One feature that I have been waiting for years! The new announcement around optimize CPU for RDS SQL Server is a game changer because it lets you right-size vCPUs for your workload instead of being locked to the default core count for an instance class, which directly address your biggest SQL Server cost driver: vCPU-based licensing!
Optimize CPU lets you configure the number of physical cores (coreCount) and threads per core (threadsPerCore) on supported RDS for SQL Server instance families (starting with 7th-gen M7i/R7i), while keeping memory (Yes, SQL Server loves memory!) and IOPS unchanged. On these newer generations, Hyper-Threading/SMT is disabled for Optimize CPU, so you get one thread per core and can dial vCPUs down to as low as 4 on 2xlarge and larger instances.
Why it matters for SQL Server
Most SQL Server workloads on RDS are constrained by memory and storage throughput, not raw vCPU, which means you often pay for more vCPUs (and licenses) than you need just to get enough RAM or IOPS. With Optimize CPU you can keep a high-memory, high-IO instance size but cut the effective vCPU count, aligning compute more closely with actual demand instead of licensing to the default maximum.
Massive cost and pricing impact
Because RDS for SQL Server license-included pricing bundles Windows and SQL Server per vCPU, lowering vCPU with Optimize CPU can reduce software charges by up to 50%(case by case basis) while preserving the same number of physical cores and near-equivalent performance. Combined with the new M7i and R7i instance families, you can see up to 55% lower prices versus comparable 6th-generation instances, especially at 2xlarge and above and in Multi-AZ where only the active node’s SQL Server licensing is optimized.
Operational flexibility
You can apply Optimize CPU at creation, when modifying an instance, or during snapshot and point-in-time restores, so you can iteratively tune vCPUs as you learn more about workload behavior without re-platforming. This makes Optimize CPU not just a pricing tweak but an ongoing FinOps and performance-engineering lever for SQL Server on RDS, turning the database tier into something you can continuously right-size instead of a fixed, over-licensed asset.
The wait is over for optimize CPU for RDS SQL Server, so lets go #Build!