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Press Release

Cloud Spectator Cloud CPU Benchmarking Report Finds AMD Ahead Of Intel

Cloud CPU Bechmark Report Cover

PHILADELPHIA, MARCH 16, 2021 — Alternative cloud computing provider Linode today released the latest report from Cloud Spectator revealing benchmarking data for cloud computing virtual machines (VMs) across Alibaba, Amazon Web Services (AWS), DigitalOcean, Google Cloud Platform, Linode and Microsoft Azure. The report compares similar cloud services from each company to show what customers should expect as well as the price paid for each instance per month. The report found that Linode’s cloud servers based on AMD performed better than competing instances running on Intel chipsets.

By utilizing the latest AMD-based VMs, Linode offered increased performance compared to similar VMs from competitors. Linode also provided consistent high-performance and value for money compared to other providers — making it an ideal option for customers who want to make their cloud spend go further without sacrificing on performance.

Cloud Spectator used a number of benchmarking tools to measure multiple facets of VM performance in both performative and real world scenarios, and used instances that were as comparable as possible. The test team found:

  • Linode’s 2GB VM instance using the AMD EPYC™ 7542 chipset takes the top spot when it comes to GeekBench5 multi core CPU performance, beating the next closest competitor (Alibaba) by almost 1.4x. The next two providers, Alibaba and Google Cloud Platform, were using Intel’s Xeon Platinum 81xx CPUs.
  • Linode and DigitalOcean ranked ahead of the larger hyperscale providers when it comes to random read performance, offering almost 6x better performance. DigitalOcean and Linode also beat the larger hyperscale providers, including AWS’s EBS, when it comes to average write IOPs.
  • Linode’s latest Dedicated AMD VM takes the top spot for outright CPU performance in the 4 CPU VM group. Linode also offers very consistent CPU performance compared to the other providers.

The report compares single virtual machines with one CPU and 2GB RAM running on shared infrastructure as well as virtual machines configured with four CPUs and 8GM RAM on dedicated or optimized instances. For the single CPU instances, prices ranged from $10.00 per month for Linode and DigitalOcean through to $37.00 per month for Google Cloud Platform. For the four CPU instances, prices ranged from $60 per month for Linode’s instances through to $189.92 per month for the Microsoft Azure instance tested.

“Our approach to testing is based on matching instance sizes, storage approaches and implementations so that we can compare and contrast what customers will see in the real world – we want as fair an overview as possible. Based on our testing, Linode’s server instances delivered consistently great performance overall, but when the costs for instances were a third of some of the large hyperscale providers, the price-performance ratio was notable. From a price standpoint, companies can achieve significant savings using alternative cloud providers compared to using hyperscalers,” said Mike Jung, CEO at Cloud Spectator.

The benchmarking report was sponsored by Linode but the testing and methodology was independently designed and carried out by Cloud Spectator. For more specific overviews of the benchmarking approach and instances used, the report is available here.

“Our approach is about delivering the best possible cloud experience for developers, innovators and small businesses. People in these groups want a reliable service, they want pricing that is easy to understand, and they want support from knowledgeable human beings on the end of a call. Delivering this is what we do,” commented Andy Stevens, Technical Content Manager at Linode. “Our move over to AMD to run our compute services has delivered a noticeable improvement for customers, reinforcing our commitment to providing quality cloud services.”

The report follows a study on GPU VMs commissioned by Linode in 2020. The report, also developed by Cloud Spectator, revealed that Linode offered better performance on its GPU-based VMs per dollar spent than every cloud provider analyzed. GPU compute is powerful but often expensive and beyond the range of smaller organizations. Linode’s approach disrupted this by offering flexible solutions with excellent performance and exceptional value.

About Linode
Linode accelerates innovation by making cloud computing simple, accessible, and affordable to all. Founded in 2003, Linode helped pioneer the cloud computing industry and is today the largest independent cloud provider in the world. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the company empowers more than a million developers, startups, and businesses across its global network of 11 data centers.

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