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Product docsGPU servers

GPU servers: getting started with your GPU VPS, VDS or dedicated server

First steps on a HyperDC GPU server: know shared vGPU from dedicated GPU, keep the right driver for NVIDIA, AMD or Intel, and check that the GPU works.

  • Beginner
  • 15 min read
  • Updated
On this page
  1. Before you start
  2. Shared vGPU or dedicated GPU
  3. Step 1: Identify the GPU
  4. Step 2: Follow the driver path for your GPU
  5. Step 3: Check that the GPU works
  6. Step 4: Run your workload
  7. Troubleshooting
  8. Next steps

HyperDC offers GPU VPS and GPU VDS with a shared vGPU or a dedicated GPU, and GPU dedicated servers, with GPUs from Intel, NVIDIA or AMD. Your package names its GPU. This guide explains the two GPU types, the driver each one needs, and how to check that the GPU answers.

Before you start

  • Your server's login details from the welcome email, and SSH access (Linux) or Remote Desktop (Windows); see connect to your Linux server.
  • The GPU and GPU type (shared vGPU or dedicated GPU) listed for your package on the service page or in the order.
  • Install all system updates first and reboot: sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade.

Shared vGPU or dedicated GPU

Shared vGPUDedicated GPU
MemoryA fixed slice of the card's memory, reserved for your server from the moment the vGPU is createdAll of the card's memory
ComputeTime-sliced: the card's processing cycles are shared among the vGPUs on that cardThe whole card, for your server only
Driver inside your serverThe vGPU guest driver that matches the host's vGPU software; preinstalled in our imagesThe vendor's standard data-center driver for the card

Step 1: Identify the GPU

Linux

Bash
lspci -nn | grep -iE "vga|3d|display"
ls -l /dev/dri

Windows

PowerShell
Get-PnpDevice -Class Display | Format-Table FriendlyName, Status

Verify: the output names the GPU maker (NVIDIA, Advanced Micro Devices, or Intel), and on Windows the status is OK. If the GPU does not appear at all, open a ticket before installing anything.

Step 2: Follow the driver path for your GPU

Your GPUDriver path
Shared vGPUKeep the vGPU guest driver that came with our image. If you ever need to reinstall it, use the driver version listed in your service details or provided by HyperDC support.
NVIDIA, dedicated GPUInstall NVIDIA's data-center driver and CUDA: install NVIDIA drivers and CUDA, or NVIDIA's driver downloads on Windows Server.
Intel, dedicated GPUInstall Intel's Data Center GPU driver for your card and system, following Intel's data-center GPU documentation.
AMD, dedicated GPUInstall ROCm on Linux (install AMD ROCm) or AMD's driver from AMD's driver downloads.

Step 3: Check that the GPU works

NVIDIA

Bash
nvidia-smi

The table shows the GPU, the driver version and the GPU memory. On a shared vGPU, the memory shown is your vGPU's slice, not the whole card.

AMD

Bash
rocminfo | grep -i "Marketing Name:"
amd-smi version

Intel

Bash
clinfo | grep -i "device name"

Step 4: Run your workload

  • Containers: pass the GPU into Docker: GPUs in Docker containers.
  • Local AI models: install Ollama, vLLM or ComfyUI for image generation. On a shared vGPU, choose models that fit your vGPU's memory.
  • Monitoring: keep an eye on temperature, memory and utilisation with nvidia-smi -l 5 (NVIDIA) or amd-smi (AMD).

Troubleshooting

nvidia-smi: command not found. On a dedicated GPU, the NVIDIA utilities are not installed yet; see install NVIDIA drivers and CUDA. On a shared vGPU, reinstall the matching guest driver or the operating system image.

NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver. The kernel module is not loaded. Reboot after installing the driver; more causes in GPU troubleshooting.

The GPU shows Code 43 on Windows. See the warning in step 2 and GPU troubleshooting.

The GPU is missing in lspci. The GPU is not attached to the server. Open a ticket with the output of lspci -nn.

Next steps

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a shared vGPU and a dedicated GPU?

A shared vGPU gets a fixed slice of a physical card's memory, reserved for your server, while the card's compute is time-sliced with the other servers on that card. A dedicated GPU is assigned to your server whole, with all of its memory and compute.

Do I have to install the GPU driver?

On a shared vGPU, no: our images ship with the matching vGPU guest driver. On a dedicated GPU, you install the vendor's standard data-center driver for the card, as described in this guide.

Which operating system should I choose?

One that your GPU software supports. NVIDIA's CUDA documentation lists current Ubuntu LTS and Debian releases, and AMD's ROCm documentation lists its supported distributions, which may lag behind the newest release.

Can I use the GPU in Docker?

Yes. NVIDIA GPUs use the NVIDIA Container Toolkit; AMD and Intel GPUs are passed to containers as devices. See our guide on GPUs in Docker.

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