Architecture & Sizing
AWS High-Frequency Compute: R7iz vs Z1d vs M5zn
Ultra-high single-core clock speeds up to 4.5 GHz for EDA, financial modeling, and per-core licensing
When single-threaded performance or per-core software licensing costs dominate, high-frequency instances ('z' suffix) deliver sustained all-core turbo frequencies beyond 4 GHz.
1. Architectural & Silicon Specs Head-to-Head
Comparing underlying processor microarchitectures, memory ratios, and Nitro generation features using representative xlarge sizing.
r7izx86_64
R7IZ Memory Optimized
ProcessorIntel Xeon Scalable (Sapphire Rapids)
Clock Speed3.9 GHz
RAM / vCPU8.0 GiB/vCPU
Max Network50 Gbps
Max EBS IOPS160,000
AWS NitroSupported
Min Rate (r7iz.xlarge)$0.3720/hr
Monthly Est.$271.56/mo
Cost per vCPU$0.0930/hr
Cost per GiB RAM$0.0116/hr
CoreMark Benchmark95,166
CoreMark / $255,823
Price Index100% of highest
Compute / $ Value100% (Leader)
z1dx86_64
Z1D Memory Optimized
ProcessorIntel Xeon Platinum 8151
Clock Speed4 GHz
RAM / vCPU8.0 GiB/vCPU
Max Network25 Gbps
Max EBS IOPS80,000
AWS NitroSupported
Min Rate (z1d.xlarge)$0.3720/hr
Monthly Est.$271.56/mo
Cost per vCPU$0.0930/hr
Cost per GiB RAM$0.0116/hr
CoreMark Benchmark72,549
CoreMark / $195,024
Price Index100% of highest
Compute / $ Value76% of leader
m5znx86_64
M5ZN General Purpose
ProcessorIntel Xeon Platinum 8252
Clock Speed4.5 GHz
RAM / vCPU4.0 GiB/vCPU
Max Network100 Gbps
Max EBS IOPS80,000
AWS NitroSupported
Min Rate (m5zn.xlarge)$0.3303/hr
Monthly Est.$241.12/mo
Cost per vCPU$0.0826/hr
Cost per GiB RAM$0.0206/hr
CoreMark Benchmark82,402
CoreMark / $249,476
Price IndexLowest Cost
Save 11% vs most expensive
Compute / $ Value98% 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 | r7izLinux Rate | z1dLinux Rate | m5znLinux Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .large | 2 | 16 GB | |||
| .xlarge | 4 | 32 GB | |||
| .2xlarge | 8 | 64 GB | |||
| .3xlarge | 12 | 96 GB | — | ||
| .4xlarge | 16 | 128 GB | — | — | |
| .6xlarge | 24 | 192 GB | — | ||
| .8xlarge | 32 | 256 GB | — | — | |
| .12xlarge | 48 | 384 GB | |||
| .16xlarge | 64 | 512 GB | — | — | |
| .32xlarge | 128 | 1,024 GB | — | — |
3. Workload Decision Framework
Clear, actionable rules on when each family wins based on workload profile, runtime language, and licensing boundaries.
Recommended:R7iz
When: Electronic Design Automation (EDA), financial algorithmic trading, or per-core licensed RDBMS
Why: Maximum single-thread execution speed minimizes runtime and software license expenditure.