Brave excessive CPU usage freezing the web pages

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Brave is consuming much more CPU resources than any other browser!

Last year I stopped using the Brave Browser because of this. The CPU usage was so high that cause a freeze on the web page, mostly from youtube videos.

A few weeks ago I started using Brave again hoping this issue could be solved already. Unfortunately that was not the case.

It´s completely normal for me using several tabs simultaneous and youtube paused videos too. That’s how I always worked very well on Chrome browser. I have a good computer capable of handle this easily.

I want to emphasize that I have the exactly same behavior using Chrome Browser with no problem! Only when I use Brave Browser I see this excessive CPU consumption.

Unfortunately I will need to migrate to Chrome browser again if you do not solve this issue. So I really hope you take this seriously to find a real solution on your Brave Browser.

Brave CPU usage
Brave CPU usage785×114 13.9 KB

I am using Windows 10 O.S.

Brave Latest Version 1.19.86 Chromium: 88.0.4324.96 64 bits.

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Hardware acceleration and running apps on background are both disabled on Brave advanced settings.

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@Roken,
Do you have any extensions installed in the browser at this time?

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Sure. Metamask, Privacy Badger, Video Speed Controller, Deluminate.

However these are the same extensions I use on my Chrome Browser and I have no issues with that ultra high CPU usage by Brave compromising the use of the computer.

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Happening here too. Altough I dont use another Browser. First time in so many years of using Brave that happens. It suddenly freezes, can’t do anything, it doesn’t even show the animation when you put the cursor on the minimize-maximize-close buttons.
Can’t open new pages, can’t search, and when you close the browser it keeps running on the Admin screen.
I’ve recorded it.

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Roken: You are not alone. Some time ago I noticed that opening a lot of tabs, with paused playback, seems to steal CPU time and whatever is playing, is intermittent. Clearly a problem with Brave, and not with Firefox. I don’t hold any hope that this will be fixed, because Brave has not acknowledged that there is a problem on which they are working.

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Have you tried to deactivate some of the extensions?

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Happens to me too but only on this specific news site articles : https://www.20minutes.fr/
Only LastPass extension and happens with and without shields enabled.
Firefox seems fine on this site. Chrome has CPU usage spikes too but not as bad as Brave.

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Thank you guys for the support.

Your comments are very important for the Brave Developers to know that is a real problem affecting not just me, but so many other users!

I realized this problem happening since late 2019. This ultra high CPU usage freezing all computer operations was the reason I stopped using Brave Browser and go back to Chrome Browser.

The true is Brave Browser can not handle simultaneous tabs and multiple windows instance of the browser. Specially in the cases that there are youtube video playing and paused playback on that many Brave windows.

There is no point on having a more speed browser to open some web pages, if the browser is devouring your CPU, what will eventually cause a freeze of your computer.

Moreover, a constant high CPU usage can damage your computer in a long-term perspective.

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I second the issue here. I am really interested in getting away from Chrome/Edge and moving to Brave, especially with what is to come with the protocol, but after one day it has become unusable. I created a new profile and that helped, but the extensions I use on Chrome are there for a reason. Without the ability to use them on Brave, it will be difficult for me to be fully committed. Here are my extensions:

Adblock(Not completely necessary with Brave)
Adobe Acrobat
Amazon Assistant(Not completely necessary)
Application Launcher for Drive(I use periodically but it isn’t completely necessary)
Capital One Shopping(I save a fair amount of money with this addon from their suggestions)
Cisco Webex(I am in meetings quite often)
ColorZilla(I do some development on Wordpress and this is extremely convenient for color matching)
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials(Maybe not necessary with Brave?)
GoFullPage(I use periodically for screens for clients)
Google Mail Checker(Could live without)
Google Translate(This is been useful, not sure if it works in Brave)
GoToMeeting Pro Screenshare(again, I am in meetings a lot)
Honey(great for coupon codes, saved some money in the past)
Microsoft Editor(great for on screen grammar editing)
Rakuten(Great for rebates)

This is a cleaned up list of what I used to use. I’m trying to get rid of extensions I am not married to to work in Brave exclusively. I am interested to see where this browser goes, but will need some speed enhancements to use it full time.

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For anyone here encountering this issue, can you please try creating a new browser profile temporarily and test to see if you get the same CPU usage? It’s important to run this test because it will tell us whether the issue is with the underlying software or some data within it that is causing the cpu uptick.

Also:

This is highly inaccurate for many reasons, but the main one is the fact that the overwhelming majority of users are actually not having this issue. I myself have Brave stable, Beta, Dev and Nightly all open right now, with several tabs – including 4 different Youtube videos. So yes, it can handle simultaneous tabs/windows. Issues like these can be tricky, especially when working with a massive code base that is constantly changing, and each user having their own unique conditions. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work hard to improve our browser and address this issue (among others) for those of you encountering it.

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Hello Mattches,

Thank you for the reply and for forward this problem.

I understand your point. This problem is happening since the first time I used Brave Browser in 2019. I had to stop using Brave because of this.

The fact that the majority of users are actually not having this issue does not mean that my statement is false.

I need to use the browser a lot more than any other normal user. Most of people use browser to do simple activities like email, facebook, twitter and youtube video. I use the Browser on a daily basis, more than 8 hours a day for work, study, entertaining and several others activities.

In a normal day I use a total average of 30 tabs simultaneously opened in the browser, distributed within around 8 different instances (windows) of the Browser. This is the average, it can be more sometimes or less.

Among that 30 tabs, an average of 8 of them are usually from youtube videos.

There is another adding factor in this situation due to the fact that these tabs remain open for a long period of time.

For example, despite the issue of operating with a high level of CPU usage, sometimes the Browser can run all this tabs during the first hours of the day without freeze when reaching 100% CPU. However after more hours of use, in the afternoon, the Brave Browser can not handle it any more, reaching 100% many times.

This problem ONLY happen in Brave Browser! Chrome Browser can handle it without any problem of CPU ultra high usage.

In this scenario of simultaneous tabs and multiple instance opened and running youtube paused videos, I have about 35% average CPU usage for Chrome Browser. In this exactly same scenario Brave Browser have an average of more than 60% CPU consumption!

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I had this problem and solved it by installing “The Great Suspender” extension. Once installed, I went into its settings and set it up to aggressively suspend tabs. It has made a huge difference.

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I tested with a new profile. The problem is still there. But what I wrote before is wrong. Enabling Brave Shields on this site reduces CPU usage to a normal level (but makes the site show anti ad block popups). But still no serious problem on this site with Firefox.

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I have a Max Mini 2011 i5 2.5 with 16Mb Ram & run on an SSD using Hih sierra. My router is fibre running at 106mbs down & 9.8 up (hard-wired from router to comp)

I have this very frustrating Problem particularly in the evenings with Newspaper sites with video, photos & adverts.
It also happens with Vimeo YT, FB
I have found if I shut down & restart after 2 mins I am ok again.
It really is frustrating and needs sorting out.
I have looked at CPU & Memory usage and there are usually multiple entries for ‘rendering’ that use memory even with only 2 tabs open.
The only extension I use is Grammarly.

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