What is a primary benefit of using snapshots for virtual machines?

Using snapshots for virtual machines offers significant advantages, particularly in the realm of backup and recovery. One of the primary benefits is the ability to easily capture the entire state of a virtual machine at a specific point in time. This includes the VM's operating system, installed applications, and ongoing processes.

When a snapshot is created, it preserves the current state, allowing administrators or users to revert to that point if needed. This can be particularly helpful in scenarios such as testing new software, applying system updates, or making configuration changes. If something goes wrong or if the new changes are not successful, the VM can be restored to its previous state quickly and easily, saving time and mitigating risks associated with changes.

In contrast, other options such as improved CPU performance or enhanced graphics performance do not correlate directly with the function of snapshots. Snapshots do not inherently change how resources like CPU or graphics are utilized while a VM is running. Likewise, while snapshots can help streamline the backup process, they do not reduce network latency, as this is dependent on other factors outside the use of snapshots within virtualized environments.