# Inefficient processor selection in EC2 instances Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/inefficient-processor-selection-in-ec2-instances Many organizations default to Intel-based EC2 instances due to familiarity or assumptions about workload compatibility. By: Jason DiDomenico Updated: 2026-09-28 [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) # Inefficient Processor Selection in EC2 Instances The short version Many organizations default to Intel-based EC2 instances due to familiarity or assumptions about workload compatibility. [Jason DiDomenico](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondidomenico/) Director of FinOps @ Discover Financial Services AWS service [AWS EC2](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/aws-ec2) Category [Compute](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/compute) Reference CER-0158 Type Suboptimal Tier or SKU ## Explanation Why the waste happens and who it affects. 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. ## Billing model The pricing dimensions that drive this cost. - EC2 instances are billed per second with a 60-second minimum (Linux, Windows, RHEL and Ubuntu Pro; SLES is billed per full hour) 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 ## How to detect 2 checks to find it in your estate. - Identify EC2 instances running on Intel-based families - Identify applications with general-purpose compute requirements that could be migrated to Graviton or AMD ## How to fix 4 ways to remove the waste. - 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 ## Documentation Vendor references for pricing and configuration. - [AWS Graviton Processor Overview aws.amazon.com](https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/graviton/) - [Amazon EC2 Instance Types aws.amazon.com](https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/) ## Related inefficiencies [Browse the library](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) - AWS EC2 CER-0327 ### [Spot Instance Overreliance Without Effective Cost-Per-Performance Analysis](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/spot-instance-overreliance-without-cost-per-performance-analysis) Organizations frequently pursue aggressive Spot Instance adoption based on headline discount percentages - up to 90% off On-Demand pricing - without evaluating the effective cost per unit of work completed. While Spot pricing can deliver... Compute - AWS EC2 CER-0324 ### [Excessive On-Demand Compute Spend Due to Low Savings Plan and Reserved Instance Coverage](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/excessive-on-demand-compute-spend-due-to-low-savings-plan-and-reserved-instance-coverage) AWS compute services charge the full published On-Demand rate when no commitment-based discount - such as a Savings Plan (SP) or Reserved Instance (RI) - is in effect. On-Demand pricing provides maximum flexibility, but it is also the most... Compute - AWS EC2 CER-0108 ### [Suboptimal Use of Compute Savings Plans for Specialized Instances](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/suboptimal-use-of-compute-savings-plans-for-specialized-instances) Accelerated EC2 instance types such as \`p5.48xlarge\` and \`p5en.48xlarge (often used for ML/AI workloads)\` are eligible for Compute Savings Plans, but the discount rates offered are modest compared to more common instance families. When... Compute --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.