according to me
> SELECT MAX(order_total) AS order_max
> FROM orders
> WHERE customer = ...
is faster

with a limitation that is:
> SELECT MAX(order_total) AS order_max,****ID_ORDER****
> FROM orders
> WHERE customer = ...
will give u a random ****ID_ORDER****
(not the one with the max order)

and
> SELECT order_total AS order_max, ****ID_ORDER****
> FROM orders
> WHERE customer = ...
> ORDER BY order_total DESC
> LIMIT 1
will give u the right ****ID_ORDER****

That is the amazing way that the MAX() function works(fast).


yawnmoth wrote:
> I'm curious - which query is generally faster?:
>
> SELECT MAX(order_total) AS order_max
> FROM orders
> WHERE customer = ...
>
> ...or...
>
> SELECT order_total AS order_max
> FROM orders
> WHERE customer = ...
> ORDER BY order_total DESC
> LIMIT 1
>