Databases are one of the fundamental pillars of modern computing: they store, organize, and enable the retrieval of information used in everything from small applications to enterprise giants and global cloud services. It’s no surprise that, with every server processor release, manufacturers emphasize their suitability for databases. However, choosing the right CPU in 2025 is more complex than it seems at first glance.
In a recent meeting with system administrators and infrastructure managers, some viewed the idea of deploying 192-core processors with enthusiasm, while others admitted to nightmares about managing licenses with such power. This duality sums up the challenge: performance versus cost.
What do we understand by databases in 2025?
Although the classic image of a database still leans towards relational systems (Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL), today’s landscape includes multiple types:
- Relational: critical in financial environments, ERP, or management systems.
- NoSQL: designed to scale horizontally, widely used in web and mobile applications.
- In-memory: like SAP HANA, where memory is the key to performance.
- Vector-based: increasingly popular in AI environments, capable of indexing embeddings from images, audio, or video.
- Time-series and graphs: essential in IoT, monitoring, and complex relational analysis.
All share common elements: data storage, organization, and access. Here, CPU, memory, network, and storage become crucial performance factors.
The central role of the CPU
Server processors are the backbone connecting all resources:
- Compute: determines query and transaction processing capacity.
- Cache and memory hierarchy: essential for keeping cores supplied with data.
- Memory interfaces: the speed and number of DDR5 channels directly affect in-memory database performance.
- PCIe: necessary for NVMe storage, accelerators, or high-speed networking.
For example, a pair of AMD EPYC 9965 processors with 192 cores, 12 DDR5-6400 memory channels, and PCIe Gen5 connectivity might seem like the ideal choice for any intensive database. But there’s a critical factor that changes the equation: license costs.
Licensing: the hidden factor that defines hardware choices
In enterprise environments, software costs far outweigh hardware expenses. Some current examples (September 2025):
- Oracle Database: around $47,500 per processor list price, with multipliers reducing core counts (AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon use a 0.5 factor).
- Microsoft SQL Server 2022: approximately $15,123 per 2-core package.
- SAP HANA: licensing based on installed memory, which significantly increases costs for systems with large RAM capacities.
The result is that deploying ultra-dense CPUs can dramatically increase license bills, even if the hardware itself is relatively inexpensive.
Free doesn’t mean free
Contrary to paid-licensing databases, there are open source options with no license fees such as PostgreSQL, MySQL Community Edition, Redis, or MariaDB. They dominate many cloud services and startups. However, costs of support, consulting, and in some cases, “Enterprise” versions with advanced features also come into play.
For modern workloads like vector or distributed databases, open source dominates, but it doesn’t eliminate the need to select the right CPU to balance core density, per-thread performance, and energy efficiency.
Decision scenarios in 2025
- Critical relational databases (ERP, banking, healthcare)
- More important is per-core licensing than total core count.
- It’s advisable to opt for CPUs with high performance per core and fewer cores.
- In-memory databases (SAP HANA, Redis Enterprise)
- The priority is memory capacity and bandwidth.
- CPUs with many DDR5/DDR6 channels and support for CXL 2.0/3.0 make a difference.
- Distributed and NoSQL databases (Cassandra, MongoDB)
- They scale horizontally, so the cost per node is more relevant than per core.
- Processors with many cores and energy efficiency can lower TCO.
- Vector databases for AI
- The bottleneck often lies in memory latency and GPU/accelerator access.
- CPUs with PCIe Gen5/Gen6 connectivity and support for GPU Blackwell or MI300 are crucial.
Beyond performance: energy efficiency
In 2025, energy costs and sustainability are more important than ever. A processor with 192 cores consuming 600 W could present problems in terms of thermal density and PUE in data centers. Organizations now consider not only licensing costs, but also the electricity bill and CO₂ emissions.
Conclusion
Selecting CPUs for databases in 2025 isn’t just about “more cores, better performance.” It requires a delicate balance among:
- Computing power and memory.
- Licensing and support costs.
- Database scalability and architecture.
- Energy efficiency and sustainability.
System administrators and architects must analyze each workload, business model, and licensing strategy before deciding. Because, in many cases, a more modest CPU can lead to millions in license savings without sacrificing actual performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which processors are more suitable for Oracle databases in 2025?
Those with fewer cores and higher per-thread performance, such as certain models of AMD EPYC or Intel Xeon, as they reduce the number of licenses needed.
2. Is it worth using 192-core CPUs for databases?
It depends. They’re very useful in NoSQL or distributed databases but can significantly increase licensing costs in relational environments.
3. What role do GPUs play in modern databases?
Increasingly significant, especially in vector databases and AI workloads. CPUs need to offer PCIe Gen5/Gen6 connectivity and CXL support for proper integration with accelerators.
4. What alternatives exist to reduce software costs?
Adopting open source databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL, or migrating to distributed architectures where node licensing is more predictable.
via: servethehome