If you are still using Chrome on a computer older than 15 years, this might be a good time to consider upgrading: the Chromium development team has announced that support for older x86 CPUs will be discontinued. Specifically, CPUs that do not meet the minimum SSE3 (Supplemental Streaming SIMD Extensions 3) will be excluded in the next update, Chrome 89.

This issue is unlikely to affect many users, as most will be using more modern hardware. Also, this is a Windows-only issue; Mac, Android, and Chrome OS all require SSE3 to run.

This change was revealed in a document published online by the Chromium development team. The document is really complicated, but basically, in order to prevent Chrome from crashing or freezing, processors that support SSE3 will be required from now on.

No major reason is given as to why older processors were removed as well as the efficiencies found in the latest CPUs. Perhaps engineers thought that the number of people still using processors from 2000-2005 was extremely limited at this time. The average lifespan of a computer processor is 7-10 years.

Due to the aging of electronics, it is usually best to change upgrades within that time frame. However, there are processors that continue to be used for decades. However, those processors usually lose software support long before they are dumped in the junk bin.

Users with older processors will begin to receive warnings that hardware support is ending. The new Chrome 89 will not even install on older machines and will likely crash when running the new version of Chrome.

However, if you are looking for a new machine, be sure to check out our Best Laptop Guide. There are several affordable ones available.