Entity Framework Core Interview Question #127

Why can loading too much data hurt EF Core performance?

Performance, Raw SQL, Stored Procedures & Advanced Queries Senior Advanced

Quick Interview Answer

Unnecessary rows and columns increase database work, network traffic, materialization, memory use, garbage collection, and possibly change-tracking overhead. Apply filtering and projection before materialization and paginate large collections rather than loading everything into application memory.

Detailed Explanation

Code Example

var names = await db.Products
    .Where(p => p.IsPublished)
    .Select(p => p.Name)
    .Take(100)
    .ToListAsync();