title: What's the maximum size of a Node.js Buffer
body: <p>I got a fatal error reading a file that was too big to fit in a buffer.</p>
  <pre><code>FATAL ERROR: v8::Object::SetIndexedPropertiesToExternalArrayData() length exceeds max acceptable value
  </code></pre>
  <p>Or,</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>RangeError: &quot;size&quot; argument must not be larger than 2147483647
  at Function.Buffer.allocUnsafe (buffer.js:209:3)</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>If I try to allocate a 1GB Buffer I get the same fatal Error,</p>
  <pre><code>var oneGigInBytes = 1073741824;
  var my1GBuffer = new Buffer(oneGigInBytes); //Crash   
  </code></pre>
  <p>What is the maximum size of a Node.js Buffer class instance?</p>