Why does Firefox use so much RAM?

I would like someone to explain something to me because I must be missing something here.

Why is it that all of these newer versions of Firefox use twice as much memory as the older Mozilla browsers, even with no plugins or addons? The newer versions are using 110 MB+ where as the Mozilla browser used maybe 40-60 MB and sometimes less. I am so tempted to just downgrade to one of these older, outdated versions despite the security risks. Even on a fast computer with tons of RAM the newer versions of Firefox have/cause a lag due to the amount of RAM they use. It seems like Firefox and all the other software companies are going backwards. Their products are using significantly more RAM and aren't that much better than the older versions.

Interestingly, over the last 15 years or so things like cell phones and electronic parts have gotten smaller and better. Yet, software is using more RAM and isn't that much better than older versions, and sometimes it takes twice as long to load than the older versions. Puzzling!

 

It is a stange. I agree, the older versions don't seem to be lacking functionality, just eye candy. I suspect it is purely driven by the fact that memory is abundant now and therefore applications don't have to minimize thier footprint like they used to. I would prefer applications still consumed as little as possible with optimized code. But, on the other hand, unused RAM is unused, so might as well use what you paid for.

Sul.

 

I have lots of add-ons, but only 54MB of Ram being used at present. FF sometimes gets to nearly 100MB but only when I have several tabs open with *busy* websites.

Different computers. Different set-ups. Different experiences.

 

id says its probably due to how many add ons u have installed, then u also have to consider if thers any issues with those add-ons that could cause memory usage to increase more than it shuld.

 

I don't know about RAM, have enough free left at any time but what I can tell you, Firefox is getting faster with every release. (Especially since the Webkit competition). So even if you are right, it's damn worth it.
Besides, if anything, keep your browser patched, it's by far the most attacked software on your PC.

 

That's been an issue with Firefox for a lot of people for a long time. I think Firefox has a mind of its own at times.

 

Try Safe Mode without extensions. Create a new profile if necessary. Don't forget to Google it.

SpeedyFox may help. It optimizes the sqlite databases used by Firefox.

The Firefox performance issues aren't usually caused by the RAM, but your hard drive. After using a RAM drive, my highly customized Firefox became quite amazing.

Here's another good tip for people with slow hard drives: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/03/31/firefox-slow-limit-history-size-for-speed-improvement/

 

Because how much RAM a browser consumes doesn't depend solely on how it's coded. It depends a lot on the type of content it has to render as well. And websites today are much more complex than before.

That aside, I think a reality check is in order. You're complaining about Firefox using 110MB? Can you name a modern browser that uses only 40-60MB RAM (your preferred value) these days?

 

Firefox does cache a lot of information in memory.
If I remember correctly it does this as a percentage of your total system memory and it is possible to tweak (im sure google would clarify but too busy to check at the moment).

Cheers, Nick