Can manual gc.collect() calls reduce RSS growth in low-traffic workloads?

In low-traffic Python applications, minimizing resource overhead is critical for cost reduction. While CPython primarily relies on reference counting for immediate object reclamation, the cyclic garbage collector (gc module) is required to resolve reference cycles that would otherwise lead to memory leaks.

There is a trade-off between the CPU overhead of automatic background collection and the potential for increased Resident Set Size (RSS) due to memory fragmentation or delayed cycle reclamation. For workloads with predictable idle periods, shifting from automatic collection to a manual strategy using gc.disable() and gc.collect() is a common consideration.

Which specific conditions determine whether manual collection during idle periods effectively lowers the long-term memory footprint compared to the default generational collection? Does the frequency of manual triggers impact the rate of memory fragmentation in long-running processes?