c4-highmem-32vsc4a-highmem-32
c4a-highmem-32 is 10% cheaper than c4-highmem-32 on demand in Iowa, saving $145.49 a month. They use different processor architectures (x86_64 and arm64), so software built for one may need rebuilding to run on the other.
| At a glance | c4-highmem-32 | c4a-highmem-32 |
|---|---|---|
| On-demand | $2.085/hr | $1.886/hr10% less |
| Lowest rate | $0.9384/hr3-yr committed use, no upfront | $0.849/hr10% less3-yr committed use, no upfront |
| Size | 32 vCPUs, 248 GiB | 32 vCPUs, 256 GiB |
| Processor | Intel Xeon (Granite Rapids) or Intel Xeon (Emerald Rapids) | Google Axion |
| Architecture | x86_64 | arm64 |
Prices in Iowa
“Off” is the discount against each type’s own on-demand price. Linux, USD per hour.
| Option | c4-highmem-32 | c4a-highmem-32 | c4a-highmem-32 vs c4-highmem-32 |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-demandPay by the hour | $2.085 | $1.886 | ▼ 10% |
| SpotCan be interrupted | 40% off$1.248 | 51% off$0.9301 | ▼ 25% |
| 1-yr committed useNo upfront | 37% off$1.314 | 34% off$1.243 | ▼ 5% |
| 3-yr committed useNo upfront | 55% off$0.9384 | 55% off$0.849 | ▼ 10% |
Key differences
The biggest lead each one has.
Where c4-highmem-32 leads
Max persistent disks128 vs 32
4× higherWhere c4a-highmem-32 leads
On-demand price$1.886 vs $2.085 per hour
10% cheaperMemory (GiB)256 vs 248
3% higherSpecs
6 of 11 specs differ. Those are in bold.
| Compute2 of 3 differ | c4-highmem-32 | c4a-highmem-32 |
|---|---|---|
| vCPUs | 32 | 32 |
| Architecture | x86_64 | arm64 |
| Processor | Intel Xeon (Granite Rapids) or Intel Xeon (Emerald Rapids) | Google Axion |
| Memory1 of 1 differ | c4-highmem-32 | c4a-highmem-32 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory (GiB) | 248 | 256 |
| NetworkingAll 1 match | c4-highmem-32 | c4a-highmem-32 |
|---|---|---|
| Network | Up to 23 Gbps | Up to 23 Gbps |
| Storage1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-32 | c4a-highmem-32 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Network disks only | Network disks only |
| Max persistent disks | 128 | 32 |
| Instance details1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-32 | c4a-highmem-32 |
|---|---|---|
| Family | c4 | c4a |
| Category | General purpose | General purpose |
| Other1 of 2 differ | c4-highmem-32 | c4a-highmem-32 |
|---|---|---|
| Series | C4 | C4A |
| Specs source | Compute Engine API | Compute Engine API |
On-demand prices by region
Cheapest for c4-highmem-32 first. Linux, USD per hour.
| Region | c4-highmem-32 | c4a-highmem-32 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbusus-east5 | $2.085 | $1.886 | ▼ 10% |
| IowaUsed in summaryus-central1 | $2.085 | $1.886 | ▼ 10% |
| Northern Virginiaus-east4 | $2.085 | $1.886 | ▼ 10% |
| Oregonus-west1 | $2.085 | $1.886 | ▼ 10% |
| South Carolinaus-east1 | $2.085 | $1.886 | ▼ 10% |
| Mumbaiasia-south1 | $2.169 | $1.961 | ▼ 10% |
| Netherlandseurope-west4 | $2.19 | $1.98 | ▼ 10% |
| Stockholmeurope-north2 | $2.19 | $1.98 | ▼ 10% |
| Mexiconorthamerica-south1 | $2.273 | $2.056 | ▼ 10% |
| Belgiumeurope-west1 | $2.296 | $2.077 | ▼ 10% |
| Finlandeurope-north1 | $2.296 | $2.077 | ▼ 10% |
| Johannesburgafrica-south1 | $2.296 | $2.077 | ▼ 10% |
| Montréalnorthamerica-northeast1 | $2.296 | $2.077 | ▼ 10% |
| Torontonorthamerica-northeast2 | $2.296 | $2.077 | ▼ 10% |
| Las Vegasus-west4 | $2.349 | $2.124 | ▼ 10% |
| Londoneurope-west2 | $2.377 | $2.15 | ▼ 10% |
| Taiwanasia-east1 | $2.415 | $2.184 | ▼ 10% |
| Dallasus-south1 | $2.461 | $2.226 | ▼ 10% |
| Frankfurteurope-west3 | $2.461 | $2.226 | ▼ 10% |
| Madrideurope-southwest1 | $2.461 | $2.226 | ▼ 10% |
| Los Angelesus-west2 | $2.507 | $2.267 | ▼ 10% |
| Warsaweurope-central2 | $2.523 | $2.282 | ▼ 10% |
| Dohame-central1 | $2.534 | $2.292 | ▼ 10% |
| Singaporeasia-southeast1 | $2.573 | $2.327 | ▼ 10% |
| Sydneyaustralia-southeast1 | $2.607 | $2.358 | ▼ 10% |
| Tokyoasia-northeast1 | $2.678 | $2.422 | ▼ 10% |
| Melbourneaustralia-southeast2 | $2.711 | $2.451 | ▼ 10% |
| Zuricheurope-west6 | $2.732 | $2.471 | ▼ 10% |
| Jakartaasia-southeast2 | $2.804 | $2.536 | ▼ 10% |
| Santiagosouthamerica-west1 | $2.982 | $2.697 | ▼ 10% |
| São Paulosouthamerica-east1 | $3.311 | $2.995 | ▼ 10% |
Keep exploring
Each type’s own page, and how it compares with others.
c4a-highmem-32
c4a-highmem-32 prices and specsEvery size in the c4a familyCompare c4a-highmem-32 with
GCP Compute Engine Linux prices in USD. Monthly figures use 730 hours. Prices last updated 12 Nov 2026.