Node
Also known as: server, 8-GPU node, HGX
One server. Datacenter GPUs usually come as 8-GPU nodes; some providers only rent whole nodes. PetaPrice always shows the price per GPU.
Related terms
- SXM vs. PCIeSXM GPUs sit on a baseboard with NVLink between them and get more power, so they run faster. PCIe cards plug into a normal slot, cost less and are usually slower. An H100 SXM and an H100 PCIe are different products.
- NVLink and NVSwitchNVIDIA's high-speed links between GPUs in one server, far faster than PCIe. They matter when a model is split across GPUs. AMD's equivalent is Infinity Fabric.
- GPU-hourOne GPU for one hour. An 8-GPU node for 2 hours is 16 GPU-hours. A GPU running around the clock is about 730 GPU-hours a month.
Hardware and interconnect
- InfiniBandThe low-latency network used to connect GPU servers in training clusters. Multi-node training needs it (or fast RoCE Ethernet); single-node jobs don't.
- SuperchipA CPU and GPU on one module with a fast link between them, such as the GH200 and GB200. The GPU can use the CPU's memory as an extension of its own.
- TDPThermal design power: roughly the most power the GPU draws, in watts.
- MIG and fractional GPUsMulti-Instance GPU splits one A100, H100 or newer into isolated slices. Slices and other fractional GPUs (vGPUs) are cheaper but aren't full GPUs, so PetaPrice leaves them out.