High memory usage since day 1

InternetOverlord · April 7, 2025, 1:10pm

I am trying to switch from Chrome to Brave, but since day 1 of installing Brave and importing everything from Chrome, the memory usage has been so high it slows my entire system down.
It is using 3GB as standard and has gone up to over 5GB.
I don’t have anything enabled that I don;t use in Chrome. I have only the essential extensions enabled.
gmail seems to be the worse culprit, using 400MB per tab and subframes for chat.google.com using 300MB each
GPU process is also about 400MB

I am running windows 10
I tried disabling hardware acceleration

289wk · April 7, 2025, 2:51pm

@InternetOverlord

The following is a list of all the items that I found in the User Data folder on a Windows OS 11 PC “that I borrowed” on March 30, 2025.

An item name (right-most column) that ends with a forward slash, is for a directory (a folder, for example: SafetyTips/).

The list may help you discover the likely, larger items, in your own Brave Browser (Windows OS) installation.

The list may help you as a basis, a reference, that you may compare or contrast with your findings (for example: Some items may be growing in size that reflects what the Brave Browser Task Manager shows) . . . over time:

The List - sorted numerically (size)

0 Mar 30 05:23 Local Traces/
0 Mar 30 05:23 MEIPreload/
0 Mar 30 05:24 tor/
0 Nov 17 16:01 First Run
6 Mar 27 06:54 promoCode
11 Mar 29 19:59 Last Version
85 Mar 29 21:08 Variations
172 Mar 29 19:59 Last Browser
2379 Mar 30 05:22 AmountExtractionHeuristicRegexes/
4723 Mar 30 05:24 SSLErrorAssistant/
6204 Mar 30 05:22 Crashpad/
9550 Mar 30 05:22 FileTypePolicies/
11703 Mar 30 05:23 heplpbhjcbmiibdlchlanmdenffpiibo/
49119 Mar 30 05:24 System Profile/
49152 Mar 30 05:23 segmentation_platform/
58262 Mar 30 05:22 bfpgedeaaibpoidldhjcknekahbikncb/
61504 Mar 30 05:22 Crowd Deny/
64758 Mar 29 21:08 Local State
70488 Mar 30 05:23 iblokdlgekdjophgeonmanpnjihcjkjj/
71762 Mar 30 05:24 TpcdMetadata/
98927 Mar 30 05:22 gkboaolpopklhgplhaaiboijnklogmbc/
174398 Mar 30 05:23 SafetyTips/
222547 Mar 30 05:22 adcocjohghhfpidemphmcmlmhnfgikei/
353696 Mar 30 05:22 afalakplffnnnlkncjhbmahjfjhmlkal/
414242 Mar 30 05:23 PKIMetadata/
557424 Mar 30 05:22 GraphiteDawnCache/
557424 Mar 30 05:23 ShaderCache/
611006 Mar 30 05:23 Guest Profile/
1048576 Mar 29 19:59 CrashpadMetrics-active.pma
1278587 Mar 30 05:23 mfddibmblmbccpadfndgakiopmmhebop/
1346500 Mar 30 05:22 CertificateRevocation/
1403542 Mar 30 05:22 cdbbhgbmjhfnhnmgeddbliobbofkgdhe/
1426229 Mar 30 05:22 gccbbckogglekeggclmmekihdgdpdgoe/
1681855 Mar 30 05:24 ZxcvbnData/
1769968 Mar 30 05:23 hyphen-data/
2009970 Mar 30 05:22 extensions_crx_cache/
2642911 Mar 30 05:23 omoaeaghhgmiojkeaemjkpkmelmalbgo/
3446496 Mar 30 05:23 Snapshots/
4194304 Mar 29 20:01 BrowserMetrics-spare.pma
4484716 Mar 30 05:22 Default/
5742859 Mar 30 05:23 iodkpdagapdfkphljnddpjlldadblomo/
7962862 Mar 30 05:23 OnDeviceHeadSuggestModel/
10318540 Mar 30 05:22 aoojcmojmmcbpfgoecoadbdpnagfchel/
10408120 Mar 30 05:23 Profile 2/
10437747 Mar 30 05:23 Profile 1/
10736064 Mar 30 05:22 GrShaderCache/
41236834 Mar 30 05:23 Safe Browsing/
94475777 Mar 30 05:22 component_crx_cache/

The List - sorted alphabetically

222547 Mar 30 05:22 adcocjohghhfpidemphmcmlmhnfgikei/
353696 Mar 30 05:22 afalakplffnnnlkncjhbmahjfjhmlkal/
2379 Mar 30 05:22 AmountExtractionHeuristicRegexes/
10318540 Mar 30 05:22 aoojcmojmmcbpfgoecoadbdpnagfchel/
58262 Mar 30 05:22 bfpgedeaaibpoidldhjcknekahbikncb/
4194304 Mar 29 20:01 BrowserMetrics-spare.pma
1403542 Mar 30 05:22 cdbbhgbmjhfnhnmgeddbliobbofkgdhe/
1346500 Mar 30 05:22 CertificateRevocation/
94475777 Mar 30 05:22 component_crx_cache/
6204 Mar 30 05:22 Crashpad/
1048576 Mar 29 19:59 CrashpadMetrics-active.pma
61504 Mar 30 05:22 Crowd Deny/
4484716 Mar 30 05:22 Default/
2009970 Mar 30 05:22 extensions_crx_cache/
9550 Mar 30 05:22 FileTypePolicies/
0 Nov 17 16:01 First Run
1426229 Mar 30 05:22 gccbbckogglekeggclmmekihdgdpdgoe/
98927 Mar 30 05:22 gkboaolpopklhgplhaaiboijnklogmbc/
557424 Mar 30 05:22 GraphiteDawnCache/
10736064 Mar 30 05:22 GrShaderCache/
611006 Mar 30 05:23 Guest Profile/
11703 Mar 30 05:23 heplpbhjcbmiibdlchlanmdenffpiibo/
1769968 Mar 30 05:23 hyphen-data/
70488 Mar 30 05:23 iblokdlgekdjophgeonmanpnjihcjkjj/
5742859 Mar 30 05:23 iodkpdagapdfkphljnddpjlldadblomo/
172 Mar 29 19:59 Last Browser
11 Mar 29 19:59 Last Version
64758 Mar 29 21:08 Local State
0 Mar 30 05:23 Local Traces/
0 Mar 30 05:23 MEIPreload/
1278587 Mar 30 05:23 mfddibmblmbccpadfndgakiopmmhebop/
2642911 Mar 30 05:23 omoaeaghhgmiojkeaemjkpkmelmalbgo/
7962862 Mar 30 05:23 OnDeviceHeadSuggestModel/
414242 Mar 30 05:23 PKIMetadata/
10437747 Mar 30 05:23 Profile 1/
10408120 Mar 30 05:23 Profile 2/
6 Mar 27 06:54 promoCode
41236834 Mar 30 05:23 Safe Browsing/
174398 Mar 30 05:23 SafetyTips/
49152 Mar 30 05:23 segmentation_platform/
557424 Mar 30 05:23 ShaderCache/
3446496 Mar 30 05:23 Snapshots/
4723 Mar 30 05:24 SSLErrorAssistant/
49119 Mar 30 05:24 System Profile/
0 Mar 30 05:24 tor/
71762 Mar 30 05:24 TpcdMetadata/
85 Mar 29 21:08 Variations
1681855 Mar 30 05:24 ZxcvbnData/

The following section of info is about, Where the Brave Browser installation is - the system level install:

Brave Browser installation location on Windows OS

Application “brave.exe”

64 architecture

C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe

The initial Brave Browser Profile is, by default, named “Profile 1” (unless you change that name → brave://settings/getStarted).

The folder that contains the initial Brave Browser Profile, is the Default folder (a name that you must not change):

C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\

That path may also be written:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\

If you create 1 additional Profile (aka “Profile 2”), it will be stored in folder Profile 1:

C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 1\

If you create a 2nd additional Profile (aka “Profile 3”), it will be stored in folder Profile 2:

C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 2\

IMPORTANT - Replacing Profile folders

When replacing Brave Browser Profile folders:

Folder named Default (including its contents) can only replace its likeness: the folder named Default.

Folder named Profile 1 (including its contents) can only replace its likeness: the folder named Profile 1.

Folder named Profile 2 (including its contents) can only replace its likeness: the folder named Profile 2.

IMPORTANT - Brave Browser Preferences

Some Brave Browser Preferences are stored in the Preferences file:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Preferences

The contents of that Preferences file, are not exactly the contents of, brave://prefs-internals/.

Some Brave Browser Preferences are stored in the Local State file:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Local State

Bookmarks and Bookmarks.bak files:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks.bak

Cache (folder):

%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cache\

Cookies (file):

%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cookies

History (file - usually lots of data):

%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\History

Crash Reports:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\CrashReports\

But . . . be aware of a custom installation - the user level install:

June 2023, anon57438784 wrote:

“Custom installation folder - #4 by anon57438784”

Brave uses the OMAHA updater . . .

Brave uses the OMAHA updater, which is open source alternative to what Chrome uses, and probably what Edge uses as well.

OMAHA update can only update in two locations, Program files when you install with admin rights and %localuserdata% when you install without admin rights, but the User Data never changes, it always goes to where it goes.

Brave by not having a custom installer, they have the way to use Policies and all that which is good for enterprise, unlike other Browsers.

So, in that case, what you have to move is the User Data.

Brave in their Github page already offers a zipped version of the Browser which doesn’t have the updater, which means you can place it anywhere you want, and then you can create a BAT file [batch file?] or Shortcut and use whatever directory you want for the User Data.

You can use --user-data-dir="User Data" and the folder will be placed wherever the Brave.exe you are starting is.

If you want to keep the ‘updater’ but move the files, then you should use Junctions or Symbolic Links, which is exactly what Windows users all over Windows, so using them will not cause issues.

The best way to use it is by installing Brave without admin rights, so everything Application, Updater and User Data will be placed in the same folder, in %localappdata%\BraveSoftware

Then you use move it somewhere else and create the junction or symbolic link to it in the same place so Updater and everything works as expected.

It is the way Chromium works, this has to be something Chromium offers easier without using the --user-data-dir=.

289wk · April 7, 2025, 11:50pm

@InternetOverlord

Studying CPU and memory usage; and further down, studying the Internet browser’s Developer Tools > Network window.

Brave Browser (on Windows OS) Task Manager:

I used a top -F -R -o +command -n 30 -stats command,cpu,rsize,time,state,pid command on my MacOS and combined screenshots of the top command result plus the Brave Browser Task Manager:

Apple Activity Monitor window combined with Brave Browser Task Manager:

IIRC, sometimes available memory gets pinched by a memory leak caused (usually?) by a javascript that is not what its author(s) imagined it was supposed to be.

Sometimes, that memory leak is in

code of the Internet Browser
code of the website
both.

How to use Developer Tools:

Developer Tools > Network

As you monitor that Network window, you may see that it does not settle down - instead, items, javascripts, keep loading / reloading ← that might drive up the usage of memory.

289wk · April 8, 2025, 1:03pm

@InternetOverlord

I was hoping that you would monitor and discover what may be demanding more memory; but . . .

I learned long ago, to NOT allow the “bring over to the new browser, the old browser’s you-name-it.”

Instead, I would export bookmarks from the old browser (the exported file: bookmarks.html), and then import those bookmarks into the new browser. For a fresh, lean, new start.

Also, with a fresh, lean, new start, I do not accumulate tabs (I limit them to nor more than 10 ← all of which, I close and then exit / quit the browser).

Also, I never maintain a logged-in / signed-on / signed-in state with any website. Because, I am in agreement with Brave’s stated purpose: Privacy and Security.

You might explore the Brave Browser settings - in particulary, anything that relates to memory (and tabs).

During the inital stages of learning / running Brave Browser, without accumulating bookmarks, passwords, tabs . . . do not be shy about TESTING:

Exiting / quitting everything, and then tossing out the entire “User Data” folder:

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High memory usage since day 1

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