Available GPUs

GPUs are used to accelerate workloads, and Cloud Workstations supports attaching GPUs to workstations. Cloud Workstations supports many of the various GPU models that are available to attach to Compute Engine VMs. The model and quantity of GPUs to attach to each workstation are specified on the workstation configuration. Cloud Workstations handles attaching the GPUs and installing their device drivers.

Attaching GPUs to workstations will affect costs as described in the Cloud Workstations pricing overview.

Limitations

A workstation configuration may specify GPUs, subject to the following limitations:

• Cloud Workstations only supports GPUs for configurations that specify machine types in the N1 machine series, the A2 machine series, or the A3 machine series. Refer to supported GPU models for details.
• The configuration must specify replica zones where the chosen GPU model is available.
• It is not possible to configure workstations to have more than one model of GPU attached at a time.

• Configurations that specify A2 Ultra machine types must not specify persistent storage. Consider using an NFS-based solution such as Filestore or Cloud Storage FUSE if persistent file storage is required. Note that A2 Standard machine types do support persistent storage. To create configurations without persistent storage, use the following Google Cloud CLI command:

    gcloud workstations configs create CONFIG_NAME \
      --project=PROJECT_ID \
      --cluster=CLUSTER_NAME \
      --region=LOCATION \
      --machine-type=A2_MACHINE_TYPE \
      --no-persistent-storage
  

  Replace the following:

  • PROJECT_ID: the ID of the project that contains the workstation configuration.
  • LOCATION: the region of the workstation cluster.
  • CLUSTER_NAME: the name workstation cluster that contains the workstation configuration.
  • CONFIG_NAME: the name of the workstation configuration.
  • A2_MACHINE_TYPE: the type of the A2 machine.

• Configurations that specify A3 machine types only support Hyperdisk persistent volumes.

• Using Google Cloud Hyperdisk disk types is only supported on these following machine series:

  • A3
  • C3
  • C4
  • G4
  • M3
  • N4
  • N4D
  • Z3

Supported GPU models

Cloud Workstations supports many of the GPU models that Compute Engine makes available. The models that are supported depend on the machine series chosen for the workstation configuration, as summarized in the following table.