Firefox 3.0 Power Tweaks

June 26, 2008
By

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

• Submit Feedback »
• More by Author »

While there’s no doubt that Firefox 3.0 is faster and far less demanding on system RAM than previous incarnations of the browser, it’s possible to make Firefox 3.0 better and faster.

Limit RAM usage

Some people are paranoid about the amount of RAM applications running on their PC consume. If you’re one of these people then this tip (and the one following it) is for you.

Start by typing about:config into the address bar, hitting ENTER and then make a promise to the Fox that you’ll be careful.

Into the Filter box, type the following: browser.cache.disk.capacity

You’ll notice that the default value for browser.cache.disk.capacity is 50000. This means 50,000KB. If you want to use less RAM, then devote more space to the cache. A good starting value for those running Firefox 3.0 on PCs with between 512MB and 1GB of RAM is 150000. Double-click on the entry to change it and click OK when done.

To finish the tweak restart Firefox 3.0.

To finish the tweak restart Firefox 3.0.

Note: Remember that caching data to the hard disk is slower than caching to RAM, so while this tweak frees up more RAM for other applications, the effect on Firefox will be that accessing sites that you’ve previously visited will be slightly slower.

Trim RAM usage when Firefox is minimized

This tweak is great for those who want Firefox 3.0 to make good use of memory while it’s running, but to make that memory available to other applications when the browser has been minimized to the Windows task bar.

Start by typing about:config into the address bar, hitting ENTER and once again making a promise to the Fox that you’ll be careful.

Right click anywhere on about:config page and select New and Boolean.

Create a new Boolean value called config.trim_on_minimize:

Click OK and use the next dialog box that’s displayed set the value to true and then click OK again:

To finish the tweak restart Firefox 3.0.

Bonus tip

Finally, a bonus tip for those of you who want a faster Firefox 3.0 but don’t want to tinker deep in the bowels of the browser. Rather than manually mess about with configuration settings, download, unzip and run FireTune (no installation necessary – just run the executable file).

FireTune is an application that makes it easy for you to apply a selection of the most popular and effective tweaks – all it takes on your part is a few clicks!

FireTune is safe and most people that use it find that their browsing experience is dramatically improved.

Enjoy a faster Firefox!