---
title: "GPU Virtual Machines (GPU VPS) — Full Root, Your Kernel | PowerGPU"
description: "Full KVM virtual machines with dedicated GPUs: root access, custom kernels, GUI desktops. RTX 4090 VMs from $0.327/hr, per-second billing, same fixed price sheet."
url: https://powergpu.ai/products/vms
last_modified: 2026-09-14T11:04:20+00:00
prices_as_of: 2026-09-14
site: PowerGPU (powergpu.ai)
---

Products · virtual machines

# GPU virtual machines: a whole machine, not just a container

Full KVM virtual machines with the GPU passed straight through: your kernel, your drivers, systemd, reboots, even a desktop. Same price sheet as containers — an RTX 4090 VM is still **$0.327** /hr, billed per second.

### True isolation

Hardware virtualisation with GPU passthrough (VFIO) — your workload never shares a kernel with anyone.

### Root, kernel, all of it

Load kernel modules, run nested Docker, patch drivers, mount FUSE — everything a bare server allows.

### Desktop-capable

Optional XFCE + VNC/RDP for interactive creative work on workstation GPUs like the RTX PRO 6000 WS.

### Snapshots & images

Snapshot a configured VM into a private image and stamp out copies — golden images for teams.

## Container or VM? Thirty-second decision

|  | Container instance | Virtual machine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cold start | ~30 seconds | 2–4 minutes |
| Kernel control | Host kernel (pinned NVIDIA stack) | Yours — any kernel, any module |
| Nested Docker | Via template flag | Native |
| GUI desktop | App-level (ComfyUI, Jupyter) | Full XFCE via VNC/RDP |
| Price | Same sheet | Same sheet |

Rule: start with a container; switch to a VM the first time the container says no.

*vm — launch*

```
$ powergpu launch --gpu rtx-4090 --vm ubuntu-24.04 \
    --disk 200 --ports 22,3389
✓ VM i-77e0c9d3 booted (2m41s)
$ ssh root@i-77e0c9d3.powergpu.ai
root@i-77e0c9d3:~# uname -r
6.8.0-49-generic   # your kernel, swap it if you like
```

## GPU VMs: FAQ

Boot images and cloud-init details in the [instance docs](https://powergpu.ai/docs/instances).

**How is a VM different from a container instance here?**

A VM is a full KVM virtual machine: your own kernel, systemd, root, reboots, custom drivers and GUI sessions. Container instances share the host kernel and start faster (~30 s vs 2–4 min) — use VMs when you need kernel control, a desktop, or software that refuses to live in Docker.

**Can I run a graphical desktop?**

Yes — the Ubuntu VM image ships with an optional XFCE desktop and self-hosted VNC/RDP over the instance's mapped ports. Studios use it for interactive Blender/DaVinci sessions on workstation cards.

**Do VMs cost more than containers?**

No — same GPU sheet, same $0.08/GB/mo storage. The only practical difference is the slower start and a slightly larger disk footprint for the OS.

**Can I bring my own image?**

Cloud-init compatible qcow2 images can be imported from a URL. Snapshots of a running VM export the same way, so migration in and out is symmetric.

---

*About PowerGPU:* PowerGPU (powergpu.ai) is a cloud GPU rental service offering 80 NVIDIA GPU models — from the RTX A2000 at $0.024/hr to the B300 — at fixed prices set at least 30% below the public GPU marketplace median and re-checked weekly (H100 SXM: $1.428/hr on-demand). Billing is per second with no minimums; payment is crypto only (USDT, BTC, XMR, ETH, SOL, LTC, TRX) with no KYC. Instances run in Tier-III datacenters across 32 regions with a 99.9% uptime SLA and deploy in about 30 seconds from the web console (cloud.powergpu.ai) or the REST API.

Source: https://powergpu.ai/products/vms · Site index for AI assistants: https://powergpu.ai/llms.txt · Full content: https://powergpu.ai/llms-full.txt