◦ Optimized configs
◦ Industry-leading support
GPU → Cloud GPU vs GPU Bare Metal Server
Cloud GPU vs GPU bare metal hosting
GPU servers are accelerating development and process in so many industries, seemingly overnight. It wasn’t long ago that GPU were just for video and gaming graphics, but they quickly found a home advancing AI, combating cybercrime, bolstering medical imaging, and so much more.
More and more businesses and industries need GPU processing power to keep up, and the industry is developing solutions to get everyone what they need.
So where do you start? And how do you get a handle on all the options suddenly available?
The first step is understanding the difference between two of the most foundational solutions: cloud GPU vs GPU bare metal.
What is a GPU bare metal server?
A GPU bare metal server is a dedicated physical server that does not use a hypervisor/virtualization, and is equipped with one or more Graphics Processing Units (GPUs).
Any bare metal server provides the user with an entire machine, in contrast to shared hosting or VPS hosting arrangements, which divide the resources from a physical server among multiple users. The addition of a GPU chip, to accelerate parallel processing tasks, gets you a GPU bare metal server.
Key components:
- Bare metal server: A single-tenant, physical machine that offers direct access to hardware without virtualization overhead.
- GPU: Specialized hardware designed for parallel processing, commonly used for graphics rendering, machine learning, data analytics, and high-performance computing (HPC).
Features and benefits:
- Raw performance: Since resources aren’t shared, you can fully utilize the server’s CPU, RAM, storage, and GPU.
- High throughput for GPU workloads: Ideal for computationally intensive tasks like AI training, 3D rendering, video processing, and scientific simulations.
- Customization: You can configure the server to meet specific workload requirements, such as selecting GPU optimized for your application.
- Scalability: Many providers allow you to scale horizontally (add more servers) or vertically (upgrade existing hardware).
Use cases:
- AI and machine learning: Accelerating deep learning models and handling large datasets.
- Cybersecurity: Scaling threat detection and analysis, and training ML models to respond to threats and evolve strategies.
- Gaming: Running dedicated game servers that demand high graphical performance.
- Medical imaging: Efficiently processing medical imaging data while enabling scalable operations for healthcare organizations
- Scientific computing: Performing simulations and calculations that require significant processing power.
- Video processing: Encoding, transcoding, and rendering high-definition videos.
What is GPU bare metal hosting?
Bare metal hosting allows users to access GPU bare metal servers that are professionally secured and maintained in an off-site location, rather than purchasing and maintaining a physical bare metal server on-premises. In a GPU bare metal hosting arrangement, a hosting provider builds, houses, and maintains the GPU bare metal server on behalf of the client renting it.
GPU bare metal server hosting allows more businesses and organizations to access GPU bare metal servers. Maintaining a physical machine on-premises requires a secure, climate-controlled space as well as in-house server IT professionals. Offloading the maintenance of the machine in a server hosting relationship, makes GPU bare metal servers more accessible.
What is cloud GPU hosting?
Cloud GPU, or cloud GPU hosting, is fractional GPU hosting based on virtualization. Cloud GPU hosting uses a hypervisor to divide a physical GPU server into multiple, virtual GPU machines.
Cloud GPU hosting allows providers to offer GPU server resources at lower prices, since multiple users are splitting one physical machine. Each user gets a small, dedicated GPU server, but those resources are not as isolated as they are in a GPU bare metal server arrangement.
Cloud GPU vs GPU bare metal hosting
The main difference between a cloud GPU and GPU server hosting is the scope of resources available to the user and the isolation of those resources. Let’s look at what that means for some practical specifics:
Control
A good cloud GPU host will allow root access to the GPU server. Still, there’s a greater level of control available with a bare metal GPU, since there are no other users on your machine.
Cost
Cloud GPU wins for upfront cost, of course—since you’re only renting a portion of a GPU machine, you pay less than if you were reserving an entire physical server.
Performance
Bare metal GPU servers generally offer better, more reliable performance, since you have an entire physical machine all to yourself. In a cloud GPU arrangement, performance of your virtual server could be impacted by usage of other cloud GPU with which you share a physical machine.
Security
A good hosting provider will take extensive measures to ensure the security of a cloud GPU, but a completely isolated machine, as in a bare metal GPU, will always be more secure because there are no other users on that server.
How to choose the right GPU server
In general, cloud GPU is a good solution for short-term projects or testing, or for teams that only occasionally need GPU resources. GPU server hosting is a better solution for organizations that have a steady, long-term need for the compute power of a GPU server.
Consider:
- GPU server needs six to 12 months from now: If your need for GPU resources are going to scale in the near future, it’s probably best to invest in a dedicated GPU server from the start. Virtualized servers can scale, but they can also scale past the investment of a dedicated server if you don’t pay attention.
- Security and compliance needs: Medical organizations and ecommerce brands have a greater need for security in order to keep patient and customer data private, and to meet compliance requirements. If your standards are high, you might need a GPU server.
- Performance requirements: A minor performance blip is not tragic in every industry. Will it mess up a gaming server for a minute? Yes, but it won’t crash the gaming industry. If you have a higher tolerance for possible performance gaps, you probably don’t need to invest in a whole GPU server.
If your GPU needs are smaller or inconsistent, if your budget is lower, and if security doesn’t need to be air-tight, a cloud GPU is a good fit.
If your GPU needs are the bulk of your business and/or growing, if you need to invest in serious compute power, and if security and performance are paramount, it’s time for a bare metal GPU.
How to choose a GPU hosting provider
GPU servers are relatively new in the industry, so make sure you’re working with a reputable hosting provider. Look for:
Hardware: Make sure the GPU server you’re renting uses top-quality GPU chips from either NVIDIA or AMD.
History: GPU are newer, but servers aren’t. Some new brands have sprung up to offer GPU server hosting, but you want to work with a team that has at least a decade of experience with servers and server management..
Options: A good hosting provider will offer a curated variety of any server option, and GPU are no different.
Security: What is the hosting provider doing to ensure security? Ask about data center security, DDoS protection, and your dedicated IP address. (You should get one with your server.)
Support: Most bare metal hosting providers offer less support, because customers don’t need it. But those providers should still have documentation and a 24/7 support team available. Cloud GPU providers should offer even more robust support.
Uptime guarantees: Check service level agreements and ensure that the provider you work with can guarantee at least 99.99% uptime.
Getting started with GPU servers
The first decision is whether a cloud GPU will be enough or if you need a bare metal GPU server. Start by outlining what you need the GPU server for today and how much you expect to be using it in six to twelve months.
If you decide that GPU bare metal server hosting is your best solution, you’re in the right place. Liquid Web has been offering dedicated server hosting services for almost three decades. Our team of experts has been setting up and maintaining servers, and helping clients make the most of them, for a long time.
And we were one of the first to expand our bare metal server solutions with GPU chips. We use NVIDIA hardware to optimize performance, our server security processes are the best in the industry, and our support team is always available on multiple channels.
Click through below to explore your GPU bare metal server options or start a chat right now and get even more answers and guidance to help you decide.
Additional resources
What is a GPU? →
What is, how it works, common use cases, and more
What is GPU memory? →
Why it’s important, how it works, what to consider, and more
GPU vs CPU →
What are the core differences? How do they work together? Which do you need?
Brooke Oates is a Product Manager at Liquid Web, specializing in Cloud VPS and Cloud Metal, with a successful history of IT/hosting and leadership experience. When she’s not perfecting servers, Brooke enjoys gaming and spending time with her kids.