How do spinlocks affect performance?

What are spinlocks and how do they work?

Spinlocks are synchronization mechanisms that prevent multiple threads from accessing a resource simultaneously. They work by repeatedly checking a condition in a loop until it becomes true, hence the name 'spin'.

How do spinlocks affect performance in multi-threaded applications?

Spinlocks can improve performance by reducing context switching overhead, but they can also lead to CPU resource wastage if threads are frequently blocked.

When should I use spinlocks instead of other locking mechanisms?

Use spinlocks when you expect the wait time to be short and when the overhead of context switching would be higher than spinning.

Are there any downsides to using spinlocks?

Yes, spinlocks can lead to high CPU usage and may cause performance degradation if threads are held for long periods.