The memory usage of modern web browsers has increased quite a bit over the years which can be attributed to the increased functionality but also to plugins and extensions that use computer memory as well when the web browser is running. Google Chrome and Chromium make it easier for the user thanks to the build in task manager to find out those components and plugins that are responsible for the largest memory usage.
The keyboard shortcut Shift Esc will open the Google chrome task manager that will display the memory usage of the plugins, tabs and core browser. The task manager displays the page or plugin, the memory usage and cpu usage. Initially Google Chrome users had only the option to end a process listed but the latest Chromium builds outline an improvement.
The developers have added a purge memory button to Chromium which will eventually be included into Google Chrome builds as well. For now it has to be activated with the startup parameter –purge-memory-button.
A click on the button will free up memory in Chromium which can be very interesting for users who work with the web browser all the time. Firefox users have a similar option with the third party program Firefox ultimate Optimizer which can drop the memory usage of the web browser significantly.
Users who are interested in this new feature have to download a Chromium build for now as this is the only version that supports the purge memory startup parameter currently. (via Download Squad)
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Chrome also runs each tab as a SEPARATE process that makes this possible, unlike FF where everything is grouped together.
I don’t know if it is FF 3.5 or one of the man extensions I run but FF is sucking up a lot of memory these days! I have to restart it daily which is what we had to do back with WIn98.
One clue I have noticed is opening new windows seems to eat a lot of memory that somehow doesn’t get freed when you close the window.
I’ve discussed this issue on the FF forums in the past but there isn’t any real solution for finding out where the problem is short of removing all extensions and then adding each one sequentially until the problem is found. Unfortunately, that process would cripple FF and would take months to work through, so it is not practical.
A ferry good function/ad for Google chrome there are getting better and better.
This does not seem to work with Iron, alas.
Like Jojo, when I use Firefox, I have gotten in the habit of periodically clicking “Exit” if I am not involved in a download or anything, & restarting the browser–I have it set to re-open previous windows so it’s not that much of a bother. But, wow!! can Ff absorb RAM!! & I only have 4 add-on’s!!
It no worky.
3.0.195.33 on Windows XP.
Au contraire. Worky.
4.0.223.16
I didn’t realize you needed to install the beta. My bad.