Why does n++ execute faster than n=n+1?

Question

In C language, Why does n++ execute faster than n=n+1?

(int n=...;  n++;)
(int n=...;  n=n+1;)

Our instructor asked

Answer 1

On GCC 4.4.3 for x86, with or without optimizations, they compile to the exact same assembly code, and thus take the same amount of time to execute. As you can see in the assembly, GCC simply converts n++ into n=n+1, then optimizes it into the one-instruction add (in the -O2).

Your instructor's suggestion that n++ is faster only applies to very old, non-optimizing compilers, which were not smart enough to select the in-place update instructions for n = n + 1. These compilers have been obsolete in the PC world for years, but may still be found for weird proprietary embedded platforms.

C code:

int n;

void nplusplus() {
    n++;
}

void nplusone() {
    n = n + 1;
}

Output assembly (no optimizations):

    .file   "test.c"
    .comm   n,4,4
    .text
.globl nplusplus
    .type   nplusplus, @function
nplusplus:
    pushl   %ebp
    movl    %esp, %ebp
    movl    n, %eax
    addl    $1, %eax
    movl    %eax, n
    popl    %ebp
    ret
    .size   nplusplus, .-nplusplus
.globl nplusone
    .type   nplusone, @function
nplusone:
    pushl   %ebp
    movl    %esp, %ebp
    movl    n, %eax
    addl    $1, %eax
    movl    %eax, n
    popl    %ebp
    ret
    .size   nplusone, .-nplusone
    .ident  "GCC: (Ubuntu 4.4.3-4ubuntu5) 4.4.3"
    .section    .note.GNU-stack,"",@progbits

Output assembly (with -O2 optimizations):

    .file   "test.c"
    .text
    .p2align 4,,15
.globl nplusplus
    .type   nplusplus, @function
nplusplus:
    pushl   %ebp
    movl    %esp, %ebp
    addl    $1, n
    popl    %ebp
    ret
    .size   nplusplus, .-nplusplus
    .p2align 4,,15
.globl nplusone
    .type   nplusone, @function
nplusone:
    pushl   %ebp
    movl    %esp, %ebp
    addl    $1, n
    popl    %ebp
    ret
    .size   nplusone, .-nplusone
    .comm   n,4,4
    .ident  "GCC: (Ubuntu 4.4.3-4ubuntu5) 4.4.3"
    .section    .note.GNU-stack,"",@progbits