mutex.cpp

// from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/800383/what-is-the-difference-between-mutex-and-critical-section
// a performance testing between mutex and CRITICAL_SECTION on windows
HANDLE mutex = CreateMutex(NULL, FALSE, NULL);
CRITICAL_SECTION critSec;
InitializeCriticalSection(&critSec);

LARGE_INTEGER freq;
QueryPerformanceFrequency(&freq);
LARGE_INTEGER start, end;

// Force code into memory, so we don't see any effects of paging.
EnterCriticalSection(&critSec);
LeaveCriticalSection(&critSec);
QueryPerformanceCounter(&start);
for (int i = 0; i < 1000000; i++)
{
    EnterCriticalSection(&critSec);
    LeaveCriticalSection(&critSec);
}

QueryPerformanceCounter(&end);

int totalTimeCS = (int)((end.QuadPart - start.QuadPart) * 1000 / freq.QuadPart);

// Force code into memory, so we don't see any effects of paging.
WaitForSingleObject(mutex, INFINITE);
ReleaseMutex(mutex);

QueryPerformanceCounter(&start);
for (int i = 0; i < 1000000; i++)
{
    WaitForSingleObject(mutex, INFINITE);
    ReleaseMutex(mutex);
}

QueryPerformanceCounter(&end);

int totalTime = (int)((end.QuadPart - start.QuadPart) * 1000 / freq.QuadPart);

printf("Mutex: %d CritSec: %d\n", totalTime, totalTimeCS);