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Firefox 4.0 RAM usage soars over time in Mac OSX 10.6.7 and is never freed

  • 3 cavab
  • 83 have this problem
  • 16 views
  • Last reply by Rothgarr

novaprospekt
novaprospekt
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Firefox 4.0 RAM usage typically averages between 400-750MB for light usage (1-2 windows, 1-3 tabs each). Memory usage skyrockets over time, and/or if I open more tabs or windows where I've seen it consume well over 1 GB of RAM of my total 4 GB. Firefox 4.0 never seems to free much of this RAM relative to what it's consuming either.

The only plugins enabled are QuickTime, Flash and Java (and disabling any of these to use Firefox efficiently should not be required).

The worst I've ever seen was it using 1.27 GB of RAM when all I had open was Facebook (1 window, 0 tabs). Something is not right with this browser...Shouldn't it free what it isn't using?

Firefox 4.0 RAM usage typically averages between 400-750MB for light usage (1-2 windows, 1-3 tabs each). Memory usage skyrockets over time, and/or if I open more tabs or windows where I've seen it consume well over 1 GB of RAM of my total 4 GB. Firefox 4.0 never seems to free much of this RAM relative to what it's consuming either. The only plugins enabled are QuickTime, Flash and Java (and disabling any of these to use Firefox efficiently should not be required). The worst I've ever seen was it using 1.27 GB of RAM when all I had open was Facebook (1 window, 0 tabs). Something is not right with this browser...Shouldn't it free what it isn't using?

All Replies (3)

novaprospekt
novaprospekt Question owner
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The screenshot tells it all. Cropped out the Facebook contents, but that is the memory usage from just a single window open for a few hours.

Gunmetal
Gunmetal
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Have you tried creating a new profile? I will be trying this, as I am suffering from the same problem. Hopes are not high, though.

Btw, what memory/CPU/temp/etc. utils are you using there on the menu bar?

Rothgarr
Rothgarr
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Same here. I upgraded to FF5 yesterday morning and by this morning FF was using 1.26GB RAM and over 1GB Virtual Memory (less than 24 hours). I've had this problem ever since I started using FF with version 3...

The only add-on I use is Firebug.