Quick A: First read Stroustrup's FAQ answer, before reading the SO answers which are also illuminating. For a deep answer and to really grok this topic, check out Sutter's slides from his three-hour deep-dive talk.

A 2011-vintage "new classic" from SO:

C++11 introduced a standardized memory model. What does it mean? And how is it going to affect C++ programming?

... So, what I basically want to know is, C++ programmers used to develop multi-threaded applications even before, so how does it matter if its POSIX threads, or Windows threads, or C++11 threads? What are the benefits? I want to understand the low-level details.

I also get this feeling that the C++11 memory model is somehow related to C++11 multi-threading support, as I often see these two together. If it is, how exactly? Why should they be related?

As I don't know how internals of multi-threading works, and what memory model means in general, please help me understand these concepts.