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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > macOS > Browsers -how much is too much RAM?

Browsers -how much is too much RAM?
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dzp111
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Jun 16, 2009, 08:45 PM
 
Using Safari 4 and Activity Monitor shows that it's using nearly 250MB (real mem). I only have 2 windows open with a total of 9 tabs.

FF was a little heavier but not by much.

So my question is: at what point should I relaunch my browser? Or should I even bother?

(My 2007 MacBook is maxed with 2 Gigs of RAM).
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jmiddel
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Jun 16, 2009, 09:32 PM
 
Try relaunching the browser and see whether it uses substantially less memory after you have used it for five minutes.
     
dzp111  (op)
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Jun 16, 2009, 09:52 PM
 
Originally Posted by jmiddel View Post
Try relaunching the browser and see whether it uses substantially less memory after you have used it for five minutes.
Ya, it starts pretty low then just slowly creeps up. To be expected no doubt. Question remains, how much of RAM should I let it take? What's considered memory-hog?
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Simon
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Jun 17, 2009, 02:27 AM
 
Mine Safari 4 is using 293MB at the moment. I have 4 GB on this Mac.
     
gradient
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Jun 17, 2009, 02:34 AM
 
Mine is using 391.21MB!!!!! But I'm also playing Evony.com right now, which is fairly intensive as far as web content goes.
     
Big Mac
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Jun 17, 2009, 02:40 AM
 
Doesn't sound like Safari 4 is any better at memory management. Oh well.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
RevEvs
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Jun 17, 2009, 09:06 AM
 
I wouldn't bother unless its using up all your ram and you are using swap. RAM is there to be used.
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mduell
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Jun 17, 2009, 03:04 PM
 
The first rule of measuring memory usage is you do not understand what you're seeing.
The second rule of measuring memory usage is you do not understand what you're seeing.

What's the private memory usage? That's the figure that really matters, not real or virtual.
     
chabig
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Jun 17, 2009, 04:15 PM
 
And the third rule is don't worry about it unless your developing an operating system all by yourself. It's the job of the OS to manage memory, not the user.
     
mduell
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Jun 17, 2009, 04:45 PM
 
Yea but if you have an app with an actual leak you want to know it so you can restart it at the appropriate frequency.

My Firefox 3.0.11 is currently using 478MB real / 302MB private. I usually restart when it gets to about a gig private.
     
Big Mac
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Jun 17, 2009, 04:48 PM
 
Originally Posted by chabig View Post
And the third rule is don't worry about it unless your developing an operating system all by yourself. It's the job of the OS to manage memory, not the user.
So you're saying unchecked memory leaks never have an impact on performance?

mduell, you agree with me. Why then did you imply that normal people don't understand (or should not worry) about RAM usage?

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
Simon
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Jun 17, 2009, 05:07 PM
 
The first rule of posting is don't try to act like a wise guy when you're just as clueless as the next poster. The private mem is 293MB.

And if you let Safari remain open it will gradually eat up more. It's not as bad at this as FF, but it's still leaking.
     
mduell
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Jun 17, 2009, 07:55 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
mduell, you agree with me. Why then did you imply that normal people don't understand (or should not worry) about RAM usage?
I said don't understand; I said nothing about worrying. If you're having performance problems is a good thing to look at, but you still probably won't understand until you do a lot of reading.

Originally Posted by Simon View Post
The first rule of posting is don't try to act like a wise guy when you're just as clueless as the next poster. The private mem is 293MB.
dzp111 said "real mem[ory]" in his original post.
     
Simon
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Jun 18, 2009, 02:55 AM
 
What the heck are you talking about? The figure he quotes was also observed in private mem. So the point remains. Any insight to offer beside the wise guy cracks?
     
mduell
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Jun 18, 2009, 02:48 PM
 
dzp111 never posted his browsers private memory usage, only the real memory usage.
     
Simon
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Jun 19, 2009, 09:28 AM
 
In other words, nothing. Now why did that not surprise me?
( Last edited by Simon; Jun 19, 2009 at 01:11 PM. )
     
   
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