How to Change Performance Settings for Firefox Quantum


Starting with Firefox Quantum (version 57), there is a new user interface (UI) called Photon.

Firefox automatically uses recommended performance settings that work best with your computer.

If you like, you can modify the following performance settings to customize them how you want instead.
  • Use hardware acceleration when available - This allows Firefox to use your computer's graphics processor, if possible, instead of the main processor, to display graphics-heavy web content such as videos or games. This frees up resources on your computer so it can run other applications, like Firefox, faster. This box is checked by default but the feature isn't available for all graphics processors. You must restart Firefox after changing this setting, before it will take effect.
  • Content process limit - With Multiprocess Firefox, also called electrolysis or e10s , Firefox runs web content for all tabs separately from the main Firefox process for increased security and performance. Using multiple content processes can further increase performance and minimize the impact of content process crashes. You can modify this setting if multiprocess is enabled; however, having too many content processes can slow down your computer, and consequently, Firefox. The recommended maximum is four, but you can set up to seven.

This tutorial will show you how to change the performance settings of Firefox Quantum for your account in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

If your computer's system information shows more than 8 GB of RAM, you might want to try bumping up the number of content processes that Firefox uses from its default value. Additional content processes can improve performance when using multiple tabs, but will also use more memory.




Here's How:

1 Open Firefox.
2 Click/tap on the Menu button Change Performance Settings for Firefox-menu.png, and click/tap on Options. (see screenshot below)

If you like, you could also copy and paste the path below into the address bar, and press Enter to go directly to General settings.

about:preferences#general

Change Performance Settings for Firefox-firefox_performance_settings-1.jpg

3 Do step 4 (default) or step 5 (custom) below for the performance settings you want to use.


4 To Use Default Recommended Performance Settings

A) Scroll down to the Performance section in General settings. (see screenshot below)

B) Check the Use recommended performance settings box, and go to step 6 below.

Change Performance Settings for Firefox-firefox_performance_settings-2.jpg


5 To Use Custom Performance Settings

A) Scroll down to the Performance section in General settings. (see screenshot below)

B) Uncheck the Use recommended performance settings box.

C) Check (default) or uncheck the Use hardware acceleration when available box for what you want.

You must restart Firefox after changing this setting, before it will take effect.


D) Select the Content process limit (1 to 7) you want, and go to step 6 below.

Change Performance Settings for Firefox-firefox_performance_settings-3.jpg

6 You can now close this Options tab if you like.


That's it,
Shawn