diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gromacs/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gromacs/package.py
index 20bdaa2c202..73f4ffd871e 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gromacs/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gromacs/package.py
@@ -2,9 +2,6 @@
 # Spack Project Developers. See the top-level COPYRIGHT file for details.
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 OR MIT)
-import archspec.cpu
-
-
 class Gromacs(CMakePackage):
     """GROMACS (GROningen MAchine for Chemical Simulations) is a molecular
     dynamics package primarily designed for simulations of proteins, lipids
@@ -158,25 +155,25 @@ def cmake_args(self):
 
         # Activate SIMD based on properties of the target
         target = self.spec.target
-        if target >= archspec.cpu.TARGETS['zen2']:
+        if target >= 'zen2':
             # AMD Family 17h (EPYC Rome)
             options.append('-DGMX_SIMD=AVX2_256')
-        elif target >= archspec.cpu.TARGETS['zen']:
+        elif target >= 'zen':
             # AMD Family 17h (EPYC Naples)
             options.append('-DGMX_SIMD=AVX2_128')
-        elif target >= archspec.cpu.TARGETS['bulldozer']:
+        elif target >= 'bulldozer':
             # AMD Family 15h
             options.append('-DGMX_SIMD=AVX_128_FMA')
         elif 'vsx' in target:
             # IBM Power 7 and beyond
             options.append('-DGMX_SIMD=IBM_VSX')
-        elif target.family == archspec.cpu.TARGETS['aarch64']:
+        elif target.family == 'aarch64':
             # ARMv8
             if self.spec.satisfies('%nvhpc'):
                 options.append('-DGMX_SIMD=None')
             else:
                 options.append('-DGMX_SIMD=ARM_NEON_ASIMD')
-        elif target == archspec.cpu.TARGETS['mic_knl']:
+        elif target == 'mic_knl':
             # Intel KNL
             options.append('-DGMX_SIMD=AVX_512_KNL')
         elif target.vendor == 'GenuineIntel':