When Should I Use Platform Threads Instead of Virtual Threads?

If you have a few compute-heavy tasks, platform threads are definitely a better choice. Activities like video editing and games can benefit from them since they handle computational intensity better than virtual threads. On the flip side, for high numbers of smaller I/O tasks, like handling numerous web requests, virtual threads will save on switching overhead.

Consider using platform threads for CPU-bound tasks, as they generally perform better for these types of workloads. While virtual threads are fantastic for I/O tasks where you spend a lot of time waiting, they can introduce some CPU overhead. So, for heavy computational work, stick to platform threads to maximize efficiency.

You might want to stick with platform threads if you're dealing with situations where keeping the number of threads small is crucial. For example, if you're doing fork-join parallelization or have long-running tasks that can benefit from OS-level thread priority, platform threads can be ideal. Also, if you’re interacting with native libraries that require precise thread identity, platform threads are your best bet.

Virtual threads work great for tasks with I/O waits, making them excellent for batch jobs or processing many small requests. However, when you're working with CPU-intensive processes, platform threads are often the way to go. They support better optimization for those types of loads, especially when tasks are compute-heavy and not frequent.