Firefox: Down Memory Lane

by  on  in The Side-Eye

I’m conducting a bit of a survey and I’ll need your help. It’s all about Firebox, the browser I love, and how it breaks my heart every day. Do you love Firefox? Then please help me with an intervention.

If you have Firefox open now and you’re running Windows, go to your Task Manager1 and click on the Processes tab. Look for the process called firefox.exe and make a note of the number in the Mem Usage column2. Then go to your Firefox toolbar, click Help, then About Mozilla Firefox and make a note of the current version you’re running. Then come here and post this in the comments along with the number of tabs (or tabs and windows) you currently have open. Would also help if you said which OS you’re running.

Update: Adam provides instructions for Mac: you can find the memory usage by opening Activity Monitor (in utilities), looking for Firefox in the Process Name column, and seeing what the Real Memory usage is.

Eric provides Ubuntu instructions: you can check out the memory usage under System > Administration > System Monitor, but you’ll have to convert the stats from MiB.

You don’t have to restart your computer or browser or anything like that. I just want to get a snapshot of how much memory Firefox uses for different people. The more data I can collect, the better. I’ll start:

Memory Usage: 920,200K | 11 tabs | Firefox 3.5.7 | Windows XP

Yes, that memory usage is real. Remember the days when Firefox would only use around 300,000K? Or even the long ago when 100,000 was reasonable? Ah, nostalgia.

I showed you mine, now show me yours.

  1. Right click on the taskbar to find it. Or hit Ctrl Alt Delete. [↩]
  2. If the number keeps changing, you can round off to the nearest hundred thousand. Like 350,000 or whatnot. [↩]
  • Cory

    Memory usage: 129.380K
    Tabs: 3
    Version 3.0.17
    Windows Vista

  • 211,116K | 10 tabs | Firefox 3.5.7 | Windows XP Pro

  • Harriet

    Memory Usage: 142,252K | 2 tabs | Firefox 3.5.7 | Windows XP Home

  • Katie

    109,348K – 2 tabs – Firefox 3.5.7 – Windows XP

  • For Mac users, you can find the memory usage by opening Activity Monitor (in utilities), looking for Firefox in the Process Name column, and seeing what the Real Memory usage is.

    My numbers were very like yours, which is why, much as I adore Firefox, it’s no longer my regular browser.

  • 140,344k – 5 tabs – Firefox 3.6 – Windows 7

  • snakey

    Memory Usage: 144,000 | Five tabs| Firefox 3.5.7 | Windows XP. I’ll check on my Mac next time I’m using it.

    So…what browser do you use now?

  • 255 Meg. (66% CPU). 28 tabs, 3 windows. Firefox 3.5.6. Mac OS X 10.6.2.

    *Why* am I still using Firefox?

    Oh. Right. I remember. Dang!

  • Firefox.exe: 60,560K
    Version 3.6
    Windows XP SP3 (32bit)

    I’ve only got this one page open (Firefox isn’t my primary browser).

  • Firefox.exe*32: 100,306 K
    Version 3.5.7
    4 Tabs
    Windows 7

  • Firefox.exe 83,228k
    3 Tabs
    Version 3.5.7
    Windows XP

  • Ericka

    355,860 K

    13 tabs and one additional window with one tab

    Firefox 3.5.7

    XP professional

  • 131,180
    5 tabs
    v 3.5.7
    Windows XP

    Because I’ve got Chrome open for Facebook with its pretty, pretty games. -.-

    I once installed a toolbar (for Mousehunt on Facebook) and it had a massive memory leak. You might want to check what plugins and addons and whatnot you’ve got installed. Also, Flashblock ftw.

  • Eric

    Not sure if you’re interested in Ubuntu stats, but…

    75,800K | 6 tabs | Firefox 3.5.7 | Ubuntu 9.10

    And for any other Ubuntu users, you can check out the memory usage under System > Administration > System Monitor, but you’ll have to convert the stats from MiB.

  • Annaoj

    143,108 K | 2 tabs | 3.5.7 | windows xp

  • Ellen

    112,432K | 7 tabs | 3.5.7 | Windows XP

  • Memory Usage: 113,300K | 5 tabs | Firefox 3.5.7 | Windows Vista

    (I’m idly wondering how much extensions and plugins factor in to the memory usage. Get enough third-party products that don’t care about optimizing their code, and you’re bound to have bloat.)

  • Tamara

    92,812K | 2 windows open, no tabs | 3.5.7 | Windows XP on my netbook.

  • 129,976
    5 tabs in one window
    3.5.7
    Windows XP (work version) on my desktop

  • 262.17 | 7 tabs| Mac 10.4.11| Firefox 3.0.10

  • 1 window, 7 tabs
    usage: 121,252k
    version: 3.6

    • 1 window, 7 tabs
      usage: 121,252k
      version: 3.6
      sorry, forgot to say: running windows 2000.

  • 391,966
    7 tabs, one window
    3.5.7
    XP

  • KimGuidroz

    Memory 91,556, Version 3.6, Vista. 1 window, 2 tabs

  • Mimi

    Firefox version 3.015 (with about one million extensions), Mac OS 10.5, one window, 12 tabs including two with substantial video; 484.54 mg of memory in use.

  • 458.48MB, 5 tabs, Mac/Leopard.

  • dp

    288,000 K | 8 tabs (in two windows) | 3.0.3 (I know, I know) with Adblock Plus 1.0.2 | WinXP

  • Miki

    325MB — one window with 16 tabs, one window with 4 — Firefox 3.5.7 on Mac OSX 10.5.8

    Given how much I have open, I’m actually pretty happy with that.

  • Attie

    308MB – one window, 20 tabs – 3.6 on Mac OS 10.5.8

    Less than Safari with only 2 tabs!

  • Kate

    175 MB real memory, 3 tabs open, Version 3.5.7, OSX (10.5.8)

  • Domini

    Windows 7 64 bit
    Firefox 32 bit 3.5.7
    1 window, 3 tabs at this particular moment
    132,728k of memory

  • Diatryma

    Mem: 407,712
    Firefox 3.5.7
    2 windows, 3 and 1 tab
    Windows Vista

  • j00j

    Memory usage: 70,000K, 3 tabs, 3.5.7, Mac OSX 10.5.8

  • nance

    375,000 3.5.7 23 tabs vista home

  • F Craye

    Memory Usage: 100072K | 8 tabs | Firefox 3.5.7 | Ubuntu

  • phredd groves

    Memory Usage: 799 MB | 37 tabs | Firefox 3.5.7 | OS X 10.6.2