If you use Chrome as a browser on your laptop, you may notice that it makes your computer loud. This is a fairly common experience for those who use this browser. So, why does this happen?

Reasons For A Noisy Laptop When Using Chrome

There can be a few reasons why your laptop is loud when using Chrome, but it can be concerning when it’s the browser you prefer. Chrome rose in popularity as one of the fastest browsers out there, but that speed means it uses a lot of RAM to get the job done quickly.

The fact that Chrome uses a lot of RAM can affect the performance of your laptop. Along with it being loud, you may notice that other programs slow down when you use Chrome.

You may also notice that Chrome itself slows down. That clearly indicates that Chrome is using too much RAM, and your laptop is struggling to keep up.

No matter which browser you use, it’ll require a lot of memory to work. However, Chrome users tend to report that the browser uses a significant amount of space on their hard drives. So, it’s no surprise that our laptops are loud in response.

1. The Fan Is Working To Cool Your Laptop and Prevent Overheating

Your laptop is so loud when you use Chrome because of the fan. The sound indicates the fan is running. This happens in an attempt to keep your laptop cool and prevent overheating.

Laptop fans can run for many reasons. While sometimes it indicates that you need to clean the fan, if it only happens when you’re using Chrome, it’s more likely an issue with the amount of RAM it uses.

You can test this by closing Chrome and running other apps and programs. If the fan stops or slows down significantly, you have an issue when using Chrome. If you want to know more, please refer to my article discussing how often laptop fans should turn on.

Issues With Your Laptop Cooling

Somebody is applying new thermal paste to a laptop's CPU.

There are several issues internally that can cause your laptop to overheat consistently. If you’ve eliminated other possible causes, it’s time to consider that the issue may be physical.

The cooling fan in your laptop shouldn’t constantly be running. If it is, you need to consider that something is wrong with it and isn’t allowing it to cool properly.

This can happen when dust or debris collects in your laptop fan or air vents, preventing cool air and hot air from escaping.

This is likely not an issue if the fan only runs when you use Chrome. However, you may deal with something more if you notice it outside of Chrome. You can clean out the fan and air vents yourself, but you need to be careful as you can cause more damage.

I recommend taking your laptop to a cleaner who can easily take it apart and clean it. Replacing old thermal paste should be done if needed at the same time.

Note: A clean cooling system won’t be effective without fresh thermal paste.

However, if you have a tech-savvy friend, they may also be able to help. The process isn’t too challenging, but you should consider whether it’s worth the risk.

2. There Are Too Many Apps or Programs

If your laptop is struggling to keep up with Chrome, you probably have a lot of storage used up already. So, it may be trying to keep up with too many things.

You should check to see how much space you have left on your laptop and what’s taking up most of it. Your laptop can track how much space you have left, but it’ll also tell you how much of that space you’re using.

Therefore, you may have a lot of apps and programs on your laptop that isn’t leaving enough space for Chrome to run without overheating. If this is the case, you must consider removing other programs that take up too much space.

Mac users can find this information by going to their Settings and choosing Apps. This will list all of your apps, allow you to see which ones are taking up so much space, and let you remove them from there.

For Windows users, you’ll want to go to Settings, System, and Storage. This is where you can find out what’s taking up all that space on your hard drive. You can also remove apps from there and consider how much you use them.

Even when apps aren’t actively running, they’re taking up space on your laptop. Keep that in mind when looking at your storage and considering what to get rid of.

3. There Are Too Many Tabs Open on Chrome

You may hear the fan running when Chrome has too many tabs open. When you have more than one tab open, you may notice that your laptop slows down.

This is normal with any browser. However, it’s especially relevant with Chrome because of how much memory it uses to run. How much this affects your laptop’s performance also depends on the web pages themselves. Some websites simply download, and that’s all.

Others regularly update, which clogs your RAM even more as they need to update regularly. You may be able to help your laptop fan stop running so much by avoiding refreshing websites.

Try to monitor how many tabs you have open at one time. It can be difficult when multitasking or working to use fewer tabs, but it may help your laptop not overheat.

How To Fix a Loud Laptop When Using Chrome

Now that you know why your laptop is making all that noise, let’s talk about ways you can fix it. If the problem is physical, these solutions won’t work. However, it’s still worth trying these solutions before you pay to get your laptop fixed.

1. Try a Different Browser

One of the fastest ways to determine if Chrome is the main issue is to use another browser. Chrome is a popular choice because it’s fast and efficient, but it may be too much for your laptop.

Your next browser shouldn’t matter much, but try your next choice compared to Chrome. Also, make sure you use the next browser the same way you would Chrome, visit the same websites, and use the same number of browsers you used in Chrome.

If the fan stops, then you need something less harsh than Chrome. If it continues to run, then you need to consider another option for fixing your loud fan.

2. Clear Your Browser History

If you still have a loud laptop, consider clearing your browser history more regularly. This will help Chrome not hold on to websites you visit and clear up some RAM. It’s a good idea to do this regularly, especially if you’re experiencing any issues or delays when using Chrome.

How To Clear Your Chrome Browser History

Open a new Chrome browser.
Save anything that you may need to reaccess those sites, like passwords, URLs, and other important information.
On the browser, click More (three vertical dots) at the top right of your screen.
From there, hover over History, and select History at the top of the menu. (Or Ctrl + H).
On the left, you’ll see an option for Clear browsing data. Choose this.
This will give you a list of your complete browsing history. If you haven’t done this before, you’ll have plenty on the list. Save whatever you may need before continuing.
When you have everything you need, select All time and check all the boxes to ensure it clears everything.
Finally, click Clear data, and every previous website will disappear.

You should do this regularly, as it can free up a lot of space and allow Chrome to run smoother.

3. Remove Any Extra Data From Your Laptop

If you followed the above steps for checking your laptop’s data usage, you may want to clear out some data. If your storage is close to being full, it’ll impact how well your laptop runs, especially when using a program like Chrome that takes a lot of RAM.

Consider going through your laptop storage and deleting some things you no longer need. Old apps that you don’t use or accidental screenshots can help make a big difference in how well your laptop performs.

Once you’re in the menu that lists all of your apps and data, you’ll be able to easily see everything stored on your laptop.

Therefore, use this to your advantage and clear off some things you no longer use. If you use everything on your machine, you may want to consider upgrading to more memory in the future to help your laptop better handle the amount of RAM you need.

4. Disallow Background Apps From Constantly Running

Another major concern for those who use Chrome is the background apps. These apps on your laptop run in the background continuously, often without your knowledge.

Background apps take up a lot of RAM even when you aren’t actively using them. So, it can be a major contributing factor when your laptop fan is constantly running.

Something as simple as a communication app may continue running, or it may be a weather app constantly updating. There’s no easy way to check if apps constantly run in the background. So, you may need to check your apps individually.

To do this, go to your list of apps in the storage section as you did above when checking available space. From there, you’ll need to choose each app you want to check.

When you click on each app, it’ll have a menu where you can see if it runs in the background. If it does, consider whether or not you need it to. You may want to allow weather or map apps to run in the background, as they can be helpful. However, not every background app is necessary.

When you’re in the menu of the individual app, you can also adjust the permissions of the app. If you don’t want the app to continue to run in the background, check the option to “never” allow it to run in the background.

Most apps also have the option to ask you first. So, checking either one will give you a better idea of what’s running when you don’t need it. Stopping background apps from running constantly may help cool your laptop and prevent the fan from continuously running and making noise.

5. Increase Your Laptop Storage

If you don’t want to or can’t remove any more data from your laptop, then it may be time to consider increasing your storage.

Sometimes, our needs surpass the storage that our laptops can handle. In this case, you can either delete data, buy a new one, or increase the storage space on your current one.

To do this, you can use cloud storage, which most laptops offer. This is a great option if you need something quick and easy to use. However, it can get expensive the more you increase the storage capacity on your laptop.

Alternatively, you can increase the storage on your laptop with an external hard drive. This will connect to your computer and hold your data. You’ll need to plug in the hard drive to access its data.

So, if you choose to do this, it’s best to keep it close by when using your laptop. While this can sometimes be annoying, it’s typically cheaper than increasing cloud storage and still provides you with more room for other data.