What characteristic defines a compute-optimized Amazon EC2 instance?

Compute-optimized Amazon EC2 instances are specifically designed for applications and workloads that demand a high degree of computational power. This is crucial for tasks such as high-performance computing, machine learning inference, and gaming applications where processing speed and efficient handling of computational tasks are critical.

These instances offer a balanced combination of compute, memory, and networking resources, making them particularly suited for workloads that require intense CPU usage. Their architecture enables developers and businesses to run applications that need quick processing and response times effectively.

Other types of instances, such as memory-optimized or storage-optimized instances, have characteristics tailored to different needs. For instance, memory-optimized instances are meant to handle memory-heavy applications, while storage-optimized instances focus on efficient data storage and retrieval, but compute-optimized instances stand out for their strength in handling computation-heavy tasks.