Architecture & Sizing
AWS High-Networking Compute: C6in vs C7gn vs C6gn vs C5n
Comparing 100 Gbps and 200 Gbps network-optimized compute instances
Network-intensive instances ('n' suffix) provide up to 200 Gbps of bandwidth for firewalls, NAT instances, network virtual appliances, and distributed cluster communications.
1. Architectural & Silicon Specs Head-to-Head
Comparing underlying processor microarchitectures, memory ratios, and Nitro generation features using representative xlarge sizing.
c6inx86_64
C6IN Compute Optimized
ProcessorIntel Xeon 8375C (Ice Lake)
Clock Speed3.5 GHz
RAM / vCPU2.0 GiB/vCPU
Max Network200 Gbps
Max EBS IOPS400,000
AWS NitroSupported
Min Rate (c6in.xlarge)$0.2213/hr
Monthly Est.$161.58/mo
Cost per vCPU$0.0553/hr
Cost per GiB RAM$0.0277/hr
CoreMark Benchmark68,678
CoreMark / $310,283
Price Index89% of highest
Save 11% vs most expensive
Compute / $ Value66% of leader
c7gnARM64 (Graviton)
C7GN Compute Optimized
ProcessorAWS Graviton3 Processor
Clock Speed2.6 GHz
RAM / vCPU2.0 GiB/vCPU
Max Network200 Gbps
Max EBS IOPS160,000
AWS NitroSupported
Min Rate (c7gn.xlarge)$0.2496/hr
Monthly Est.$182.21/mo
Cost per vCPU$0.0624/hr
Cost per GiB RAM$0.0312/hr
CoreMark Benchmark99,782
CoreMark / $399,768
Price Index100% of highest
Compute / $ Value85% of leader
c6gnARM64 (Graviton)
C6GN Compute Optimized
ProcessorAWS Graviton2 Processor
Clock Speed2.5 GHz
RAM / vCPU2.0 GiB/vCPU
Max Network100 Gbps
Max EBS IOPS160,000
AWS NitroSupported
Min Rate (c6gn.xlarge)$0.1683/hr
Monthly Est.$122.87/mo
Cost per vCPU$0.0421/hr
Cost per GiB RAM$0.0210/hr
CoreMark Benchmark79,166
CoreMark / $470,330
Price IndexLowest Cost
Save 33% vs most expensive
Compute / $ Value100% (Leader)
c5nx86_64
C5N Compute Optimized
ProcessorIntel Xeon Platinum 8124M
Clock Speed3 GHz
RAM / vCPU2.6 GiB/vCPU
Max Network100 Gbps
Max EBS IOPS80,000
AWS NitroSupported
Min Rate (c5n.xlarge)$0.2160/hr
Monthly Est.$157.68/mo
Cost per vCPU$0.0540/hr
Cost per GiB RAM$0.0206/hr
CoreMark Benchmark65,833
CoreMark / $304,782
Price Index87% of highest
Save 13% vs most expensive
Compute / $ Value65% of 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 | c6inLinux Rate | c7gnLinux Rate | c6gnLinux Rate | c5nLinux 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 | — | |||
| .9xlarge | 36 | 96 GB | — | — | — | |
| .12xlarge | 48 | 96 GB | — | |||
| .16xlarge | 64 | 128 GB | — | |||
| .18xlarge | 72 | 192 GB | — | — | — | |
| .24xlarge | 96 | 192 GB | — | — | — | |
| .32xlarge | 128 | 256 GB | — | — | — |
3. Workload Decision Framework
Clear, actionable rules on when each family wins based on workload profile, runtime language, and licensing boundaries.
Recommended:C7gn (Graviton3)
When: Network virtual appliances, high-throughput packet processing, and EFA clusters
Why: 200 Gbps network bandwidth with low latency and lower power consumption.
Recommended:C6in (Intel)
When: x86 DPDK or proprietary network software requiring Intel architecture
Why: Intel Xeon Scalable processors with up to 200 Gbps network speed.