vCPU
A vCPU (virtual CPU) is a unit of compute capacity representing one logical processor core. In cloud computing, a vCPU typically maps to one hardware thread of a physical CPU core. In bare metal, one vCPU equals one dedicated core with no sharing.
vCPU in game server hosting
Game server hosting is typically priced per vCPU-hour. A 1 vCPU container running for one hour at $0.07/vCPU/hr costs $0.07. A 4 vCPU container running for the same hour costs $0.28.
The number of vCPUs a game server needs depends on the game type, player count, and tick rate. A 10-player shooter at 128 Hz typically needs 1 vCPU. A 100-player battle royale at 30 Hz might need 2-4 vCPUs. An MMO shard with 200 players could need 4-8 vCPUs.
Bare metal vCPU vs cloud vCPU
Not all vCPUs are equal. A bare metal vCPU on a 5 GHz Ryzen 7950X delivers more single-threaded performance than a cloud vCPU on a 3.5 GHz shared instance. Game servers are predominantly single-threaded, so clock speed per core matters more than core count. This is why bare metal often needs fewer vCPUs to run the same workload — roughly 30% fewer compared to equivalent cloud VMs.
Billing models
- Per vCPU-hour — Pay for the vCPUs your containers use, billed per second or per hour.
- Reserved vCPU — Commit to a block of vCPUs at a lower rate (e.g. $0.02 vs $0.07/vCPU/hr).
- Per instance — Pay for a full VM regardless of how many vCPUs your containers use (common in cloud, leads to waste).