Designed for workloads that benefit from fast CPU cores
Not every workload needs dozens of CPU threads. Some just need a few that run as fast as possible. That’s exactly what our Frequency-Optimized compute tier is built for.
NetFire Cloud clients can now select the Frequency-Optimized compute tier when provisioning virtual machines or virtual network appliances. This tier is ideal for workloads that can’t take advantage of many threads, or where software licensing restricts the number of vCPUs. Whether you’re deploying a NetFire Cloud NGFW, a Juniper vSRX firewall, or another vCPU license-limited appliance, Frequency-Optimized delivers the raw single-core performance to maximize throughput and efficiency.
Powered by AMD EPYC™ 4584PX or newer processors, Frequency-Optimized cores reach boost speeds over 5.7 GHz. Workloads on this tier can be paired with local NVMe storage for ultra-low-latency disk access that are ideal for network appliances, security platforms, web servers, and similar performance-sensitive environments.
Why do fast CPU cores matter?
Some applications are designed to be single threaded and can’t benefit from additional CPU threads. This includes license-limited virtual network appliances, encryption intensive and packet processing workloads, as well as web and game servers. With the Frequency-Optimized tier, you get access to a lower available number of vCPUs (24), but each one is tuned for ultra single thread performance, delivering faster execution and better responsiveness.
In these scenarios, CPU clock speed matters more than core count. That’s where our Frequency-Optimized compute tier outperforms every other option. You can explore detailed benchmark data in our latest Cloud Performance Report.
Excellent Web Server Performance and Load Balancing
Web server workers generally spawn a single threaded process for delivering traffic to and from the user clients. By optimizing your web applications to run on our Frequency-Optimized compute tier, you can reduce latency for every request and deliver your users with the ultimate browsing experience.
NetFire has developed an Enterprise Web Application Firewall (WAF) that is highly optimized to get the most out of the Frequency-Optimized compute tier and AMD EPYC™ 4000 Series processors.
- Speed up rule OWASP modsec rule inspection
- Improve web server page load speeds
- Decrease CPU time spent on crypto processes
This makes it a strong choice for NGFW, routers, load balancers, and other enterprise virtual appliances that demand fast cores.
Improved Enterprise Firewall and Virtual Network Appliance Efficiency
NetFire Cloud NGFW is purpose built and fully optimized for the Frequency-Optimized compute tier. Each NGFW deployed on NetFire Cloud runs on this tier to ensure the highest possible performance for packet inspection, encryption, and rule processing.
This compute tier is also ideal for other enterprise virtual appliances such as Juniper vSRX and similar license-limited firewalls. While these appliances often restrict the number of vCPUs, there are no limits on core speed. The Frequency-Optimized tier delivers the high clock rates needed to push more encrypted traffic and process complex firewall logic efficiently.
By running NetFire Cloud NGFW and similar appliances on the Frequency-Optimized compute tier, you can:
- Push more encrypted traffic through each vCPU
- Speed up rule inspection and firewall logic
- Reduce CPU time spent on encryption and decryption
- Overcome licensing limitations while increasing performance
This makes the Frequency-Optimized tier the standard choice for NGFWs, routers, load balancers, and other enterprise virtual appliances that depend on fast cores and low latency.
No Lagging, Just Fragging
The Frequency-Optimized compute tier is also ideal for hosting game servers such as Minecraft, Counter-Strike, Rust, and many others. These workloads depend on high tick rates and fast response times, but they rarely scale efficiently across multiple threads.
Why it works so well for gaming:
- Faster CPU response leads to more stable tick rates
- Unbuffered memory improves latency and overall responsiveness
- Lightweight 2 to 4 vCPU configurations deliver better performance per dollar
If you’re running multiplayer game servers, the Frequency-Optimized tier keeps gameplay smooth and consistent, even as player counts increase.
Is Frequency-Optimized the right fit for you?
| Example Workload | Core Scalability | Frequency-Optimized Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| NetFire Cloud NGFW | Configurable | ✓ High single-core speed for inspection and encryption, scales up or down without license caps |
| NetFire Cloud WAF | Dedicated instances | ✓ Full node performance, all cores allocated to maximize rule evaluation, packet inspection, and TLS operations |
| Juniper vSRX firewalls | License-limited | ✓ More throughput per core, faster policy evaluation |
| Other enterprise virtual network appliances | License-limited | ✓ Faster inspection, encryption, and packet handling |
| Virtual routers | Low to moderate | ✓ Lower latency per packet, quicker path decisions |
| Web servers | Low to moderate | ✓ Faster request handling, improved time to first byte |
| Game servers | Low | ✓ Stable tick rates, low latency |
| Crypto-heavy APIs and SSL termination | Low | ✓ Reduced CPU time for encryption and decryption |
| General containerized apps | High | ✕ Use Balanced Compute |
How to learn more or get in touch
- Visit our Resources page to get the latest NetFire product news, company events, research papers, branding guidelines, and much more.
- Explore our Support Center for overviews and guides on how to use NetFire products and services.
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