Fastest cpu secs PHP versus Java Always look at the source code. If the fastest programs are hand-written vector instructions, does the host language matter? You might be more interested in the less optimised programs — more cpu seconds, less gz source code. fannkuch-redux source mem gz cpu Java #3 35,324 1257 41.17 Java 35,824 1282 41.74 Java #2 34,244 514 44.98 PHP #2 12,612 441 190.33 PHP #3 12,624 1160 230.54 PHP #4 47,808 1162 232.59 PHP 12,764 482 237.28 n-body source mem gz cpu Java #5 34,252 1429 6.79 Java #4 34,076 1489 6.79 Java #3 34,612 1430 7.50 Java #2 34,704 1424 7.50 Java 37,380 1430 7.83 PHP #3 12,372 1082 66.39 spectral-norm source mem gz cpu Java #3 38,428 756 5.94 Java 37,288 514 9.76 Java #2 37,368 950 10.07 PHP 35,208 1152 27.96 PHP #2 13,444 397 55.81 PHP #3 40,068 1210 60.02 mandelbrot source mem gz cpu Java #4 66,304 660 16.16 Java #2 68,860 796 16.21 Java #6 67,432 802 16.92 Java 34,252 665 27.75 Java #3 69,200 903 29.18 PHP 12,664 449 86.95 PHP #3 140,544 875 92.75 pidigits source mem gz cpu Java #3 35,700 764 0.82 PHP #5 13,728 399 0.92 PHP #4 13,656 389 0.93 PHP #3 13,804 504 0.95 PHP #2 14,172 545 1.46 Java #2 38,328 938 1.53 Java 513,728 800 8.94 PHP 14,912 750 329.76 regex-redux source mem gz cpu PHP 178,712 816 3.66 Java 924,116 868 17.12 Java #6 728,332 740 17.16 Java #3 741,028 929 17.34 fasta source mem gz cpu Java #4 36,800 1524 3.41 Java #6 42,416 2543 3.52 Java #5 42,532 2473 4.14 Java #2 36,812 1257 4.46 PHP #3 12,448 1062 20.99 PHP #2 12,696 1050 28.67 k-nucleotide source mem gz cpu Java 349,544 1812 16.17 Java #6 343,684 1607 25.67 Java #3 344,652 1635 25.73 Java #4 199,824 1882 37.48 Java #5 210,368 2219 43.27 PHP #4 257,260 1079 69.91 reverse-complement source mem gz cpu Java #8 665,804 2183 3.49 Java #6 2,024,016 752 4.15 Java #5 1,088,392 1108 4.92 Java #3 1,170,232 1722 5.09 Java #4 1,881,900 651 5.41 PHP 1,487,780 318 9.64 PHP #3 528,172 446 11.26 PHP #2 1,784,488 281 11.31 Java #7 1,030,892 1647 23.16 binary-trees source mem gz cpu Java #3 2,106,820 540 5.19 Java #6 2,093,916 529 5.35 Java #4 2,079,388 840 5.44 Java #2 1,877,464 552 5.45 Java #7 2,460,388 835 7.73 PHP #3 1,561,956 428 51.64 PHP #2 748,408 423 62.27 PHP 748,424 451 62.40 PHP #4 1,558,972 779 62.76 PHP #7 1,589,184 760 64.15 PHP #5 803,212 1040 85.70 PHP #6 802,924 868 90.44 PHP PHP 8.1.5 (cli) (built: May 5 2022 10:44:00) (NTS) Copyright (c) The PHP Group Zend Engine v4.1.5, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies Java openjdk 18 2022-03-22 OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 18+36-2087) OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 18+36-2087, mixed mode, sharing) all PHP programs & measurements all Java programs & measurements