StarSling runner benchmarks, hidden CPU model, and rates
The StarSling sample is a Linux x64 job using its explicit two-vCPU label. It reports the AMD EPYC family, but the guest hides the exact model. StarSling describes its current fleet as fifth-generation EPYC. That is useful family context, but it doesn't turn a masked model string into proof of a particular SKU on the measured host.
By TechCompare · Updated
The explicit label matters
StarSling lists $0.004 per minute for the two-vCPU runner used here, or $0.002 per vCPU-minute. Its bare Ubuntu label defaults to four vCPUs, so substituting that rate would price a different request. The published ladder reaches 64 vCPUs. Only the two-vCPU label appears in these results, which leaves scaling at larger sizes unmeasured.
Hardware tests don't measure workflow optimization
A provider may also offer changes to sharding, dependency caching, and workflow scheduling. The supplied suite measures CPU, disk, cache transfers, and one internet endpoint. It doesn't apply optimization suggestions to a repository or measure their effect on the build's critical path. Keep those separate from the observed performance of the requested runner.
Calculator
| RunnerRunner | CPUCPU scoreSingle thread | CPU valueCPU value | DiskDisk score | CacheCache score | InternetInternet score | Cost/vCPU/minCost/vCPU/minUSD | Max vCPUMax runner vCPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StarSling Linux x64 AMD EPYC (model hidden) | 38,218 | 19.1M/USD | 559.1 | 101 | 116.3 | 0.002 | 64 |
Single thread CPU: CoreMark iterations/s. Disk and cache: composite MiB/s. Internet: composite Mbps. Value: score ÷ USD cost/vCPU/min. K means thousand, M means million. Higher is better. Cache uses each runner's best tested cache or artifact backend. Limits: maximum runner vCPU. Prices and value use USD. RunJob's EUR rate is converted at €1 = $1.1206 (ECB, 2026-10-09).
Open the full GitHub Actions runner benchmark toolMeasurement context
This result uses a single pinned execution thread. The CPU score is a median across five samples, with the full observed range and variation available in the details. Disk, cache, and internet scores use fixed formulas that stay unchanged when another runner is added.
Verdict
Keep hardware certainty visible when comparing providers. The guest and the pricing documentation answer different questions. Use the benchmark to inspect observed behavior, and use the provider's rate table to identify the product you can buy.
More runner benchmark scenarios
Frequently asked questions
Are these independent GitHub Actions runner benchmarks?
Does a CoreMark score predict my build time?
How are disk, cache, and internet scores calculated?
How is price per minute per vCPU calculated?
What does CPU value mean?
Why is an exact CPU model sometimes missing?
Are missing tests counted as zero?
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