Performance Metrics
What Are Performance Metrics?
Section titled “What Are Performance Metrics?”When PrivateACB calculates your taxes, it displays real-time Performance Metrics to show how the calculation is progressing. These metrics help you understand how quickly your transactions are being processed and what to expect for completion time.
What you’ll learn:
- How to interpret the performance grade (A, B, C, D)
- What each metric means (speed, memory, elapsed time)
- Why small datasets perform differently than large ones
- What’s considered normal performance
Where Metrics Appear
Section titled “Where Metrics Appear”Performance metrics are displayed in the Calculation History panel (Zone D) at the bottom of the ACB Calculator dashboard. Each calculation job gets its own row with real-time metrics that update as it runs.
During an active calculation, each row shows:
| Column | What It Shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Percentage complete | 42% |
| Records | Transactions processed so far | 1,234 |
| Speed | Transactions per second | 125 tx/s |
| Memory | Peak RAM usage | 15.4 MB |
| Grade | Performance rating | A |
| Elapsed | Time since calculation started | 2m 30s |
The collapsed view of Zone D also shows a progress bar and throughput summary (e.g., “Calculating 2 of 5 — ETH” with “1.2k tx/s”).
After completion, these metrics are preserved in the row alongside the financial results, so you can always see how each past calculation performed.
Understanding Each Metric
Section titled “Understanding Each Metric”Speed (tx/s)
Section titled “Speed (tx/s)”Transactions processed per second. This is the average speed from the start of the calculation, not instantaneous — providing a stable, reliable indicator.
Higher = faster. Speed varies based on dataset size, transaction complexity, and system resources.
Memory (MB)
Section titled “Memory (MB)”Megabytes of RAM used by the calculation. PrivateACB is optimized for low memory usage, typically staying well under 100 MB even for large datasets.
Performance Grade (A/B/C/D)
Section titled “Performance Grade (A/B/C/D)”A quick assessment of how well the calculation is performing relative to expectations for your dataset size. Grades are color-coded:
| Grade | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| A | Green | Excellent performance |
| B | Blue | Good performance |
| C | Yellow | Acceptable performance |
| D | Orange | Slower than expected |
Elapsed Time
Section titled “Elapsed Time”How long the calculation has been running, displayed in human-readable format (e.g., “2m 30s”).
Performance Grades by Dataset Size
Section titled “Performance Grades by Dataset Size”Performance grading uses context-aware thresholds — what’s considered “excellent” depends on how many transactions you’re processing.
Small Datasets (Less than 100 transactions)
Section titled “Small Datasets (Less than 100 transactions)”Setup overhead (database initialization, validation) dominates processing time, so raw speed is naturally lower.
| Grade | Speed Required |
|---|---|
| A | > 50 tx/sec |
| B | 26-50 tx/sec |
| C | 11-25 tx/sec |
| D | 10 tx/sec or less |
Medium Datasets (100-999 transactions)
Section titled “Medium Datasets (100-999 transactions)”Transitional zone where overhead matters less.
| Grade | Speed Required |
|---|---|
| A | > 100 tx/sec |
| B | 51-100 tx/sec |
| C | 26-50 tx/sec |
| D | 25 tx/sec or less |
Large Datasets (1,000+ transactions)
Section titled “Large Datasets (1,000+ transactions)”Optimized processing with memory management and batching.
| Grade | Speed Required |
|---|---|
| A | > 200 tx/sec |
| B | 101-200 tx/sec |
| C | 51-100 tx/sec |
| D | 50 tx/sec or less |
What’s Normal Performance?
Section titled “What’s Normal Performance?”| Transaction Count | Expected Speed | Typical Time |
|---|---|---|
| < 100 | 50-200 tx/sec | < 1 second |
| 100-1,000 | 50-150 tx/sec | 2-10 seconds |
| 1,000-5,000 | 100-200 tx/sec | 10-50 seconds |
| 5,000-10,000 | 150-300 tx/sec | 30-90 seconds |
| 10,000+ | 200-500 tx/sec | 1-5 minutes |
Note: Actual speeds vary based on:
- Computer processing power (CPU speed)
- Available memory (RAM)
- Transaction complexity (number of exchanges, wash sales, superficial losses)
- Other running applications
Why Performance Metrics Matter
Section titled “Why Performance Metrics Matter”Transparency
Section titled “Transparency”You see exactly what’s happening during calculations — no mysterious “processing” screens. Real-time progress updates.
Confidence
Section titled “Confidence”Performance grades confirm the calculator is working normally. An A or B grade means everything is running as expected.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”A D grade on a small dataset might indicate system resource issues. A C on a large dataset is perfectly normal.
Comparing Runs
Section titled “Comparing Runs”Since metrics persist in the Calculation History, you can compare performance across different assets, methods, and tax years.
Performance Optimization Tips
Section titled “Performance Optimization Tips”If You’re Seeing D Grades on Large Datasets
Section titled “If You’re Seeing D Grades on Large Datasets”1. Close Other Applications Free up CPU and memory by closing unused programs, especially browsers with many tabs.
2. Restart Your Computer A fresh start can clear memory leaks and background processes.
3. Check Disk Space PrivateACB needs free disk space for database operations during calculations. Ensure you have at least 1 GB available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Section titled “Frequently Asked Questions”Why does my grade change during calculation?
Section titled “Why does my grade change during calculation?”Performance grades reflect the average speed throughout the calculation. As the calculator processes different transaction types (acquisitions, disposals, wash sales), speed may vary slightly, causing gradual grade transitions.
Is a C or D grade bad?
Section titled “Is a C or D grade bad?”Not necessarily — context matters:
- Small datasets: D grade on < 100 transactions may indicate a system issue
- Large datasets: C grade on 10,000+ transactions is acceptable
What matters most is completion. If the calculation finishes successfully, the grade is informational.
Why do Canadian and US calculations show different speeds?
Section titled “Why do Canadian and US calculations show different speeds?”US lot-based calculations (FIFO/LIFO/HIFO) involve more complex lot tracking than Canadian ACB, so they may run slightly slower on very large datasets. Both use the same grading system.
Can I improve performance?
Section titled “Can I improve performance?”For most users, default settings are optimal. Close other applications and ensure adequate disk space for the best results.
Summary
Section titled “Summary”Performance metrics show:
- Real-time visibility into calculation progress
- Context-aware grading based on dataset size
- Stable, average-based speed assessment
- Persistent history for comparing past calculations
Remember:
- Small datasets (< 100 tx): Expect A/B grades, sub-second completion
- Medium datasets (100-1,000 tx): Expect A/B/C grades, seconds to complete
- Large datasets (1,000+ tx): Expect B/C grades, minutes to complete
Performance grades are informational — what matters is successful calculation completion with accurate results.
Related guides:
Last Updated: February 2026 PrivateACB Version: 2.0