Intel® VTune™ Amplifier XE and Intel® VTune™ Amplifier for Systems Help
Spin time is Wait Time during which the CPU is busy. This often occurs when a synchronization API causes the CPU to poll while the software thread is waiting. Some Spin Time may be preferable to the alternative of increased thread context switches. Too much Spin Time, however, can reflect lost opportunity for productive work.
A significant portion of CPU time is spent waiting. Use this metric to discover which synchronizations are spinning. Consider adjusting spin wait parameters, changing the lock implementation (for example, by backing off then descheduling), or adjusting the synchronization granularity.