Compressing cache data saves space and thus increases the effective size of the cache. Web pages are then loaded faster than if they had to be retrieved from the network. But do not try to compress everything systematically.
Since version 102 of its Edge browser, Microsoft has used technology that automatically compresses cache data stored on the hard drive. This data allows you to quickly reload a web page, but saving it to the computer’s hard drive can cause problems if the machine has low storage capacity. In a post on the Windows Blog, the browser’s development team explains that their goal is to deliver the best performance, but balance value for money. Indeed, if a browser consumes too many resources (processor, RAM or storage), this can affect its performance, but also that of the entire operating system. And the optimization of one of the resources should not lead to a significant increase in the use of another.
In the case of the cache stored on the hard disk or on the SSD, the larger the size, the more the loading of a page is potentially fast. Indeed, it is possible that it is already available in the cache if it has already been consulted. On the other hand, too large a cache can have an impact on the operating system if the storage capacity runs out. In the case of Windows, it is then no longer possible to increase the size of the virtual memory or to store temporary files.
Compression to the rescue
The trivial solution is to calculate the size of the cache according to the available capacity, but a too small cache loses its interest. Microsoft therefore chose the solution of compressing the data to save space. Note that Chrome and Firefox have similar processes. This solution is valid because data stored in the cache such as HTML pages are often very compressible. On the other hand, you should not try to compress everything. For example, JPEG images already benefit from compression. It is thus counterproductive to try to compress them again because it takes time, for a very small gain. Finally, Microsoft explains that the compression is performed only on eligible machines, that is to say sufficiently powerful so that the operation does not degrade performance by putting too much strain on the processor.
Source :
Microsoft