gistfile1.rb

require "benchmark/ips"

state1 = :initial
state2 = "initial"

Benchmark.ips do |x|
  x.report("case to_s.to_sym") do
    case state1.to_s.to_sym
    when :initial
      a = 1
    end
  end

  x.report("case to_sym.to_s") do
    case state2.to_sym.to_s
    when "initial"
      a = 1
    end
  end

  x.report("case str, sym   ") do
    case state1
    when "initial", :initial
      a = 1
    end
  end

  x.report("case sym, str   ") do
    case state2
    when :initial, "initial"
      a = 1
    end
  end
end

gistfile2.txt

Calculating -------------------------------------
    case to_s.to_sym     56681 i/100ms
    case to_sym.to_s     47407 i/100ms
    case str, sym        75357 i/100ms
    case sym, str        71288 i/100ms
-------------------------------------------------
    case to_s.to_sym  2366810.3 (±15.8%) i/s -   11392881 in   5.012726s
    case to_sym.to_s  2011006.9 (±16.6%) i/s -    9623621 in   5.002704s
    case str, sym     5926835.7 (±15.4%) i/s -   28409589 in   5.009125s
    case sym, str     4393929.6 (±17.4%) i/s -   20816096 in   5.003696s