AWS r8i.32xlargevsAWS r8i-flex.16xlarge

r8i.32xlarge pairs 128 vCPUs with 1024GB of RAM at $8.8909/hr On-Demand (about $6401/mo at 24×7). r8i-flex.16xlarge pairs 64 vCPUs with 512GB at $4.2230/hr (~$3041/mo). r8i-flex.16xlarge is 53% cheaper per hour than r8i.32xlarge ($4.6678/hr gap).

Because both instances are in the **r8i family**, the only thing that changes between them is sizing — same silicon, same architecture (Intel Xeon (x86_64)), same burstable/sustained behavior. The choice is purely about how much capacity you actually need: r8i.32xlarge gives you 128 vCPUs and 1024GB of RAM, r8i-flex.16xlarge gives you 64 vCPUs and 512GB. AWS scales pricing close to linearly within a family, so picking the right size is mostly about right-sizing your workload, not getting a better deal per vCPU.

Benchmark data for at least one of these instances is still being collected, so a direct performance-per-dollar comparison isn't possible yet. Sysbench scores are pending for r8i.32xlarge and 3336/112300 for r8i-flex.16xlarge. Check back as the benchmark queue completes — newer-generation instances typically score 10–30% higher on single-thread and 15–50% higher on multi-core vs the previous generation in the same series.

In practice, pick r8i.32xlarge when your workload is closer to memory-optimized (memory-bound work — in-memory databases, real-time analytics, large caches). Pick r8i-flex.16xlarge when it's closer to memory-optimized (memory-bound work — in-memory databases, real-time analytics, large caches). When neither side is obviously right, the cheaper hourly rate usually wins for fault-tolerant batch workloads, while the higher single-core score usually wins for latency-sensitive web traffic. The regional pricing tables linked from each instance page below show where each is currently cheapest — sometimes a >20% regional gap flips the comparison entirely.