Intel Xeon 6 Powers New AWS EC2 R8i Cloud Instances

• Intel and AWS introduce memory-optimized EC2 instances with Xeon 6, offering improved performance, bandwidth, and AI acceleration for demanding workloads.

Expanded Collaboration Delivers New Cloud Capabilities

Intel and Amazon Web Services have launched the 8th generation EC2 R8i and R8i-flex instances, now available across AWS regions. These instances are powered by Intel’s Xeon 6 processors with P-cores, designed to deliver enhanced performance and memory bandwidth in cloud environments. The release marks a continuation of long-term collaboration between the two companies, integrating hardware and software optimizations for enterprise-scale computing. According to Intel, the infrastructure supports AI workloads, accelerates memory operations, and simplifies deployment across diverse use cases.

AWS reports that the new instances offer 2.5 times higher memory bandwidth and 15% better price-performance compared to previous generations. This improvement is aimed at organizations handling real-time data processing, machine learning, and regulatory workloads. Intel’s Xeon 6 platform provides a general-purpose compute foundation, reducing dependence on specialized accelerators. The result is a more streamlined and scalable cloud infrastructure for developers and IT teams.

Technical Enhancements Across the Stack

Intel has reengineered the Xeon 6 architecture to support higher core counts and improved thread scalability. These changes enable AWS to offer larger instance sizes, including configurations up to 96xlarge, suitable for compute-intensive applications. The processors also support DDR5 memory speeds up to 7200 MT/s, delivering lower latency and higher throughput for analytics and in-memory databases. Integrated AI acceleration via Intel Advanced Matrix Extensions (AMX) allows up to 2x performance gains in inference and machine learning tasks.

Security-sensitive workloads benefit from Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT), which provides hardware-based encryption and compression. This feature helps free up CPU resources and improves efficiency in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government. Intel’s optimization efforts span microarchitecture, firmware, hypervisors, and software frameworks, ensuring full utilization of Xeon 6 capabilities. The tight integration across AWS’s infrastructure supports consistent performance and simplified management.

Adoption and Industry Impact

Early adopters of the Xeon 6-based EC2 instances include companies like Netflix and CrowdStrike, which are testing the platform for AI-driven and cloud-native applications. These organizations report measurable improvements in compute throughput and infrastructure efficiency. The new instances are positioned to support a wide range of workloads, from big data analytics to mission-critical enterprise applications. AWS offers both standard R8i and cost-optimized R8i-flex variants to accommodate varying performance and budget requirements.

The R8i-flex instances are designed for workloads that don’t fully utilize compute resources, offering better price-performance for memory-intensive tasks. AWS has certified the R8i instances for SAP HANA, with performance benchmarks exceeding comparable on-premises and cloud systems. Customers can also adjust bandwidth allocation between network and storage, optimizing performance for database and logging operations. These features reflect a broader trend toward customizable cloud infrastructure tailored to specific workload demands.