C VS Python benchmarks

Current benchmark data was generated on Mon May 19 2025, full log can be found HERE

CONTRIBUTIONS are WELCOME!

[x86_64][4 cores] AMD EPYC 7763 64-Core Processor (Model 1)

* -m in a file name stands for multi-threading or multi-processing

* -i in a file name stands for direct intrinsics usage. (Usage of simd intrinsics via libraries is not counted)

* -ffi in a file name stands for non-stdlib FFI usage

* (You may find time < time(user) + time(sys) for some non-parallelized programs, the overhead is from GC or JIT compiler, which are allowed to take advantage of multi-cores as that's more close to real-world scenarios.)

helloworld

Input: QwQ

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1.c 0.9ms 0.0ms 1.4MB 0ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
c 1.c 1.2ms 0.1ms 2.1MB 0ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1.c 1.3ms 0.0ms 2.1MB 0ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 1.py 11ms 0.3ms 7.6MB 0ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py 13ms 0.5ms 8.8MB 10ms 0ms cpython 3.13.3
python 1.py 29ms 1.2ms 51.7MB 10ms 10ms pypy 3.10.16

knucleotide

Input: 2500000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1-m.c 171ms 2.2ms 23.3MB 400ms 10ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-m.c 304ms 9.4ms 25.6MB 1047ms 27ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 3-m.py 2430ms 39ms 136.4MB 8180ms 343ms pypy 3.10.16
python 3-m.py 3153ms 25ms 34.1MB 11980ms 117ms pyston 3.8.12
python 3.py timeout 0.0ms 35.4MB 97ms 20ms cpython 3.13.3

Input: 250000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1-m.c 28ms 0.6ms 12.9MB 60ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-m.c 38ms 1.4ms 14.9MB 110ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 3-m.py 387ms 3.7ms 76.5MB 987ms 163ms pypy 3.10.16
python 3-m.py 399ms 2.7ms 14.4MB 1320ms 70ms pyston 3.8.12
python 3-m.py 693ms 7.5ms 15.1MB 2423ms 70ms cpython 3.13.3

mandelbrot

Input: 5000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1-mffi.c 211ms 5.6ms 7.5MB 787ms 13ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-mffi.c 270ms 9.6ms 6.6MB 820ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-mffi.c 329ms 0.2ms 6.0MB 320ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
c 1-ffi.c 331ms 2.0ms 6.0MB 320ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
c 1-ffi.c 460ms 4.3ms 6.7MB 447ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-ffi.c 542ms 0.1ms 6.8MB 530ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0

Input: 1000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1-mffi.c 15ms 0.3ms 4.6MB 30ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-ffi.c 16ms 0.4ms 3.0MB 10ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
c 1-mffi.c 16ms 0.2ms 3.0MB 10ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
c 1-mffi.c 18ms 2.4ms 3.8MB 47ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-ffi.c 22ms 0.4ms 3.8MB 13ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-ffi.c 26ms 1.0ms 3.6MB 20ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0

nbody

Input: 5000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 8-i.c 266ms 0.1ms 1.5MB 260ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
c 8-i.c 301ms 2.3ms 2.1MB 290ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 2.c 308ms 0.2ms 2.3MB 300ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5.c 313ms 0.9ms 2.3MB 300ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 2.c 315ms 2.1ms 1.5MB 307ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
c 5.c 316ms 0.9ms 1.5MB 310ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
c 5.c 317ms 1.4ms 2.1MB 310ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 2.c 320ms 3.6ms 2.1MB 310ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 8-i.c 337ms 0.3ms 2.3MB 330ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
python 2.py 1353ms 3.9ms 58.1MB 1330ms 10ms pypy 3.10.16
python 1.py 2669ms 18ms 57.1MB 2643ms 10ms pypy 3.10.16
python 1.py timeout 0.0ms 8.9MB 4990ms 0ms cpython 3.13.3
python 2.py timeout 0.0ms 8.9MB 4987ms 0ms cpython 3.13.3
python 1.py timeout 0.0ms 8.3MB 4990ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12
python 2.py timeout 0.0ms 8.1MB 4983ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12

Input: 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 8-i.c 29ms 0.6ms 1.5MB 20ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
c 8-i.c 33ms 0.7ms 2.1MB 23ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 2.c 33ms 0.4ms 2.3MB 30ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5.c 33ms 0.1ms 2.3MB 27ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5.c 34ms 0.4ms 2.1MB 27ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 2.c 34ms 1.0ms 1.5MB 30ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
c 5.c 34ms 0.7ms 1.5MB 30ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
c 8-i.c 36ms 0.4ms 2.3MB 30ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 2.c 38ms 2.0ms 2.1MB 30ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 2.py 177ms 1.3ms 58.1MB 157ms 10ms pypy 3.10.16
python 1.py 305ms 3.3ms 57.0MB 280ms 10ms pypy 3.10.16
python 1.py 928ms 11ms 8.3MB 917ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12
python 2.py 1294ms 2.1ms 8.1MB 1280ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py 2942ms 8.2ms 8.8MB 2930ms 0ms cpython 3.13.3
python 2.py 3274ms 97ms 8.9MB 3263ms 0ms cpython 3.13.3

nsieve

Input: 12

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1.c 282ms 11ms 40.9MB 263ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1.c 303ms 3.8ms 40.8MB 287ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1.c 307ms 13ms 40.3MB 290ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
python 1.py 2512ms 35ms 369.6MB 2440ms 57ms pypy 3.10.16
python 2.py 2965ms 38ms 632.9MB 2797ms 153ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py 4719ms 55ms 320.4MB 4660ms 47ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py timeout 0.0ms 321.4MB 4957ms 30ms cpython 3.13.3
python 2.py timeout 0.0ms 633.8MB 4843ms 143ms cpython 3.13.3
python 2.py timeout 0.0ms 959.9MB 4710ms 280ms pypy 3.10.16

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1.c 52ms 2.8ms 11.8MB 40ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1.c 53ms 2.1ms 11.7MB 40ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1.c 58ms 3.4ms 11.0MB 47ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.0
python 1.py 526ms 2.9ms 135.2MB 490ms 23ms pypy 3.10.16
python 2.py 713ms 3.4ms 164.2MB 670ms 30ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py 1069ms 35ms 86.0MB 1047ms 10ms pyston 3.8.12
python 2.py 1424ms 21ms 165.0MB 1380ms 30ms cpython 3.13.3
python 2.py 1518ms 19ms 290.3MB 1427ms 77ms pypy 3.10.16
python 1.py 2702ms 14ms 86.9MB 2680ms 10ms cpython 3.13.3

spectral-norm

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 3-m.c 736ms 1.0ms 2.3MB 2893ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 952ms 1.7ms 2.0MB 3753ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 4-m.c 989ms 1.3ms 2.1MB 3890ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 1001ms 0.7ms 3.1MB 3933ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 4-m.c 1118ms 0.5ms 3.3MB 4400ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5-im.c 1174ms 26ms 2.3MB 4553ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5-im.c 1341ms 14ms 3.3MB 5260ms 3ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 3-m.c 1846ms 16ms 3.3MB 7243ms 10ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.9MB 37ms 10ms cpython 3.13.3
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 95.9MB 810ms 90ms pypy 3.10.16
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.1MB 30ms 13ms pyston 3.8.12

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 3-m.c 195ms 2.3ms 2.0MB 737ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 246ms 1.4ms 2.0MB 947ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 258ms 0.3ms 3.4MB 987ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 4-m.c 259ms 0.8ms 2.1MB 993ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 4-m.c 289ms 1.6ms 3.3MB 1107ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5-im.c 298ms 7.8ms 2.0MB 1143ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5-im.c 340ms 1.4ms 3.3MB 1310ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 3-m.c 466ms 4.2ms 3.4MB 1800ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.6MB 47ms 10ms cpython 3.13.3
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 96.4MB 1343ms 187ms pypy 3.10.16
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 13.6MB 57ms 10ms pyston 3.8.12

Input: 2000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 3-m.c 57ms 1.9ms 2.3MB 193ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 72ms 3.1ms 3.4MB 250ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 4-m.c 73ms 0.8ms 2.0MB 260ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 73ms 7.6ms 2.0MB 260ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 4-m.c 78ms 1.0ms 3.1MB 277ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5-im.c 81ms 0.3ms 2.0MB 290ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5-im.c 92ms 0.5ms 3.1MB 330ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 3-m.c 124ms 1.7ms 3.3MB 457ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 8-m.py 1983ms 24ms 93.1MB 6417ms 257ms pypy 3.10.16
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.3MB 87ms 23ms cpython 3.13.3
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 13.4MB 140ms 33ms pyston 3.8.12