder.
• Crashing tabs: When your browser randomly crashes, freezes, or shuts down, it clearly shows your computer’s performance is suffering.

Ultimately, open tabs not only slow your computer down but also contribute to the wear and tear on your hardware; thus, the issue of open tabs slowing down a computer is not the only concern you should have for your device’s health.

If you are trying to manage your tabs effectively, then there are a few things you can try. Here are actionable tab management tips:

1. Bookmark frequently used pages: Instead of keeping tabs open, learn how to bookmark a page for easy access later. Organize your bookmarks into folders to make navigation seamless when looking for saved pages.
2. Use tab management extensions: Tools like OneTab or Workon can help you consolidate and manage browser tabs into lists, significantly reducing your browser load. These are some of the best tab management extensionsavailable today.
3. Close unused tabs regularly: Get into the habit of closing tabs you no longer use. It’s a simple way toreduce tab clutter and improve system performance.
4. Set up a tab recovery system: Use your browser’s restore feature to safely close and reopen tabs later without losing your place. It will also help optimize the browser for speed.
5. Use cloud tools: Cloud tools like Google Drive remove the need to keep tabs open and reduce browser load on the device.

Most modern browsers have features that help you stay organized and optimize tab performance. For example, tools or software like Tab Sleeping or Hibernation are available in browsers like Edge. Another good example of a tool is Chrome’s tab grouping feature, which lets you categorize and organize tabs, reduces clutter, and helps you stay focused.

If handling tab clutter becomes a common problem for you, consider the following approaches that are typically used to  prevent computers from slowing down:

• Take advantage of the virtual desktop capability: Most operating systems support the option for multiple desktops, and this feature helps give you some compartmentalization for organizing your tabs.
• Lightweight Browsers: If it feels like your browser uses too many resources, give Opera a try. Opera is designed to be better with resources and lighten the load on the computer’s software and hardware for faster speeds and tab management.

Browser tab clutter doesn’t have to be a source of frustration since it is easy to resolve. By reducing and organizing browser tabs, you can improve and regain control over your productivity and efficiency, improve computer speed, and enhance your browsing experience.

We hope that the knowledge we shared helps you manage your tabs better. However, if the above tips are ineffective in eliminating your slow computer problems, don’t worry! My Computer Works can help.

Contact us now to speak to our computer support team about professional advice, a custom solution to your tabs issues, or help with any other computer problem you might be facing.