Microsoft announces the general availability of Azure FXv2-series VMs, powered by Intel’s 5th Gen Xeon Platinum processors. Designed for compute-intensive workloads, these VMs deliver up to 50% better CPU performance, enhanced storage, networking, AI capabilities, and flexible configurations for demanding enterprise applications. Unique :
Microsoft Launches Azure FXv2-Series Virtual Machines: What You Need to Know
Microsoft just announced the general availability of the Azure FXv2-series VMs, powered by Intel’s 5th Gen Xeon Platinum 8573C processors. These compute-optimized virtual machines are designed for heavy workloads like databases, data analytics, and electronic design automation (EDA). If you’re running high-demand applications, this update is definitely worth your attention.
What’s New with Azure FXv2-Series VMs?
The FXv2-series offers major performance boosts compared to the previous FXv1 generation. Expect up to 50% better CPU performance and an all-core turbo frequency reaching 4.0 GHz. Plus, these VMs support up to 96 vCPUs—double what FXv1 offered—and up to 1,832 GiB of memory with a 21 GiB per vCPU ratio.
Storage and networking also get a big upgrade. Thanks to NVMe protocol support, these VMs deliver up to twice the IOPS and five times the throughput on remote storage. Network bandwidth maxes out at 70 Gbps, enhanced by Azure Boost and the new Microsoft Azure Network Adapter (MANA) for stable, forward-compatible drivers.
Major Updates for Specific Workloads
SQL Server workloads benefit from high IOPS and low latency, crucial for managing large data volumes efficiently. EDA customers, especially in semiconductor design, gain from larger L3 caches and faster storage, reducing chip design time and cutting total cost of ownership.
AI workloads also see improvements through Intel® Advanced Matrix Extensions (AMX), which boost inference and training performance. Security is enhanced with Intel® Total Memory Encryption (TME), protecting data in system memory.
Flexible Configurations for Diverse Needs
You can choose between FXmdsv2-series with local disks or FXmsv2-series without. Both come in standard and constrained-core sizes, allowing you to tailor CPU and memory setups to your workload demands.
Real-World Impact: What Customers Are Saying
“The new Azure Fxv2 series VMs offer a perfect mix of capabilities for running Oracle databases and RAC clusters… elevating database performance to new levels.” – Art Danielov, CEO, FlashGrid
“We’ve seen a performance increase of up to 40%, doubling per-VM capacity and improving solution scalability.” – Michiel De Palmeneire, Platform Manager, OMP
Availability and Next Steps
The FXv2-series is now available across multiple Azure regions including the US, Europe, Asia, and more, with additional regions coming in 2025. Pricing details and VM specs can be found on the official Azure Virtual Machines pricing page.
In summary, if your workloads demand top-tier compute power, fast storage, and high network throughput, Azure’s FXv2-series VMs are a game changer. Dive into the specs and see how these VMs can turbocharge your cloud infrastructure today.
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