What are the best options for renting GPU access?

For GPU access, cloud services can be a flexible option. They’re great if you’re not affiliated with a university. Renting a GPU by the hour might seem expensive, but many platforms offer affordable plans, sometimes letting you pay per second of usage. I’ve had good luck with vast.ai, but make sure to explore the latest offerings since there might be better options out there now.

University clusters can be a hidden gem. Many institutions offer GPU access as part of certain courses, so ask around. If that fails, you can always look for a last-gen gaming laptop or desktop to use a full-sized GPU, but be prepared for the cost and power needs.

It really depends on what you’re planning to do. If you're just running models, some are small enough to work with a solid laptop GPU. But for training complex models, a cloud solution is usually necessary unless you have a gaming laptop or something similar.

Definitely check out packet.ai! They’ve got a promotion where you can get $300 in credits with a $100 deposit. Just make sure to use a referral code to maximize your credits! The interface can be a pain though since it logs you out often.