id	summary	reporter	owner	description	type	status	priority	milestone	component	version	severity	resolution	keywords	cc
10469	use of SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS needs to be eliminated	_ck_	ryan	"It's long overdue to rewrite a small part of [https://core.trac.wordpress.org/browser/trunk/wp-includes/query.php query.php], eliminating the use of SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS and switching to COUNT(). Doing so will result in significant performance gains on active sites. 

SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS  has serious performance degradation issues and it's effects was even experienced on wordpress.org over two years ago before it was removed from bbPress.

More here with links to documentation and benchmarks:
http://ckon.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/wordpress-still-uses-the-nasty-sql_calc_found_rows/

My first rough attempt at a workaround that might be feasible:
http://pastebin.com/f45e1f9f6
"	defect (bug)	closed	normal		Query	2.9	normal	duplicate	dev-feedback	aaroncampbell Rand HOPPE