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By default, Google will not allow you to access GPU instances on regular GCP. The GPU quota is initialized to zero and you have to open a support ticket in ord

By default, Google will not allow you to access GPU instances on regular GCP. The GPU quota is initialized to zero and you have to open a support ticket in order to request GPU access, justifying why your use case deserves access. Evidently, "personal research project" is not a valid use case, so that leaves Colab as the only other option in the Google ecosystem. AWS has a similar quota policy, but they seem less strict about use cases.

peytoncasper 4y ago
I'm not so sure this is true. I was able to get access to a GPU quota of 1 on GCP within 2 minutes. I highly doubt anyone reviewed what I wrote. I'm not sure how many you were requesting access to, but I suspect the main reason for gating higher counts are cost related. Quite obviously they are not cheap.
- whymauri 4y ago
  I've found that it varies. When I was at MIT, students and affiliates got credits and instances like candy (I feel like the school brand lowered friction). But then on Reddit, Stack Overflow, or Github I see a lot of people struggling to get quota (even when paying for the highest Colab tier).
dekhn 4y ago
This is garbage- you don't have to write a business justficiation that is used to determine whether you are worthy of GPUs. Stop spreading fud.
- chroem- 4y ago
  Yes, you do. I went through this exact process in Fall 2021. I invite you to attempt to set up a personal GCP account for hobby use in the current GPU shortage, and share your experience.
  - MichaelZuo 4y ago
    They don’t give the option of paying more? Or direct you to their business/enterprise team if you really want it?
    - chroem- 4y ago
      No, it was extremely bizarre. They gave the option of escalating to sales, which I did, but all they did was deny my use case again for a lack of business justification. I think they're trying to prevent people from cryptomining, so they're just blanket denying access for small GPU quotas.
      - MichaelZuo 4y ago
        That is strange, why wouldn’t they just set the minimum fee at more than what cryptomining can maximally earn, and give unlimited access at those rates?
  - dekhn 4y ago
    OK, I just did this and it was trivial. Nothing extra, just used my normal hobby account. Please don't promote FUD.
    - chroem- 4y ago
      Why are you so eager to dismiss this as FUD? Are you a google employee? Here are the screenshots of the response I received. https://imgur.com/a/K66bX6W https://imgur.com/a/K66bX6W
      - dekhn 4y ago
        I was a google employee. So, you're right. I started wiht a quota of 1 gpu and can make an instance, but if I request more quota it's immediately turned down (no human involved, afaict). It just says to contact your sales rep. I wasn't aware (wasn't the case when I worked there) they autoreject GPU quota increases.

peytoncasper 4y ago

I'm not so sure this is true. I was able to get access to a GPU quota of 1 on GCP within 2 minutes. I highly doubt anyone reviewed what I wrote. I'm not sure how many you were requesting access to, but I suspect the main reason for gating higher counts are cost related. Quite obviously they are not cheap.

whymauri 4y ago
I've found that it varies. When I was at MIT, students and affiliates got credits and instances like candy (I feel like the school brand lowered friction). But then on Reddit, Stack Overflow, or Github I see a lot of people struggling to get quota (even when paying for the highest Colab tier).

dekhn 4y ago

This is garbage- you don't have to write a business justficiation that is used to determine whether you are worthy of GPUs. Stop spreading fud.

chroem- 4y ago
Yes, you do. I went through this exact process in Fall 2021. I invite you to attempt to set up a personal GCP account for hobby use in the current GPU shortage, and share your experience.
- MichaelZuo 4y ago
  They don’t give the option of paying more? Or direct you to their business/enterprise team if you really want it?
  - chroem- 4y ago
    No, it was extremely bizarre. They gave the option of escalating to sales, which I did, but all they did was deny my use case again for a lack of business justification. I think they're trying to prevent people from cryptomining, so they're just blanket denying access for small GPU quotas.
    - MichaelZuo 4y ago
      That is strange, why wouldn’t they just set the minimum fee at more than what cryptomining can maximally earn, and give unlimited access at those rates?
- dekhn 4y ago
  OK, I just did this and it was trivial. Nothing extra, just used my normal hobby account. Please don't promote FUD.
  - chroem- 4y ago
    Why are you so eager to dismiss this as FUD? Are you a google employee? Here are the screenshots of the response I received. https://imgur.com/a/K66bX6W https://imgur.com/a/K66bX6W
    - dekhn 4y ago
      I was a google employee. So, you're right. I started wiht a quota of 1 gpu and can make an instance, but if I request more quota it's immediately turned down (no human involved, afaict). It just says to contact your sales rep. I wasn't aware (wasn't the case when I worked there) they autoreject GPU quota increases.