Frequently Asked Questions

RenderBox is a cloud GPU compute service that gives you a dedicated Linux machine with a real NVIDIA GPU. You connect over SSH or through Render Studio, our browser-based Jupyter environment, and pay only for the time you use. There is no hardware to buy, maintain, or upgrade.

RenderBox is built for GPU-heavy work: AI/ML training and inference, 3D and video rendering, and general creative or compute workloads. Anything you'd run on a Linux box with CUDA — Stable Diffusion, LLM inference, Blender, PyTorch, you name it — runs the same way here.

You need a device with an internet connection and either an SSH client (built into Mac, Linux, and modern Windows) or just a web browser for Render Studio. You'll also need a RenderBox account with credit on your balance — any amount, no minimum.

RenderBox machines are available in multiple data center regions across North America and Europe. During deployment, you can select the region closest to you for the lowest latency. We are actively expanding to additional regions.

RenderBox uses a pay-as-you-go credit system. You add credits to your account — any amount, no minimum — then choose a GPU plan. You're billed for the exact time your machine runs, charged automatically as you go — checked every 5 minutes, plus a final charge the moment you stop. There are no subscriptions, contracts, or hidden fees.

You're only charged while your machine is in the Running state, for the exact elapsed time it ran. A billing cycle runs every 5 minutes to keep your balance up to date, and stopping a machine triggers one last charge for the partial time since the previous check. Stopped machines never accrue charges. You can monitor your spending from the Billing page in your dashboard.

We accept Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards through our secure payment processor. All transactions are encrypted and PCI-compliant.

Unused credits can be refunded within 14 days of purchase. If you experience downtime or technical issues caused by our infrastructure, affected users receive automatic credit for the downtime. Contact support@renderbox.space for refund requests.

If your credit balance reaches zero while a machine is running, the machine will be stopped automatically. Your files and machine state are preserved for 24 hours, giving you time to add more credits and resume. You will receive a low-balance warning before this happens.

We offer four tiers: Starter (RTX A4000, 16 GB VRAM) from ~$0.25/hr, Standard (RTX 4090, 24 GB VRAM) from ~$0.49/hr, Pro (L40S, 48 GB VRAM) from ~$0.99/hr, and Power (A100 80GB, 80 GB VRAM) from ~$1.99/hr. If you're not sure where to start, Starter is the cheapest way to try RenderBox. All plans include SSD storage, multiple vCPUs, and full root/sudo access to your machine.

Most machines are ready in under 60 seconds. Deployment time can vary slightly depending on region availability and the GPU tier you select. Once running, you receive your SSH connection details and Render Studio link immediately in your dashboard.

Yes. When you stop a machine, your files, installed packages, and environment are preserved for 24 hours. When you restart within that window, everything is exactly as you left it. After 24 hours, the machine is recycled and data is deleted. For persistent storage, we recommend backing up important files to an external cloud service.

All RenderBox machines run Linux with NVIDIA drivers and CUDA pre-installed, plus full root/sudo access via SSH. You have complete freedom to install any additional packages or software you need.

Two ways: SSH, using the connection command shown in your dashboard (ssh -p <port> user@<ip>), or Render Studio, our browser-based Jupyter environment that opens with one click — no setup required. Most people use SSH for scripting and package installs, and Render Studio for interactive notebook work.

SSH and Render Studio are both lightweight compared to video streaming — 10 Mbps is plenty for a responsive session. A wired Ethernet connection will give you more stable performance than Wi-Fi, but isn't required.

No. Render Studio runs entirely in your browser. If you prefer SSH, you already have a client built in on Mac, Linux, and modern Windows — there's nothing extra to download.

First, check that you have sufficient credit in your account. Then verify that the region you selected has available capacity by trying a different region. If the issue persists, check the RenderBox status page or contact support@renderbox.space.

Make sure your machine is in the Running state in your dashboard. Double-check the host, port, and username shown in your machine details — the port is specific to your instance and changes between deployments. Ensure your firewall or VPN isn't blocking outbound SSH traffic, and try connecting again a few seconds after the machine shows as Running.

If your software doesn't detect the GPU, run `nvidia-smi` over SSH to confirm the driver sees the card. If that comes back empty or errors, try reinstalling the NVIDIA drivers or restarting the machine. Contact support if the problem persists.