As shown in the following figure, early stages in the design flow (C, C++, and RTL synthesis) have a much higher impact on design performance, density, and power than the later implementation stages. Therefore, if the design does not meet timing, latency, or power goals, Xilinx recommends that you revisit the synthesis stages, including C, C++, HDL, and constraints, rather than iterating for a solution in the implementation stages only.
Figure 1. Impact of Design Changes Throughout the Flow
