The high memory usage by Chrome’s GPU process can be caused by several factors. Firstly, we will try to clear the issue with less invasive methods and then we will move to methods like removing browsing data and uninstalling Chrome.
1. End the GPU Process in the Chrome’s Task Manager
The GPU process on Chrome will use high memory due to a malfunction in its core components. Here, ending the GPU process in Chrome’s Task Manager will solve the problem. The process will restart with the default configurations. You may have to reload some tabs.
2. Relaunch Chrome, Restart the Graphics Driver or the System
The GPU process of Chrome will consume excessive memory due to a malfunction in Chrome’s graphic-handling modules, an error loop in the system’s graphics driver, or the graphics components of the operating system being stuck in operation. To resolve this issue, you can try relaunching Chrome, restarting the graphics driver, or restarting the system.
Relaunch Chrome
Restart the Graphics Driver
Restart the System
3. Update the Chrome Browser to the Latest Build
A Chrome bug might have triggered excessive memory usage by the browser. Updating the browser to the latest build will fetch fresh files from Google & can clear the high memory usage.
4. Update, Reinstall, or Disable the Graphics Driver (Windows Only)
If the graphic driver of the system is outdated or is not compatible with the Chrome browser, it won’t work correctly. This can lead to the GPU process using a lot of memory. To solve this problem, you can update, reinstall, or turn off the graphics driver
Update the Graphics Driver
Reinstall the Graphics Driver
Disable the Graphics Device
5. Disable Background Chrome Apps
You will see high memory usage by the Chrome GPU process if a background Chrome app is extensively using the GPU. In such a case, disabling Background Chrome Apps will solve the problem.
6. Disable Chrome’s Hardware Acceleration
When hardware acceleration is enabled, the media-related tasks (such as playing a video in the browser) are handed over to the GPU from the CPU. If this feature is not optimal in your setup, it can cause high memory usage by the GPU. To fix this, disable Hardware Acceleration in the Chrome settings.
7. Check for a Faulty Browser Extension
The GPU process will use memory extensively if an extension is misbehaving or not compatible with your system. In such a case, checking for a faulty extension and removing it will solve the problem. Following is the list of extensions that are reported to cause the issue:
Tab SleeperLastPassAdobe AcrobatGrammarlyGhosteryUblock OriginAugury
8. Clear Browsing Data of the Chrome
You will face a high memory issue if the browsing data (cookies, cache, and history) is no longer in a valid state and as a result, causes extra load on the GPU. This can be solved by clearing the browsing data of Chrome. Backup any essential data (such as the website passwords) that you may require later. If the issue clears but reoccurs after some time, you may use a Cache Killing extension to automatically delete the cache.
9. Create Another Chrome Profile
If your user profile in Chrome has invalid configurations or its core components are damaged, this can lead to excessive memory usage by Chrome. To solve this, create another Chrome profile on your system.
10. Reset the Chrome Settings
You will get high memory usage by the GPU process if the customization of a graphic setting of the browser is not optimal for your system. To fix this, reset the Chrome Settings to the default settings.
11. Reinstall the Chrome Browser
The GPU process will show high memory usage if its core modules handling graphics are damaged or malfunctioning. An update that did not properly patch the previous installation might have caused the issue. In such a case, reinstalling the Chrome browser will solve the problem. Before uninstalling, make sure to note down or back up the data (such as website passwords) that may be required later. To uninstall Chrome on Windows: If none of the above works, reset the system to the factory defaults or reinstall the system’s OS. If not, replace the RAMs of the system and check if that clears the issue. If this does not work, contact Google Support. Till then, you may use another browser.
