Why does C# execute Math.Sqrt() more slowly than VB.NET?

Question

Background

While running benchmark tests this morning, my colleagues and I discovered some strange things concerning performance of C# code vs. VB.NET code.

Answer 1

Here is the decompiled IL from the for loops. If you compare the two you will see VB.Net only does the Math.Sqrt(...) onces while C# checks it on each pass. To fix this you would need to do something like var sqrt = (int)Math.Sqrt(suspectPrime); as other have suggested.

... VB ...

.method private static void CheckPrime(int32 suspectPrime) cil managed
{
    // Code size       34 (0x22)
    .maxstack  2
    .locals init ([0] int32 i,
         [1] int32 VB$t_i4$L0)
    IL_0000:  ldc.i4.2
    IL_0001:  ldarg.0
    IL_0002:  conv.r8
    IL_0003:  call       float64 [mscorlib]System.Math::Sqrt(float64)
    IL_0008:  call       float64 [mscorlib]System.Math::Round(float64)
    IL_000d:  conv.ovf.i4
    IL_000e:  stloc.1
    IL_000f:  stloc.0
    IL_0010:  br.s       IL_001d

    IL_0012:  ldarg.0
    IL_0013:  ldloc.0
    IL_0014:  rem
    IL_0015:  ldc.i4.0
    IL_0016:  bne.un.s   IL_0019

    IL_0018:  ret

    IL_0019:  ldloc.0
    IL_001a:  ldc.i4.1
    IL_001b:  add.ovf
    IL_001c:  stloc.0
    IL_001d:  ldloc.0
    IL_001e:  ldloc.1
    IL_001f:  ble.s      IL_0012

    IL_0021:  ret
} // end of method Module1::testIfPrimeSerial

... C# ...

.method private hidebysig static void CheckPrime(int32 suspectPrime) cil managed
{
    // Code size       26 (0x1a)
    .maxstack  2
    .locals init ([0] int32 i)
    IL_0000:  ldc.i4.2
    IL_0001:  stloc.0
    IL_0002:  br.s       IL_000e

    IL_0004:  ldarg.0
    IL_0005:  ldloc.0
    IL_0006:  rem
    IL_0007:  brtrue.s   IL_000a

    IL_0009:  ret

    IL_000a:  ldloc.0
    IL_000b:  ldc.i4.1
    IL_000c:  add
    IL_000d:  stloc.0
    IL_000e:  ldloc.0
    IL_000f:  conv.r8
    IL_0010:  ldarg.0
    IL_0011:  conv.r8
    IL_0012:  call       float64 [mscorlib]System.Math::Sqrt(float64)
    IL_0017:  ble.s      IL_0004

    IL_0019:  ret
} // end of method Program::testIfPrimeSerial