It’s not a very good day for VMware users who are using (or planning to adopt) AMD’s most expensive EPYC parts. The cloud computing and virtualization software and service provider announced today that it was making big changes to its per-CPU pricing model.
Essentially, customers who utilize processors with more than 28 cores will be paying more from here on out. CPUs with 64 cores now require two licenses instead of just one, while a pair of 64-core chips will require four licenses.
Again, this is bad news for AMD’s EPYC brand, which flaunts monster core counts. VMware says that it is making this change to “align” its offerings to “industry standard pricing models.” The company also claims that few of its customers use 64-core CPUs, anyway.
The good news is that VMware is offering a grace period for those with 64-core CPUs. Licenses purchased prior to April 30, 2020 will be “eligible for additional free per-CPU licenses to cover the CPUs on that server.”