Should Firefox be using 1 GB of memory?

D.Pham00 · 11-07-09, 08:54 AM

I checked the Task Manager in Windows XP and noticed that FF is using 1 GB of memory...is this normal? Seems like a lot to me.

twikoff · 11-07-09, 09:17 AM

yea, FF has always been notorious for having massive memory leaks
kill it and let it restart those same pages and it will be significantly less usage

Dr Mabuse · 11-07-09, 11:22 AM

Twikoff is right, memory leaks are an issue. Close down and restart, even have it save your tabs.

Unless, of course, you run a lot of tabs open when you browse, then that kind of usage may be legit.

My Firefox is always using towards a gig of memory, if I have a ton of tabs open it goes a gig or more.

Jay G. · 11-07-09, 02:09 PM

Note that it's not Firefox itself that usually is leaking, but one of the many various add-ons that get installed into Firefox. Flash is a big offender, although I've read that Google Toolbar has had massive memory holes too.

Unfortunately, since they all run from within Firefox, Windows Task Manager only sees that firefox.exe is eating up a lot of memory, so many people blame Firefox itself. Also, since Firefox's tabs are all threaded, even if the offending tab is closed, the memory isn't freed up. It can't regain that lost memory until Firefox is closed completely.

Google's Chrome attempted to adjust for this by creating a within-browser task manager to show what's specifically using up memory. It also opens each tab in a separate process, so that when an offending tab is closed, all the memory is regained instantly.

sniper308 · 11-07-09, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay G.

Note that it's not Firefox itself that usually is leaking, but one of the many various add-ons that get installed into Firefox. Flash is a big offender, although I've read that Google Toolbar has had massive memory holes too.

Unfortunately, since they all run from within Firefox, Windows Task Manager only sees that firefox.exe is eating up a lot of memory, so many people blame Firefox itself. Also, since Firefox's tabs are all threaded, even if the offending tab is closed, the memory isn't freed up. It can't regain that lost memory until Firefox is closed completely.

Google's Chrome attempted to adjust for this by creating a within-browser task manager to show what's specifically using up memory. It also opens each tab in a separate process, so that when an offending tab is closed, all the memory is regained instantly.

I'd agree. I'm a heavy user of firefox, often have multiple people logged on to the main XP machine in the house, all who leave firefox open and running, and I've never seen any of the firefox processes on any of my machines take that kind of memory. And I have very few add ons.

The Bus · 11-09-09, 09:28 PM

Use Chrome.

Groucho · 11-09-09, 09:30 PM

1GB is not nearly enough. I always allocate 2GB or more to the program.

twikoff · 11-10-09, 09:42 PM

1 great thing of IE8.. the tabs run as seperate processes.. so when there is an issue, i can find the offending tab, end process on it, let it recover on its own and continue on without disrupting the rest

mikehunt · 11-10-09, 10:08 PM

I was going to suggest that setting in about:config that gets FF to release memory when minimized, but I just tried it and although it went from ~250MB down to 9MB right away, it quickly went back up to over 60MB with the window still minimized
although it's been restored for a few minutes now and is only at 87MB so that's not too bad I guess

Iron_Giant · 11-18-09, 03:03 PM

I have seen the TAB if Firefox make the RAM for that process go through the roof, so I always keep an eye on it. If it is a problem, I copy the link, kill the process and then restart Firefox/IE (whichever I think I should use).

11-07-09, 08:54 AM	#1
D.Pham00 DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Stick out your tongue! Posts: 32,302	Should Firefox be using 1 GB of memory? I checked the Task Manager in Windows XP and noticed that FF is using 1 GB of memory...is this normal? Seems like a lot to me. __________________ abrg: *whine whine* suprmallet: *why so serious?*

11-07-09, 09:17 AM	#2
twikoff DVD Talk God Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Right Behind You!!! Posts: 76,282	Re: Should Firefox be using 1 GB of memory? yea, FF has always been notorious for having massive memory leaks kill it and let it restart those same pages and it will be significantly less usage __________________ "if you don't like your job you don't strike. You just go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way." - Homer Simpson

11-07-09, 11:22 AM	#3
Dr Mabuse DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: 75 clicks above the Do Lung bridge... Posts: 8,733	Re: Should Firefox be using 1 GB of memory? Twikoff is right, memory leaks are an issue. Close down and restart, even have it save your tabs. Unless, of course, you run a lot of tabs open when you browse, then that kind of usage may be legit. My Firefox is always using towards a gig of memory, if I have a ton of tabs open it goes a gig or more. __________________ "Mankind have a great aversion to intellectual labor; but even supposing knowledge to be easily attainable, more people would be content to be ignorant than would take even a little trouble to acquire it." - Samuel Johnson "Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do." - Bertrand Russell

11-07-09, 02:09 PM	#4
Jay G. DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 6,033	Re: Should Firefox be using 1 GB of memory? Note that it's not Firefox itself that usually is leaking, but one of the many various add-ons that get installed into Firefox. Flash is a big offender, although I've read that Google Toolbar has had massive memory holes too. Unfortunately, since they all run from within Firefox, Windows Task Manager only sees that firefox.exe is eating up a lot of memory, so many people blame Firefox itself. Also, since Firefox's tabs are all threaded, even if the offending tab is closed, the memory isn't freed up. It can't regain that lost memory until Firefox is closed completely. Google's Chrome attempted to adjust for this by creating a within-browser task manager to show what's specifically using up memory. It also opens each tab in a separate process, so that when an offending tab is closed, all the memory is regained instantly.

11-09-09, 09:28 PM	#6
The Bus DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Delaware Posts: 42,898	Re: Should Firefox be using 1 GB of memory? Use Chrome. __________________ Panda Killer XBL/PSN/Steam: Chiwotweiler \| hd dvdaf \| last.fm \| Movies: 2002 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 / 09 "Wearing Shakira's ass for a hat interests me more than anything else in the universe." - Hokeyboy

11-09-09, 09:30 PM	#7
Groucho DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 46,696	Re: Should Firefox be using 1 GB of memory? 1GB is not nearly enough. I always allocate 2GB or more to the program. __________________ Panda Killers? Xbox Live: Runner Groucho PSN: RunnerGroucho

11-10-09, 09:42 PM	#8
twikoff DVD Talk God Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Right Behind You!!! Posts: 76,282	Re: Should Firefox be using 1 GB of memory? 1 great thing of IE8.. the tabs run as seperate processes.. so when there is an issue, i can find the offending tab, end process on it, let it recover on its own and continue on without disrupting the rest __________________ "if you don't like your job you don't strike. You just go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way." - Homer Simpson

11-10-09, 10:08 PM	#9
mikehunt DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bartertown due to it having a better economy than where I really live, Buffalo NY Posts: 27,802	Re: Should Firefox be using 1 GB of memory? I was going to suggest that setting in about:config that gets FF to release memory when minimized, but I just tried it and although it went from ~250MB down to 9MB right away, it quickly went back up to over 60MB with the window still minimized although it's been restored for a few minutes now and is only at 87MB so that's not too bad I guess __________________ http://www.ytedk.com/ Vote for freedom not political parties. .... MOΛΩN ΛABE كافر Well, maybe back to back. But I gotta tell you, I'm not 100% on this.

11-18-09, 03:03 PM	#10
Iron_Giant DVD Talk Platinum Edition Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 3,900	Re: Should Firefox be using 1 GB of memory? I have seen the TAB if Firefox make the RAM for that process go through the roof, so I always keep an eye on it. If it is a problem, I copy the link, kill the process and then restart Firefox/IE (whichever I think I should use).