Generational Evolution
AWS Graviton Evolution: A1 vs C6g vs C7g vs C8g
The complete journey of AWS custom ARM silicon from experimental A1 to Graviton4
Follow the development of AWS Graviton processors: from the initial 2018 A1 (Cortex-A72) to Graviton2 (Neoverse N1), Graviton3 (Neoverse V1), and the latest Graviton4 (Neoverse V2).
1. Architectural & Silicon Specs Head-to-Head
Comparing underlying processor microarchitectures, memory ratios, and Nitro generation features using representative xlarge sizing.
a1ARM64 (Graviton)
A1 General Purpose
ProcessorAWS Graviton Processor
Clock Speed2.3 GHz
RAM / vCPU2.0 GiB/vCPU
Max NetworkUp to 10 Gbps
Max EBS IOPS20,000
AWS NitroSupported
Min Rate (a1.xlarge)$0.1020/hr
Monthly Est.$74.46/mo
Cost per vCPU$0.0255/hr
Cost per GiB RAM$0.0127/hr
CoreMark Benchmark47,619
CoreMark / $466,853
Price Index94% of highest
Save 6% vs most expensive
Compute / $ Value40% of leader
c6gARM64 (Graviton)
C6G Compute Optimized
ProcessorAWS Graviton2 Processor
Clock Speed2.5 GHz
RAM / vCPU2.0 GiB/vCPU
Max Network25 Gbps
Max EBS IOPS80,000
AWS NitroSupported
Min Rate (c6g.xlarge)$0.0852/hr
Monthly Est.$62.20/mo
Cost per vCPU$0.0213/hr
Cost per GiB RAM$0.0106/hr
CoreMark Benchmark79,512
CoreMark / $933,239
Price IndexLowest Cost
Save 21% vs most expensive
Compute / $ Value81% of leader
c7gARM64 (Graviton)
C7G Compute Optimized
ProcessorAWS Graviton3 Processor
Clock Speed2.5 GHz
RAM / vCPU2.0 GiB/vCPU
Max Network30 Gbps
Max EBS IOPS80,000
AWS NitroSupported
Min Rate (c7g.xlarge)$0.0982/hr
Monthly Est.$71.69/mo
Cost per vCPU$0.0245/hr
Cost per GiB RAM$0.0123/hr
CoreMark Benchmark99,782
CoreMark / $1,016,110
Price Index91% of highest
Save 9% vs most expensive
Compute / $ Value88% of leader
c8gARM64 (Graviton)
C8G Compute Optimized
ProcessorAWS Graviton4 Processor
Clock Speed2.7 GHz
RAM / vCPU2.0 GiB/vCPU
Max Network50 Gbps
Max EBS IOPS240,000
AWS NitroSupported
Min Rate (c8g.xlarge)$0.1080/hr
Monthly Est.$78.81/mo
Cost per vCPU$0.0270/hr
Cost per GiB RAM$0.0135/hr
CoreMark Benchmark125,039
CoreMark / $1,158,197
Price Index100% of highest
Compute / $ Value100% (Leader)
2. Side-by-Side Sizing & Pricing Matrix
Direct price and benchmark comparison across matching instance tiers in the lowest-cost region. Lowest hourly cost in each row is highlighted in green.
| Size Tier | vCPU | Memory | a1Linux Rate | c6gLinux Rate | c7gLinux Rate | c8gLinux Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .medium | 1 | 2 GB | ||||
| .large | 2 | 4 GB | ||||
| .xlarge | 4 | 8 GB | ||||
| .2xlarge | 8 | 16 GB | ||||
| .4xlarge | 16 | 32 GB | ||||
| .8xlarge | 32 | 64 GB | — | |||
| .12xlarge | 48 | 96 GB | — | |||
| .16xlarge | 64 | 128 GB | — | |||
| .24xlarge | 96 | 192 GB | — | — | — | |
| .48xlarge | 192 | 384 GB | — | — | — |
3. Workload Decision Framework
Clear, actionable rules on when each family wins based on workload profile, runtime language, and licensing boundaries.
Recommended:Target C7g or C8g as baseline architecture
When: Architecting new cloud-native systems for maximum long-term efficiency
Why: Graviton4 brings enterprise-grade performance that surpasses standard x86 in both speed and cost.
5. Related Architecture Comparisons
Explore adjacent generational comparisons and silicon trade-offs.