r2021b uses a LOT more memory on start than r2016b -- both are bare

On r2016b:

>> memory
Maximum possible array:       23268 MB (2.440e+10 bytes) *
Memory available for all arrays:       23268 MB (2.440e+10 bytes) *
Memory used by MATLAB:        1105 MB (1.158e+09 bytes)
Physical Memory (RAM):       32474 MB (3.405e+10 bytes)

On r2021b:

>> memory
Maximum possible array:       21861 MB (2.292e+10 bytes) *
Memory available for all arrays:       21861 MB (2.292e+10 bytes) *
Memory used by MATLAB:        2693 MB (2.824e+09 bytes)
Physical Memory (RAM):       32474 MB (3.405e+10 bytes)

1.01 GB vs 2.69 GB just after starting Matlab

Is this normal? I just installed r2021b and I wasn't expecting this. I can see plots also use a lot more memory (and are much slower when they have sufficiently many data points, e.g. an 8000 point plot, trying to use the data inspector takes several seconds to get or more the crosshairs by one datapoint, whereas in r2016b the same plot is snappy, real-time, milliseconds).

Answer 1

[Dinesh]

Hi Alex,

I understand your concern regarding the high memory consumption for MATLAB R2021b. Please note that this is normal and is specified in the requirements section for these specific releases. For MATLAB R2021b, a minimum of 4GB RAM is required, while for MATLAB R2016b, the minimum requirement is 2GB. The increased amount of RAM is necessary due to the additional functionalities and tools that MATLAB offers in the new releases.

For more detailed information, I recommend referring to the following MATLAB system requirements document.

1. https://www.mathworks.com/content/dam/mathworks/mathworks-dot-com/support/sysreq/files/system-requirements-release-2021b-windows.pdf
2. https://www.mathworks.com/content/dam/mathworks/mathworks-dot-com/support/sysreq/files/SystemRequirements-Release2016b_Windows.pdf

The following MATLAB Answers threads can be useful in addressing high memory consumption and slow performance of certain functions in new MATLAB releases.

1. https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/1621420-every-program-in-newer-versions-of-matlab-runs-slower-why
2. https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/1766710-matlab-is-holding-on-to-a-lot-of-memory-is-this-expected

If you are still experiencing concerns regarding the plotting speed in MATLAB, I recommend contacting the MathWorks Support System for further assistance.

https://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us.html

Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Dinesh Reddy Gatla.