When I built a zfs-based RAID array last year, I switched to the 64-bit build of FreeBSD. Knowing that 64-bit software is inherently evil, I set up a 32-bit jail for coding. At some point, I was dragged into doing UI work requiring GWT’s devmode. I took the easy way out - abandoning my jail. Comparing compile-time numbers to a new machine a colleague built yesterday, it occurred to me to try a 32-bit JDK. My work revolves around our codebase and our customer’s codebase. Both are architected in a very minimalistic fashion, using ant to build. There are a couple xjc tasks, some javac annotation preprocessing and some code generation, but the bulk of the build process is pure javac. I’ll shutup now; you’re here for the numbers. Here they are (‘real’ time from time):

64-bit OpenJDK 6 b20, FreeBSD 8.1-STABLE

Codebase 0:

18.36 real
17.59 real
17.57 real
18.60 real
17.97 real
------------
(avg: 18.02)

Codebase 1:

23.06 real
23.37 real
22.34 real
22.64 real
22.34 real
------------
(avg: 22.75)

32-bit OpenJDK 6 b20, FreeBSD 8.1-STABLE

Codebase 0:

12.99 real
13.64 real
12.77 real
12.38 real
12.42 real
------------
(avg: 12.84)

Codebase 1:

15.35 real
15.44 real
15.20 real
15.17 real
15.14 real
------------
(avg: 15.26)

Compiling with a 64-bit javac is 140% and 149% SLOWER than the 32-bit javac. Roughly 1.5x! How much time have I wasted compiling with a 64-bit javac during the last year? I don’t want to approximate that math. If I worked in a real office, I’d have a reason for compiling with 64-bit javac. Needless to say, JAVA_HOME has already been changed. If there’s a more general point to be had here, it would be that those extra bits can indeed affect performance in a human-perceivable and negative fashion. Always be sure to evaluate your tools to determine where you are wasting time.