Hey music normally plays fine but with a few drop outs then when i run google chrome (around 20 tabs) it starts to really crackle and break up. now i have 16gb of ram and a 3ghz processor so it shouldn't be to do with memory unless i need to increase a buffer somehow. what are the best settings in mix control to try for this problem? 

Are you running the Saffire as your main computer audio output? If so, I have a hunch that it is more an issue that the Saffire is trying to accommodate varying bit-rates/bit depths for playback. It will accommodate requested changes (not instantaneously), but cannot do all at once.
 
On my machine, I use my Saffire for DAW work only for the most part and let the onboard Realtek handle "Windows stuff." This does require a second sound system, but alleviates multiple sources trying to use the Saffire in (potentially) different playback modes. Anytime a "browser" gets thrown into the mix, ASIO doesn't seem to be a happy camper.

Try setting Firewire Driver Latency to 'Medium' (or something like that) on the Saffire Control Panel.