Cloud computing has become the cornerstone of modern IT infrastructure, offering a wide range of general-purpose instances optimized for diverse workloads. This paper provides a comparative analysis of cost and performance for general-purpose compute instances across four major cloud providers: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). Using standardized configurations of 4 vCPUs and 16 GiB of RAM, the study evaluates instances based on processor architecture (Intel, AMD, ARM), pricing models, and performance benchmarks. Key findings reveal that ARM-based instances deliver superior price-performance ratios for cost-sensitive workloads, while Intel-based instances excel in enterprise-grade applications requiring versatility and reliability. The results aim to guide organizations in selecting the most cost-effective and performance-efficient cloud resources for their specific needs.

翻译：云计算已成为现代IT基础设施的基石，提供了针对多样化工作负载优化的各类通用实例。本文对四大主流云服务提供商——AWS、Azure、Google Cloud Platform (GCP) 和 Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)——的通用计算实例进行了成本与性能的对比分析。研究采用4个vCPU和16 GiB内存的标准化配置，基于处理器架构（Intel、AMD、ARM）、定价模型和性能基准对实例进行评估。主要发现表明，对于成本敏感型工作负载，基于ARM的实例展现出更优的性价比；而需要多功能性与可靠性的企业级应用场景中，基于Intel的实例表现更为突出。本研究结果旨在为各组织根据其特定需求选择最具成本效益与性能效率的云资源提供指导。