console.log('pid', process.pid); var babel = require('babel-core'); var bigFile = require('fs').readFileSync( require.resolve('babel-core/browser'), 'utf8' ); babel.transform(bigFile); console.log('before gc'); printMem(); // force gc gc(); console.log('after gc'); printMem(); setInterval(function() { printMem(); }, 2000); function printMem() { var mem = process.memoryUsage(); for (var p in mem) { // convert to MB mem[p] = mem[p] / 1000000; } console.log(mem); } /* Sample Run on node v0.12 with --expose-gc (numbers in mb) before gc { rss: 488.583168, heapTotal: 458.540544, heapUsed: 430.695296 } after gc { rss: 266.866688, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.823912 } { rss: 266.870784, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.901648 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.92368 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.933088 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.941016 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.948944 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.956872 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.9648 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.97272 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.98064 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.98856 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 19.99648 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.0044 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.01232 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.02024 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.02816 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.037808 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.045736 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.053664 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.061592 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.06952 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.079016 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.088944 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.096872 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.1048 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.11272 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.12064 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.12856 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.13648 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.1444 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.154328 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.162256 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.17432 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.18224 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.19016 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.19808 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.209808 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.217736 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.225664 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.233592 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.24152 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.24944 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.25736 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.27536 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.283568 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.293456 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.30128 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.310848 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.318672 } { rss: 266.883072, heapTotal: 240.173568, heapUsed: 20.326496 } */