Most people still use GP2 as the default EBS volume type in launch templates and infrastructure modules.

Not because it is still the best option today — but because it has existed in infrastructure templates for years.

In most production audits I review, oversized GP2 volumes are still one of the easiest cost optimizations left untouched.

The real issue is that GP2 ties storage capacity directly to performance. Under sustained workloads, that coupling starts becoming operationally expensive very quickly.

GP3 changes this model entirely.

Instead of scaling performance through storage size, GP3 separates performance from capacity and gives much more predictable behavior under real workloads.

To understand why this matters operationally, it helps to look at how both architectures actually behave.

How GP2 Was Designed

GP2 follows a size-based performance model:

IOPS = 3 × Volume Size ( GB )

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Key characteristics:

Minimum 100 IOPS

Burst up to 3,000…