Now GA: C4 VMs with Local SSD, bare metal, and larger shapes, on Intel Xeon 6

Google Cloud has significantly expanded its C4 virtual machine series with 28 new powerful shapes. These enhancements include C4 VMs with Google’s Titanium Local SSD, C4 bare metal instances, and new extra-large shapes. All are powered by Intel’s latest Xeon 6 processors, Granite Rapids, making Google Cloud the first hyperscaler to offer these chips. The new C4 VMs with Xeon 6 deliver substantial performance gains, up to 30% for general compute and 60% for ML recommendation workloads. They also feature up to 35% lower access latency on Titanium Local SSD shapes. Existing C4 users can easily upgrade without migrating, retaining their committed use discounts and utilizing features like managed instance groups. C4 VMs with Xeon 6 offer higher frequencies, more vCPUs, larger caches, and increased memory bandwidth compared to previous generations. They are optimized for demanding workloads, including AI inference, with support for Intel AMX-FP16. New bare metal C4 shapes are also available, providing direct access to resources and SAP certification for critical applications. The expanded C4 machine series is available in 19 zones, offering enhanced performance, predictability, and control for various workloads.