Inefficient Processor Selection in EC2 Instances

Jason DiDomenico

Service Category

Compute

Cloud Provider

AWS

Service Name

AWS EC2

Inefficiency Type

Suboptimal Instance Family Selection

Explanation

Many organizations default to Intel-based EC2 instances due to familiarity or assumptions about workload compatibility. However, AWS offers AMD and Graviton-based alternatives that often deliver significantly better price-performance for general-purpose and compute-optimized workloads.

By not testing workloads across available architectures, teams may continue paying a premium for Intel instances even when no specific performance or compatibility benefit exists. Over time, this results in unnecessary compute spend across development, staging, and even production environments.

Relevant Billing Model

EC2 instances are billed per second (Linux) or per hour (Windows/older usage) based on:
**Instance type and size**
**Architecture family** (e.g., Intel, AMD, Graviton)
Graviton instances (`m6g`, `c6g`, etc.) typically offer **20–40% better price-performance**
AMD-based instances (`m6a`, `r6a`, etc.) are often priced lower than equivalent Intel types

Detection

Identify EC2 instances running on Intel-based families
Identify applications with general-purpose compute requirements that could be migrated to Graviton or AMD

Remediation

Check for architecture-specific performance issues or compatibility blockers before switching
Benchmark representative workloads on Intel, AMD, and Graviton instance types
Migrate to the instance family that offers the best price-performance for the workload
Update provisioning defaults and infrastructure templates to prefer AMD or Graviton when appropriate

Relevant Documentation

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