[Mingw-users] gcc optimizing compiler beats Microsoft.

[Sternbach, W. [IT] <wil...@ci...>]

Hello,

I compiled a set of programs and libraries which do
arbitrary precision math from Michael Ring's website:

http://tc.umn.edu/~ringx004
.
Example: Multiply 2 numbers with 100 digit precision.

The libraries and programs are very high quality.
All source code is provided free of charge.
It includes several make files for different compiles.

I did some benchmark testing.

The results were surprising.

gcc -O3 (GCC Version 2.95.3-6 using Maximum Optimization) produced EXE's
which ran faster than
cl /O2x /G5 (Microsoft C++ Version 6 (Service Pack 4) using maximum
optimization).

What this means is that the GNU gcc compiler won.
It produced faster running more optimized code than the
Microsoft C++ compiler Version 6.0 (Service Pack 4)
with maximum optimizations.

I have C programs which run for very long periods of time.
I decided to try using the Microsft compiler in the hopes of it running
faster.

It turns out the GNU gcc is the best choice and also the cheapest choice
(Its free of charge).

- Bill.