How Can I Efficiently Write Large Buffers to Binary Files in C ?

Efficiently Writing Large Buffers to Binary Files in C

Writing substantial amounts of data to a binary file can be challenging, especially when seeking high performance. This article investigates techniques to accelerate this process in C .

Performance Bottlenecks

The initial approach, utilizing std::fstream, achieved only 20MB/s. This disparity with the considerably faster file copy speeds on the same SSD suggested potential optimizations.

SOLUTION A: Switching to C-style File Handling

The use of C-style file handling (FILE*) significantly improved performance, achieving speeds of approximately 220MB/s. This method bypassed intermediate layers and directly interacted with the operating system's file system, reducing overhead.

SOLUTION B: Disabling Stream Synchronization

Disabling stream synchronization with std::ios_base::sync_with_stdio(false) noticeably enhanced the performance of the std::fstream approach. This modification eliminated unnecessary operations that hindered data writing.

Comparing Options

Recent benchmarks reveal that both std::fstream (with stream synchronization disabled) and C-style file handling can effectively max out the write speed of an SSD. However, std::fstream provides a simpler and more modern API, while C-style file handling offers slightly better performance in certain scenarios.

CONCLUSION

For writing large buffers to binary files, the following strategies are recommended:

• Utilize std::fstream with stream synchronization disabled.
• Consider using C-style file handling for potentially better performance.
• Experiments with both methods will determine the optimal solution for specific requirements.

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