Page crashed due to out of memory — what to do?
Most “Aw, Snap” / page crashes are related to system memory pressure or a single heavy page, not a corrupted browser. Chrome, Edge, and other Chromium browsers can hit the same cases.
A typical Turbo error page looks like this (“Insufficient memory to open this page”, error code Out of Memory):
Page crash page: out of memory
Use the steps below to understand the cause and reduce how often it happens.
Two different kinds of “memory”
On Windows, Task Manager can show memory at 50–70% used while the current page still crashes with out-of-memory.
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| In use / available | Physical RAM usage |
| Committed / commit limit (Performance → Memory) | How much virtual memory the system allows processes to reserve (RAM + pagefile) |
Browsers need commit budget for shared memory and rendering — not only the “In use” percentage.
TIP
On Windows, open Task Manager → Performance → Memory and watch Committed. If commit is near the limit while physical RAM still looks free, page crashes are more likely.
Common triggers
- Many heavy tabs at once: video sites, social feeds, AI chat, complex search pages — one tab alone can use hundreds of MB.
- Extensions on the page: full-page translators, ad blockers, and script tools add memory inside the same tab.
- GPU process looks high: with many tabs, video, or complex pages, ~1 GB for the GPU process can happen and raises overall commit use; it is not always a bug by itself.
- Small or disabled pagefile (Windows): lowers the commit limit and makes crashes likelier while RAM still looks free.
What to try (in order)
1. Keep Memory Saver on
- Open Settings → Performance (or search for Memory Saver).
- Confirm Memory Saver is enabled (on by default in Turbo).
- Choose Moderate / Balanced / Maximum as needed — more aggressive modes discard inactive tabs sooner; returning to a tab reloads it.
INFO
Memory Saver mainly frees inactive background tabs. It does not discard the foreground page you are viewing. A heavy foreground page can still run out of memory on its own.
2. Reduce tab count and heavy pages
- Close tabs you are not using, especially video, livestreams, and long-lived background pages.
- Avoid many copies of the same heavy site.
- Open Turbo’s Task Manager, sort by Memory, and end unusually large tasks, then retry. Do not end the task for the page you are currently viewing.
3. Check extensions
- Temporarily disable extensions that run on every page (translators, ad blockers, script tools).
- Revisit sites that used to crash; if it improves, re-enable one by one.
- Turn translators on only when needed.
4. Windows: increase virtual memory (pagefile)
If Committed is often near the limit, or pages crash while RAM still looks free:
- Right-click This PC → Properties → Advanced system settings → Performance → Settings → Advanced → Virtual memory → Change.
- Uncheck automatic management and set a custom size for the system drive.
- A practical starting point is 1–2× physical RAM (for example 16384–32768 MB on a 16 GB PC), then restart.
Adjust for disk space and habits; do not disable the pagefile. If disk space is tight, keep System managed size, or choose a smaller custom value.
5. Other options
- Quit other memory-heavy apps (extra Electron apps, sync clients, and so on).
- If the machine is often tight on memory, adding RAM helps most.
- Usually do not turn off hardware acceleration just to save memory — it can hurt performance and is not a reliable fix.
FAQ
Why crash when RAM is only 60–70% used?
Crashes often hit the commit limit or a single renderer process, not “all physical RAM must reach 100%”. On Windows, check Committed as well.
Is this unique to Turbo?
No. Other Chromium browsers can OOM under heavy tabs and extensions. Turbo enables Memory Saver by default to reduce pressure; it cannot guarantee every heavy page never crashes.
Is a large GPU process normal?
With many tabs, video, or complex pages, a high GPU process (around 1 GB) can occur. If it stays very high while idle, update graphics drivers and recheck.
Still crashing often?
Contact support via Help center → Get more help and include if possible:
- OS (Windows / macOS) and approximate RAM size
- Site types open when it crashes (video, social, AI, and so on)
- Whether translator / ad-blocker extensions are installed
- On Windows, approximate Committed / commit limit (a screenshot helps)