Microsoft says Edge 134 is up to 9% faster with real-world performance boosts

In context: Microsoft released Edge 134 last month with several new features, improvements, and bug fixes. The company now claims that this latest version also brings "significant" performance gains, including up to 9% faster rendering times on the Speedometer 3.0 benchmark.

According to Microsoft's blog, Edge 134 also offers 1.7% faster navigation times, 2% faster startup times, and 5 to 7% better web page responsiveness compared to Edge 133. The results come from Microsoft's field telemetry, which represents real-world web usage on all types of hardware and websites.

The improvements can largely be attributed to multiple optimizations made to both Edge and the Chromium engine, and they are part of Microsoft's continuing efforts to make Edge faster and more responsive. In the newer versions of Edge, the company claims to have carried out several code changes focused on optimizing the browser's real-world performance on Windows and macOS.

The continuing improvements in Edge over the past few releases are evident in its rising Speedometer 3 scores, which measures web app responsiveness. According to Microsoft's infographic, Edge 134 racked up 32.7 on a PC powered by an Intel Core i5-13500 CPU and running Windows 11. In comparison, Edge 133 scored 29.6, while Edge 132 hit 28.8.

Despite the improved metrics, Microsoft warns that the final user experience will depend on a number of factors beyond its control. These include the device hardware, other applications running in the background, and the user's browsing habits. Either way, the company wants users to send feedback about their experience by going to Settings > More > Help > Feedback.

In addition to the performance improvements, Edge 134 also brings multiple notable new features, including an AI-powered 'Scareware Blocker' that Microsoft claims is an effective first line of defense against scams. The feature, which is currently in beta, is designed to identify pages that attempt to convince potential victims that their device is infected with malware.

Other changes include a Root Certificate Store update, deprecation of Microsoft Search in Bing, the ability to open links from Teams on macOS, and various improvements to the Settings page. If you're already an Edge user or want to try out Microsoft's desktop browser, you can download the latest version from our website.