Performance Benchmarks: Startup Times
We started timing each browser when the launch command was initiated and stopped timing when the page/s were fully loaded. We used Google.com as the test page for the single-tab startup test.
Single Tab
Microsoft's new Internet Explorer 9 takes the speed crown for single-tab startup times, being the only browser to consistently come in under the one-second mark. IE9 is followed by Opera, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, all between the one- and two-second mark.
Eight Tabs
While we would have liked to raise the number of startup tabs to 10 or 20, unfortunately, Internet Explorer 9 still imposes the eight-tab limit from previous versions. The eight tabs in this test contain the home pages of Google, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo!, Amazon, Twitter, MSN, and Wikipedia.
IE9 once again pulls off an upset, claiming first place. Less than 20 tenths of a second behind IE9 is Opera, followed by Firefox and Safari. Google Chrome brings up the rear, finishing the eight-tab load in just under six seconds.