Has Microsoft FINALLY built a Google Chrome killer?

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The recent rebirth-release of Microsoft Edge was interesting, but new optimizations give hope for those wanting Microsoft to succeed with its alternative to Chrome. Yes, the browser many once used only to download Google's browser might be a winner after all.

While the current builds have proven interesting, a new blog post from the Microsoft Edge Team brags that an upcoming build offers massive performance gains. Specifically, Microsoft is touting that its newest versions of Edge (beginning with version 81.0.389.0) notched a Speedometer 2.0 benchmark score that's 13% faster than Edge version 79 (the original Chromium build of Edge) did.

Edge 79 scored 84.85 (the median of 10 test scores), while Edge 81.0.410.0 got a 96.15 (again, a median of 10 scores). The tests were performed on a Microsoft Surface Pro 5 with an Intel Core i5-8250U CPU and 8 GB RAM, with no other applications or tabs open.

Importantly, this is a performance gain that average users should be able to notice, as Microsoft's seeing the speed uptick during "general browsing workloads." However, Microsoft doesn't compare its own scores against Chrome's, so nobody's claiming that the student has become the master.

Want to give this new and faster version of Edge a try? It's still in beta, so you'll want to visit Microsoft's Edge Insider page to sign up.

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.