n4-highmem-8vsn4a-highmem-8
n4a-highmem-8 is 15% cheaper than n4-highmem-8 on demand in Iowa, saving $52.41 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 | n4-highmem-8 | n4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| On-demand | $0.4761/hr | $0.4043/hr15% less |
| Lowest rate | $0.2809/hrSpot, can be interrupted | $0.1455/hr48% lessSpot, can be interrupted |
| Size | 8 vCPUs, 64 GiB | 8 vCPUs, 64 GiB |
| Processor | 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 | n4-highmem-8 | n4a-highmem-8 | n4a-highmem-8 vs n4-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-demandPay by the hour | $0.4761 | $0.4043 | ▼ 15% |
| SpotCan be interrupted | 41% off$0.2809 | 64% off$0.1455 | ▼ 48% |
| 1-yr committed useNo upfront | 37% off$0.2999 | 34% off$0.2669 | ▼ 11% |
| 3-yr committed useNo upfront | 55% off$0.2142 | 55% off$0.182 | ▼ 15% |
Key differences
The biggest lead each one has.
Where n4-highmem-8 leads
Max persistent disks128 vs 16
8× higherWhere n4a-highmem-8 leads
On-demand price$0.4043 vs $0.4761 per hour
15% cheaperSpecs
5 of 11 specs differ. Those are in bold.
| Compute2 of 3 differ | n4-highmem-8 | n4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| vCPUs | 8 | 8 |
| Architecture | x86_64 | arm64 |
| Processor | Intel Xeon (Emerald Rapids) | Google Axion |
| MemoryAll 1 match | n4-highmem-8 | n4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory (GiB) | 64 | 64 |
| NetworkingAll 1 match | n4-highmem-8 | n4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Network | Up to 16 Gbps | Up to 16 Gbps |
| Storage1 of 2 differ | n4-highmem-8 | n4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Network disks only | Network disks only |
| Max persistent disks | 128 | 16 |
| Instance details1 of 2 differ | n4-highmem-8 | n4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Family | n4 | n4a |
| Category | General purpose | General purpose |
| Other1 of 2 differ | n4-highmem-8 | n4a-highmem-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Series | N4 | N4A |
| Specs source | Compute Engine API | Compute Engine API |
On-demand prices by region
Cheapest for n4-highmem-8 first. Linux, USD per hour.
| Region | n4-highmem-8 | n4a-highmem-8 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| IowaUsed in summaryus-central1 | $0.4761 | $0.4043 | ▼ 15% |
| Northern Virginiaus-east4 | $0.4761 | $0.4043 | ▼ 15% |
| Oregonus-west1 | $0.4761 | $0.4043 | ▼ 15% |
| South Carolinaus-east1 | $0.4761 | $0.4043 | ▼ 15% |
| Netherlandseurope-west4 | $0.4999 | $0.4245 | ▼ 15% |
| Belgiumeurope-west1 | $0.5242 | $0.445 | ▼ 15% |
| Londoneurope-west2 | $0.5427 | $0.4608 | ▼ 15% |
| Frankfurteurope-west3 | $0.5618 | $0.477 | ▼ 15% |
| Singaporeasia-southeast1 | $0.5873 | $0.4986 | ▼ 15% |
Keep exploring
Each type’s own page, and how it compares with others.
GCP Compute Engine Linux prices in USD. Monthly figures use 730 hours. Prices last updated 12 Nov 2026.