How much memory does a 'new window' in Brave consume?

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I’ve always assumed that opening a ‘new tab’ in Brave uses considerably less RAM than opening a ‘new window’.

Am I right?

Is the default memory usage for both options known?

(My question is about ‘empty’ windows and tabs – i.e. New Tab and New Window – since once content is involved comparative RAM usage could not be easily determined, although I suppose the ratio of usage – ‘tab’ compared to ‘window’ – for the identical content might remain the same.)

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You can test the difference. Use the Brave Browser Task Manager and the Mac OS Activity Monitor.

Close all BB tabs and windows.

Clear cache, cookies, history, etc.

Quit BB and restart computer. Start BB.

Using only tabs, 1 tab per website, visit 20 specific websites. Take screenshots of BB Task Manager window and Activity Monitor window.

Repeat all steps - but use only windows instead of tabs, and be sure to visit the same “20 specific websites” in the same order as the preceding tabs only test.

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No just because it is new it still takes space

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@289wk… Thanks, that’s a bit more complicated than my curiosity. I assumed there is a fixed default value (re: memory consumption) for every ‘new tab’ or ‘new window’.

Also, if swaps and cache are activated during the process you advise – swaps might not be but cache might be depending on the webpages opened – would those necessarily perform exactly the same way if that experiment were repeated?

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Negative. Mileage varies from device to device, not to mention based on what a person’s settings may be. But I could go ahead and give you an AI answer:

The expected difference in RAM usage between opening a new tab and a new window in Brave is small but measurable. Here’s an estimate based on typical browser behavior:

  • New Tab:
    • Typically adds around 2-5 MB of RAM, depending on browser optimizations and extensions.
    • Tabs share the same process within a window, so resources like the UI and core browser services are reused.
  • New Window:
    • May use 20-30 MB or more for the new process. This includes resources for the window frame, additional browser UI, and separate process isolation in some cases.

The actual numbers vary depending on:

  • The operating system (e.g., Windows, macOS, Linux).
  • Extensions installed (which can attach themselves to each tab or window).
  • Browser settings (e.g., process isolation for security).

For an “empty” instance with no content loaded, the difference should be around 15-25 MB, with new windows using more RAM due to the extra overhead of a separate browser process.

But as 289wk mentioned, might just be beneficial for you to test on your own device to see what you notice.

AI Answer to your last reply:

There isn’t a fixed default value for memory consumption for a new tab or window because usage depends on dynamic factors like system resources, browser optimizations, and extensions. However, the baseline difference between a new tab (~2–5 MB) and a new window (~20–30 MB) is consistent for most systems.

Regarding swaps and cache:

  • Swaps (virtual memory): Usually kick in only when physical RAM is under pressure, so they wouldn’t affect memory usage in normal scenarios for just opening tabs or windows.
  • Cache: This can vary based on browser settings, the system’s available memory, and whether content (like cached assets) is reused between tabs/windows.

In repeated experiments, results might differ slightly because:

  1. Cached data can vary depending on what’s already in memory.
  2. System optimizations or resource contention may introduce small variations.

If you’re looking for a more consistent comparison, testing in a fresh session (with cache cleared) could give a closer approximation of the “default” RAM usage for tabs vs. windows.

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Thanks for that, @Saoiray.

Swaps (virtual memory): Usually kick in only when physical RAM is under pressure, so they wouldn’t affect memory usage in normal scenarios for just opening tabs or windows.

Although it may take a little while, it’s rare for me not to put RAM “under pressure”. There seem to be different theories about activation of swaps. In my usage, Activity Monitor tends to stay in the green most of time. But I’ve seen advice that any amount of swaps is to be avoided (i.e., quit and restart).

Cache: This can vary based on browser settings, the system’s available memory, and whether content (like cached assets) is reused between tabs/windows.

Re: cache I was only referring to a clean slate situation: Cache emptied, device restarted, then compare RAM usage of opening ‘new tab’ v. opening ‘new window’.

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