Google Chrome's number-one competitor claims it fixes one of the biggest problems with Chrome — here's how to see if works for you

 It's conventional wisdom that Google's Chrome web browser is often the culprit when your computer slows down.

Chrome is often known as a "memory hog," as it seems to always consume a big chunk of your computer's RAM. That can often lead to a pretty noticeable performance drop, even on high-end powerhouse PCs. 

A quick RAM recap: It's your computer's short-term memory, where it keeps tabs on apps that you're using. In Chrome, more more open tabs and extensions means more RAM usage, which in turn means a hit to performance. 

As recently as November 2017, Mozilla has emerged as a beacon of hope for web users, with a claim that its latest version of the Firefox web browser uses 30% less RAM than Chrome, at least on Windows. In theory, that means Firefox users should be able to run 30% more open tabs and extensions than Chrome before their computers slow down.

However, from my experience on both a Mac and Windows 10 machine, Firefox actually uses more RAM than Chrome, meaning it takes fewer tabs and windows before it starts digging into your performance. Mozilla says that it all comes down to your computer and your configuration.