This playbook is designed for practical improvements, not synthetic benchmark chasing. Apply each step, then re-measure before continuing so you can keep only changes that help.
Step 1: Establish Baseline Metrics
Measure before changing anything
Capture three baseline numbers: cold startup time, time-to-first-interaction on your main workflow tab, and average memory usage after 10 minutes.
| Metric | Target | Warning Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Cold startup | < 3.0s on SSD | > 5.0s |
| New tab open | < 400ms | > 900ms |
| Idle memory | Within normal profile range | Steady climb without interaction |
Step 2: Audit Extension Overhead
Disable by value, not by popularity
Disable every extension you used less than once in the last week. Re-enable only tools with clear workflow impact.
- Prioritize removing overlapping tools (multiple ad blockers, multiple tab managers).
- Move rare-use utilities to "on click" permissions.
- Keep one diagnostics extension instead of several monitoring tools.
Step 3: Reset Cache and Session Load
Clear stale pressure points
Clear cached files and close suspended background tabs that auto-resume on startup. Then restart Atlas Browser and test again.
Step 4: Tune Profile Strategy
Separate heavy workflows
Use at least two profiles: one for daily browsing and one for high-load work (dev tools, dashboards, streaming, or testing suites).
Profile separation often yields the largest sustained improvement because background service workers and pinned tabs no longer compete in one process cluster.
Quick FAQ
- Should I clear cache daily? No. Weekly or on degradation signals is enough.
- Do ad blockers hurt speed? Usually they help, but running multiple blockers can hurt.
- Is hardware acceleration always good? Usually yes, but test with your GPU drivers.
Security + Performance Combo
Once speed is tuned, run the privacy checklist so your fast profile is also hardened.
Open Privacy Checklist 2026