Analyzing the performance of DISTINCTCOUNT in DAX
The VertiPaq engine is used by DAX when you query a model based on data loaded in memory. The performance of the Vertipaq engine is also outstanding when it counts unique values in a column using the DISTINCTCOUNT function. However, counting unique values in complex reports can still create performance issues. The main reason for this is that DISTINCTCOUNT is a non-additive aggregation that must be computed for every cell in the report. Understanding the behavior of this aggregation can explain why other equivalent expressions that are slower in theory, can provide better performance in specific reports.
Tags: performance, dax, tabular