I have CPU usage issues with firefox 3 and gmail, when the gmail tab is open, the CPU usage goes around 20-40 %, however firefox consumes only about 2-5 % once I close the gmail tab.
I use a PowerBook G4 Mac OS 10.5.3.

Same problem here under Windows 2k too..
CPU Usage reaches 100% as soon as I sign in to gmail and memory usage is moving up n down from 95mb-120mb.
Very annoying, makes the system very slow.

OS: Windows 2000 SP4
Extensions: ReloadEvery 3.0

Ok. Roberto here (I started this thread). I think I have this problem figured out.

I have discovered that this problem only occurs when I try to log out of Gmail WHILE the circular Firefox "page loading" icon is swirling (top right-hand corner of Firefox, just under the X close box). Problem is that the Gmail Inbox page mostly won't stop loading (even if I click the "stop loading this page" button)!

Furthermore, whenever this endless loading is happening, Firefox tells me it is "Transferring data from chatenabled.mail.google.com..." (bottom left-hand corner of Firefox) so I suspect the culprit is related to this.

If I go to the Gmail settings page, or open an email, and then perhaps return to the Inbox, I find that at some point the "page loading" swirl icon stops (as for completely loaded pages) and then I can sign out of Gmail, or close the Gmail tab, and Firefox behaves normally.

Best of all, it appears that TURNING OFF Gmail CHAT and refreshing the Inbox fixes this problem quite easily - I have tried it a few times with a few Gmail accounts and have had no problems since turning off Gmail Chat.

Gmail Chat can be turned off via a link/button at the bottom of any Gmail page.

So it seems this problem is in fact between Firefox 3.0 and Gmail CHAT. I don't think Gmail Chat officially works with FF 3.0 so we may just have to wait for Gmail Chat to come around.

If this fix works for you, please post a reply saying so, so that others will have the confidence to try it for themselves.

- Roberto

win xp sp3
firefox 3 no addons
very same here :- /

90 - 100% CPU usage on windows xp professional 2ghz, 1gb RAM.

Firefox 3 + Gmail/Gchat = DEATH.

I like firefox 3 but its a bit of a let-down really,
I think im going to switch to opera till the next patch.

I don't have gchat enabled, but I regularly (once every few days, perhaps?) have a problem where I start up firefox and restore my previous session (which includes gmail) and I have this exact same problem. 100% cpu usage, and memory going up about 100mb every few seconds until I kill firefox.

Perhaps gchat is enabled when the page starts to load, then it checks my preferences and disables it, but in the meantime it breaks? :) Just trying to report everything I can.

I'm having this same problem, its really irritating!

OSX 10.5.4
Firefox 3.0 Final (non-Beta)

Disabled all extensions and problem still occurs.

I've the same problem.

There is no solution?

I've been experiencing some of the same issues... especially w/ gmail... try changing your Java settings as an experiment. Open the Java console and change network setting to Direct Connection, this has made all the difference for me and Java, JS issues with 100% CPU.
Hoping someone else can repeat it.

N00B

Same issue here. Have experienced this for quite some time and have been unable to isolate GMAIL as the culprit until now, due to the fact that I usually have many tabs open. What is being done to address this issue??? It's quite debilitating.