Five instance family categories
| Category | Letters | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| General Purpose | T, M, A | Balanced CPU/memory — web servers, dev. (T = burstable.) |
| Compute Optimized | C | CPU-bound — batch, gaming, HPC, encoding. |
| Memory Optimized | R, X, z | In-memory DBs, big data, caches. |
| Storage Optimized | I, D, H | High local disk IOPS/throughput — NoSQL, data warehouses. |
| Accelerated Computing | P, G, Inf, Trn, F | GPUs/FPGAs — ML training/inference, graphics. |
How to read an instance name
Example: m6g.xlarge
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
m | Family (general purpose) |
6 | Generation (higher = newer) |
g | Attribute — g=Graviton (ARM), a=AMD, i=Intel, d=NVMe SSD, n=network-optimized |
.xlarge | Size — nano, micro, small, medium, large, xlarge, 2xlarge… |
Exam traps
- T for steady high CPU. T instances are burstable; sustained load needs C or M.
- Confusing memory vs storage optimized. R/X = RAM; I/D = local disk.
- Ignoring Graviton. The
gsuffix (ARM) often gives better price/performance.
Test yourself
4 quick questions — tap an answer to check it instantly. Nothing is sent anywhere.
1. Which family is best for CPU-bound workloads like batch processing?
Answer: B. Compute-optimized 'C' instances are built for CPU-heavy workloads.
2. In m6g.xlarge, what does the '6' represent?
Answer: B. The number is the generation — higher is newer.
3. Which family suits in-memory databases?
Answer: B. Memory-optimized R/X families have high RAM-to-vCPU ratios.
4. T-series instances are best described as…
Answer: B. T instances are burstable; sustained load needs C or M.
Sources
- Amazon Web Services — Amazon EC2 Instance Types.
- AWS official documentation and the AWS Certified Solutions Architect exam guide.
Reference summary only. "AWS" is a trademark of Amazon. Confirm current details in the official AWS documentation.