Evgeny Gridasov <eugrid@xxxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > This is a Linux Debian 3.1 ontop of 2x XEON 3.4 Ghz. > PostgreSQL is 8.2 checked out from CVS REL8_2_STABLE yesterday. > I'm running the same Postgres on another machine, > with Debian Etch and have the same results. Hmph. With 8.2 on Fedora 5 on a 2.8Ghz dual Xeon, I get this: regression=# create table foo as select x from generate_series(1,2500000) x; SELECT regression=# vacuum foo; VACUUM regression=# checkpoint; CHECKPOINT regression=# \timing Timing is on. regression=# select count(*) from foo; count --------- 2500000 (1 row) Time: 666.639 ms regression=# select count(*) from foo; count --------- 2500000 (1 row) Time: 609.514 ms regression=# explain analyze select count(*) from foo; QUERY PLAN --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aggregate (cost=44764.00..44764.01 rows=1 width=0) (actual time=1344.812..1344.813 rows=1 loops=1) -> Seq Scan on foo (cost=0.00..38514.00 rows=2500000 width=0) (actual time=0.031..748.571 rows=2500000 loops=1) Total runtime: 1344.891 ms (3 rows) Time: 1345.755 ms regression=# explain analyze select count(*) from foo; QUERY PLAN --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aggregate (cost=44764.00..44764.01 rows=1 width=0) (actual time=1324.846..1324.847 rows=1 loops=1) -> Seq Scan on foo (cost=0.00..38514.00 rows=2500000 width=0) (actual time=0.046..748.582 rows=2500000 loops=1) Total runtime: 1324.902 ms (3 rows) Time: 1325.591 ms regression=# which works out to about 0.14 microsec per gettimeofday call, on a machine that ought to be slower than yours. So I think you've got either a crummy motherboard, or a kernel that doesn't know the best way to read the clock on that hardware. There is some discussion of this in the archives (probably in pgsql-hackers); look back around May or so when we were unsuccessfully trying to hack EXPLAIN to use fewer gettimeofday calls. regards, tom lane