Running in ~30 s
Pre-cached image, ports mapped, TLS terminated — the stack is working before you finish reading this.
Template · Desktops & VMs · CUDA 12.1
Run a GPU Linux desktop in the cloud, in 30 seconds
A full GPU Linux desktop over the browser — XFCE, VNC/RDP, run GUI apps. A full XFCE desktop on a GPU, delivered to your browser or any VNC/RDP client. Run GUI tools — Blender, DaVinci Resolve, Unreal, scientific visualisers — on a rented card, with your files on a volume and the desktop gone the second you stop paying. From $0.131/hr on an interruptible RTX 4090.
Template is free
You pay the GPU price only: Linux Desktop on a RTX 4090 is $0.262/hr on-demand, $0.131/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 — Jupyter and SSH behind your own credentials.
Best GPUs for Linux Desktop
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 | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | RTX 4090 | 24 GB | $0.262 | $0.131 | Fast interactive work at the best consumer price. | Deploy |
| Better | RTX A6000 | 48 GB | $0.281 | $0.140 | 48 GB ECC with studio drivers for professional apps. | Deploy |
| Best | RTX PRO 6000 WS | 96 GB | $1.097 | $0.548 | 96 GB GDDR7 for the heaviest scenes and datasets. | Deploy |
Need more VRAM? The full catalogue lists all 76 models with live availability; the VRAM guide sizes models to cards.
Deploy Linux Desktop from the console, CLI or API
Pick the template in the console deploy bar, or script it:
- Console — filter by GPU, choose Linux Desktop in the template picker, set disk and env, deploy.
- CLI — pip install powergpu, then the command on the right. CLI reference.
- API — POST /v1/instances with "template": "linux-desktop". REST reference.
- Own image — any OCI reference works too; we inject the NVIDIA runtime. Template docs.
$ powergpu launch --gpu rtx-4090 --template linux-desktop \
--disk 100 --volume models:/workspace/models
✓ instance i-7a41c0e2 running (27.9s)
# Linux Desktop · RTX 4090 · $0.262/hr · per second
# https://i-7a41c0e2.powergpu.io:8888 (TLS)
$ powergpu stop i-7a41c0e2 # billing ends this secondWhat is inside the Linux Desktop template
| Image | powergpu/linux-desktop |
|---|---|
| CUDA | CUDA 12.1 |
| Access | also builds for ARM hosts · SSH shell · JupyterLab on a mapped port |
| Category | Desktops & VMs |
| Storage | Instance NVMe disk (sized at deploy) + optional network volumes |
| Billing | GPU price only, per second — no template fee, no setup fee |
Other desktops & vms templates
Pinokio on a cloud GPU — The Pinokio 1-click app browser on a desktop — install AI apps with a click.
Ubuntu 22.04 VM on a cloud GPU — A full KVM virtual machine — your own kernel, root, systemd, any stack.- Ubuntu Desktop VM on a cloud GPU — The Ubuntu VM with a GNOME desktop over VNC/RDP — a full graphical workstation.
- All 37 templates
Linux Desktop on a cloud GPU: FAQ
Environment variables, ports and custom images are covered in the template docs.
How much does it cost to run Linux Desktop on a cloud GPU?
Only the GPU price — the template is free. From $0.131/hr on an interruptible RTX 4090, $0.262/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 Linux Desktop take to start?
About 30 seconds from the deploy click: the image is pre-cached on hosts, ports are mapped and TLS is terminated for you. 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.
Is the desktop encrypted in transit?
Browser access goes through the TLS-terminated port; native VNC/RDP should be tunnelled over SSH, which the template exposes as well.