I’ve been a software engineer since 1978, and one of the early pioneers in the development of the personal computer.  Developed in C, C++, Assembler and Pascal since the late 70s and started with PHP in the late 1990s.  Big Linux and open source fan.  Huge Firebird SQL database developer, using it not only with PHP/CI but also with Delphi, and Free Pascal apps on Linux. 

When I find PHP to be slow for some processing, I just write and compile a native binary app for the OS that I’m playing on (typically Linux).  That’s just me.  There isn’t any problem that can’t be solved as long as I have a tool in my tool box to do it. 

Oh, and I hate sloppy and hack code.  So don’t be surprised if I give you a lecture if you write crap code.  Life is too short for bad programming.