---
title: "Run an Ubuntu desktop GPU VM from $0.163/hr | PowerGPU"
description: "Ubuntu Desktop VM on a fixed-price cloud GPU: one-click template, boots in minutes, from $0.163/hr on RTX 4090. Best GPUs, volumes, per-second billing."
url: https://powergpu.ai/templates/ubuntu-desktop-vm
last_modified: 2026-09-14T11:04:20+00:00
prices_as_of: 2026-09-14
site: PowerGPU (powergpu.ai)
---

Template · Desktops & VMs

# Run an Ubuntu desktop GPU VM, in minutes

The Ubuntu VM with a GNOME desktop over VNC/RDP — a full graphical workstation. The Ubuntu VM with a GNOME desktop over VNC/RDP: a full graphical workstation with hardware GPU passthrough. Install anything — proprietary renderers, CAD, research tools with dongles on reserved machines — and work as if the card were under your desk. From **$0.163** /hr on an interruptible RTX 4090.

Ubuntu Desktop VM

powergpu/kvm:ubuntu-desktop

(SSH) (VM)

Pinned image, rebuilt on upstream releases. Override env, ports and disk at deploy.

### Boots in minutes

A full KVM virtual machine with the GPU passed through: your kernel, root, systemd.

### Template is free

You pay the GPU price only: Ubuntu Desktop VM on a RTX 4090 is $0.327/hr on-demand, $0.163/hr interruptible, billed per second.

### Volumes for state

Models, datasets and outputs live on a $0.08/GB/mo volume; the instance stays disposable.

### Private by default

Dedicated GPU, encrypted disk, crypto payments, no KYC, no stored IPs — SSH behind your own credentials.

## Best GPUs for Ubuntu Desktop VM

Three price points that run this template well — Good, Better, Best. Every model in the catalogue works; these are the value picks.

| Tier | GPU | VRAM | On-demand | Interruptible | Why this card |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| (Good) | [RTX 4090](https://powergpu.ai/gpu/rtx-4090) | 24 GB | $0.327 | $0.163 | Consumer speed for interactive creative work. | [Deploy](https://cloud.powergpu.ai/?gpu=rtx-4090) |
| (Better) | [RTX 6000Ada](https://powergpu.ai/gpu/rtx-6000ada) | 48 GB | $0.467 | $0.233 | 48 GB ECC and studio drivers for CAD and rendering. | [Deploy](https://cloud.powergpu.ai/?gpu=rtx-6000ada) |
| (Best) | [RTX PRO 6000 WS](https://powergpu.ai/gpu/rtx-pro-6000-ws) | 96 GB | $1.040 | $0.520 | 96 GB for production scenes and huge datasets. | [Deploy](https://cloud.powergpu.ai/?gpu=rtx-pro-6000-ws) |

Need more VRAM? The [full catalogue](https://powergpu.ai/gpus) lists all 80 models with live availability; the [VRAM guide](https://powergpu.ai/guides/llm-vram-requirements) sizes models to cards.

## Deploy Ubuntu Desktop VM from the console, CLI or API

Pick the template in the [console](https://cloud.powergpu.ai/) deploy bar, or script it:

- **Console** — filter by GPU, choose *Ubuntu Desktop VM* in the template picker, set disk and env, deploy.
- **CLI** — pip install powergpu, then the command on the right. [CLI reference](https://powergpu.ai/cli).
- **API** — POST /v1/instances with "template": "ubuntu-desktop-vm". [REST reference](https://powergpu.ai/api).
- **Own image** — any OCI reference works too; we inject the NVIDIA runtime. [Template docs](https://powergpu.ai/docs/templates).

*deploy — ubuntu-desktop-vm*

```
$ powergpu launch --gpu rtx-4090 --template ubuntu-desktop-vm \
    --disk 100 --volume models:/workspace/models
✓ instance i-7a41c0e2 running (2m38s)
# Ubuntu Desktop VM · RTX 4090 · $0.327/hr · per second
# https://i-7a41c0e2.powergpu.ai:8000 (TLS)
$ powergpu stop i-7a41c0e2   # billing ends this second
```

## What is inside the Ubuntu Desktop VM template

- **Image**: powergpu/kvm:ubuntu-desktop
- **CUDA**: inherits host driver (any 12.x / 13.x)
- **Access**: SSH shell · full virtual machine (KVM)
- **Category**: [Desktops & VMs](https://powergpu.ai/templates#desktop)
- **Storage**: Instance NVMe disk (sized at deploy) + optional [network volumes](https://powergpu.ai/products/volumes)
- **Billing**: GPU price only, per second — no template fee, no setup fee

## Other desktops & vms templates

- [Linux Desktop on a cloud GPU](https://powergpu.ai/templates/linux-desktop) — A full GPU Linux desktop over the browser — XFCE, VNC/RDP, run GUI apps.
- [Pinokio on a cloud GPU](https://powergpu.ai/templates/pinokio) — The Pinokio 1-click app browser on a desktop — install AI apps with a click.
- [Ubuntu 22.04 VM on a cloud GPU](https://powergpu.ai/templates/ubuntu-22-04-vm) — A full KVM virtual machine — your own kernel, root, systemd, any stack.
- [All 37 templates](https://powergpu.ai/templates)

## Ubuntu Desktop VM on a cloud GPU: FAQ

Environment variables, ports and custom images are covered in the [template docs](https://powergpu.ai/docs/templates).

**How much does it cost to run Ubuntu Desktop VM on a cloud GPU?**

Only the GPU price — the template is free. From $0.163/hr on an interruptible RTX 4090, $0.327/hr on-demand on a RTX 4090. Billing is per second, so an hour of tinkering costs an hour, not a day. Storage is $0.08/GB/month.

**How long does Ubuntu Desktop VM take to start?**

Two to four minutes: this template is a full virtual machine that boots its own kernel. Restarting a stopped instance is faster, and your disk is exactly as you left it.

**Can I keep my models and outputs between sessions?**

Yes — attach a volume at deploy. Everything on the volume survives instance destruction and mounts on the next instance in the region in seconds, at $0.08/GB/month. The instance disk itself survives stop/start but not destroy.

**Can I run Windows instead?**

Containers are Linux-only, but VMs can boot a Windows image you licence yourself (BYOL) via the custom qcow2 import.

---

*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/templates/ubuntu-desktop-vm · Site index for AI assistants: https://powergpu.ai/llms.txt · Full content: https://powergpu.ai/llms-full.txt