[wowczarek]

Regardless of the language, optimisation of this kind has always been a trap for me when moving back and forth between old or otherwise small, embedded systems and modern hardware and toolchains. When we were learning C, compilers weren't as smart as they are today, and every little bit helped - old habits die hard. The lesson is simple - just see what the compiler does with your code first. But also, weigh the real performance pinch points vs. readability and convenience, and as much as it's tempting, don't optimise prematurely - of course I always do; its fun.