Explore the impact of exceptions on C++ performance in this comprehensive CppNow conference talk. Delve into the complexities of C++'s performance-oriented design philosophy, focusing on the seemingly contradictory nature of exceptions. Examine benchmarks and real-world applications to understand the true performance costs of exceptions. Investigate hardware architecture and memory hierarchy to gain insights into code performance. Learn about the noexcept keyword and its implications. Discover whether using exceptions can actually enhance performance in certain scenarios. Cover topics such as error handling, memory allocation, pipeline branch prediction, and code optimization techniques. Gain valuable knowledge on benchmarking, measuring exception performance, and optimizing for worst-case scenarios to make software faster and more efficient.