Internet browsers and RAM usage

[forsakenseraph]

I'm running WIN7, and lately, I've noticed that my RAM usage is through the roof (5GB used of 8GB) when relatively idle. So I check task manager, and realize that my internet browsers (chrome and firefox) are using over 1GB combined of ram by themselves. I keep two tabs open in chrome (GMail and GCal), and a couple of tabs open in firefox, usually what I was reading last. I don't recall my computer using over 4GB under these conditions just a couple of years ago, or maybe I just didn't realize it. My last computer from 3 years ago had 1GB of ram, and it never seemed to be upset, even with several tabs open.

My question is this: What on earth is making modern internet browsers such RAM hogs? Is there any way I can reduce this RAM usage without having to close all my tabs?

 

[lxskllr]

I think they scale ram usage with the amount of ram installed. If you have more ram, they use more ram. That's desirable behavior, and there's nothing to fix.

 

[SetiroN]

Precisely what lxskllr said, since a couple of years ago internet browsers started making proactive use of RAM.

Also, extensions can be huge memory hogs.

On chrome you could use --single-process to reduce overhead, while --purge-memory-button adds a 'purge memory' button to chrome's task manager that frees up leftover stuff from previous browsing.

For memory constrained situations, I use a stand alone Opera 10 (which is my browser of choice anyway).

 

[Nothinman]

I'm running WIN7, and lately, I've noticed that my RAM usage is through the roof (5GB used of 8GB) when relatively idle. So I check task manager, and realize that my internet browsers (chrome and firefox) are using over 1GB combined of ram by themselves. I keep two tabs open in chrome (GMail and GCal), and a couple of tabs open in firefox, usually what I was reading last. I don't recall my computer using over 4GB under these conditions just a couple of years ago, or maybe I just didn't realize it. My last computer from 3 years ago had 1GB of ram, and it never seemed to be upset, even with several tabs open.

My question is this: What on earth is making modern internet browsers such RAM hogs? Is there any way I can reduce this RAM usage without having to close all my tabs?

Did you notice any performance problems or were you just watching the memory usage for no reason?

 

[pcslookout]

Ram Usage doesn't matter when memory prices are so cheap. Most of us have 8 GB of ram and it is better for it to be used than not. If my internet browser wants to take a lot of ram go ahead.

 

[0roo0roo]

Both your system and probably the browser as said use ram as necessary, unused ram is wasted ram, windows preloads stuff and caches stuff in ram, just because its used doesn't mean its not available.

 

[MrDuma]

had a nasty problem with an older version of Firefox that was somewhat the same. after a fresh install for me it was solved at least!

 

[heymrdj]

Posting what I always post in these threads, Windows 7 is smart, it will release the ram to other programs as necessary. Otherwise, shoving as much of it as possible into RAM makes things run as fast as they can rather than spinning off the slower drive (even by SSD standard).

Did you pay all that money for memory to sit in your chassis and look pretty, or did you buy it to work?

 

[mirandu04]

encountered the same problem back in the days when using XP but since the Win7 update....nothing like this