Q: Safari Web Content high CPU usage

Experienced the same problem.

Just deactivate the google service WEB GL in Safari's Developer Menu - and the problem is gone.

Ulrich

Responding to question as to how it is possible to have >100% CPU usage: You have multiple CPUs.  If you have 4 CPUs, then (theoretically) you could achieve up to 400% CPU usage.

I narrowed the problem down to staying signed in to my Google account...when I signed out CPU usage dropped dramatically.

Bit of a bummer if you need to keep an eye on your GMail account like I do but not convinced it is that because it happens to me most on my Mac Mini and I don't have Google even open. Oddly it happens far less on my Macbook despite both being Core2Duo's running Snow Leopard so wonder if it is hardware related. Hope it goes away when I upgrade to one of the new Macbook Pro's.....when they are released

Good Catch! I have had a long standing suspicion that JavaScript had somthing to do with it, and Google developers love the horrible Javascript for some unknown reason.. The Safari guys should be able to build a robust enough implementation od javascript though.. so it shouldn't be an excuse..

Incredible. I found my way here with the same issues and simply logging out of Google fixed the issue. That is some impressively bad code.

You nailed it!  Thanks for the tip.  Safari is usable again.

Not only does it seem to be signing into Google that does it but sitting signed in to Tumblr does it too.  I wonder if it is the self updating that isn't working with something.

I have an old 2008 Macbook (black model) and got rid of the old Tiger operating system replaced with Snow Leopard. I notice the same issue that the fan will run too high, keyboard becomes too hot and it often becomes impossible to type. However, upon taking a lot of advice on here, namely Activity Monitor, I notice that its the Safari Plug in flash player - whenever I'm watching You Tube or Facebook games like Angry Birds, the Macbook suddenly becomes very noisy due to the fan running at high speed. Game play is fine but thereafter, once Ive left the game, signed out of Facebook or stop watching videos, the Flash plug-in seems to hang the system on running high. Only quick solution is to open up Activity Monitor and force quit on the Safari Flash Plug in web content.

Even when using Firefox, same problem occurs - it's obviously Flash Plug-in and web content.

It's really, really depressing to see all these comments by people that have a genuine problem with new MBP's. Noisy fans and crashing Safari is a total pain.

Apple Tech 2 Support in Ireland couldn't permanently fix this known problem of high CPU/racing fans and eventual crashing of Safari. I had it from day one when I was "upgraded" from a Powerbook (it had fatal issues) to a 2006 Macbook "Amateur." The problem was so bad that I installed Parallels and used Windows XP Internet Explorer without any issue. The problem seemed to go away years later with an update only to come back with another update a year or so after that (2011).

To date they still haven't honoured the original service plan warranty with a permanent fix and given me any kind of explanation, except most people know now that this is an issue with how Safari handles Macromedia Flash. Hence clicktoflash....

That Apple continue to charge a high price and yet their computers are no better than Windows based PC's says a lot about the the fact that Apples are based on style and feel more than performance. Watching a youtube vid involves having to listen to noisy fans or suffer glitching or eventual freezing/browser and restarts. In these posts however I note there is a work around involving Automator.

If these comments seem to imply the feeling that I have a problem with Apple please note: I have had 3 replacement laptops from Apple. Every single one had a combination of all these problems: Hard Drive fatal crashes/Hardware failures/Battery issues/Screen faults/Motherboard failure/DVD drive replacements etc. Continual unreliability. Over 20,000 business emails in Apple Mail is the only reason I still use Apple and unfortunately will have to continue with them.

Because Apples business model only works on having products that have relatively short lifespans and getting their customers to shell out over and over again because they make their computers vintage after 5 years (finally resulting in no parts/no support) and continually upgrading causing conflicts with older hardware/software, probably explains why they're sitting on $90BN of cash offshore that they haven't repatriated because the US tax authorities will take approx 30% of it. Foxconn worker suicides and the signing of worker non suicide agreements (to mitigate higher compensation payouts in the event of suicides) are another blight on Apples once excellent reputation.

Actually it has nothing to do with MacOSX. It has everything to do with Google.. if you are in Google Docs, it is the file listings IO that is causing grief...To get around, just open the document and close the file listing. It seems it is the AJAX in the Google Web Toolkit (which generates the codes) that is causing the high CPU load. Any listing action eg Reader etc.. will cause Safari Web Content to go to 90% usage.. So close them if you don't need to use it.

WebGL enabled / disabled won't change either.

Can you explain this any simpler? I don't know how to tell if I'm in Google Docs, or what you mean by "listing action". As for Reader, I see on some pages the little box in the address window that says Reader, but am not sure what that means, or if that's Google or Safari that's putting it there. My Safari has been rapidly reaching 2.5 Gigs of RAM, at which point it slows, freezes or crashes. Lately this has been occurring 3 or 4 times a day. I am hardly using any extensions, mainly Click to Flash, which if I didn't would run up the usage even faster. This has been an ongoing issue for far too long.

I didn't understand that message either from Godwin Chuck. I don't use Google docs -- I just use Safari or Firefox as my browsers as normal Mac owners would. I do a lot of research online and half the time if I'm visiting a website that includes a flashing, changing advert window, that's when the Flash player kicks in/Shockwave plug-in begins. To avoid the increase of the fan starting up, I open up Activity Monitor and Force quit the plug-ins. This then brings the fan down, keeping everything the way it should. However, it reiterates that the Macbook is not one for gaming - the Shockwave plug-ins are required for these games and as such, you have to allow the fan to increase because of them.

Hey There!

Is there now any solution for the Safari web content overflow issue? I do not use any extensions
I have a Mac with 4 GB ram and my safari web content goes up over 1 GB RAM which is pretty much if i am also doing other things on my mac. it starts working slow and the fans ramp up. then i have to stop the safari web content process and can work for another half hour until it arrives the same state again...

What could the problem be?

Cheers and thanks for any hints in advance!

The solution is to switch to google chrome, I switched over a year ago and have never looked back. Sad that Apple could screw up something as basic as a browser.