Request for GPU-Enabled VM Quota Increase for Azure Students

Question

Currently, the default student account has a quota limit of 3 vCPUs, which prevents students from creating GPU-based VMs, even if they have available credits. It would be highly beneficial if students could have the ability to set up VMs with 4 vCPUs and a maximum of 16GB of GPU memory. This would enable students to access more powerful resources needed for running certain applications.

At present, there are no GPU-based VMs available for student use, which makes it difficult for students to run software that requires advanced graphics capabilities. If possible, it would be great if low-end GPU-enabled VM series like NC6 or NV6ad could be made available to students.

Some software being used has specific hardware requirements, such as:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core i7-7700 or equivalent
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: At least 16 GB VRAM
• DirectX API support for accelerated build processing

This adjustment would help students meet these requirements and enable them to use the necessary tools more effectively. However, it's important to note that students should be mindful of their usage, as these resources would be limited and should be used carefully.

Since Azure support is not applicable and requires pay-as-you-go for quota increase requests, this request is shared here.

Thank you for considering this request!

Answer 1

Hi Devansh Mistry,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A Platform!

Thank you for your feedback and detailed request. We understand how important it is for students to have access to the right resources, like GPU-enabled virtual machines (VMs), to run demanding applications effectively.
At present, the Azure for Students account has some limits. As it allows maximum of 3 virtual CPUs, which means you cannot create VMs that use GPUs. To get access to GPU-enabled resources, you need to upgrade to a Pay-As-You-Go subscription, which may not be a practical option for many students.
You can always request a Quota Increase by upgrading to a Pay-As-You-Go subscription if permissible. This would allow you to request quota increases via Azure Support.

We recommend submitting this feature request directly via the Azure Feedback Portal (https://feedback.azure.com). The product team will get to know your need for resources for student accounts.

If you have any further queries, please do let us know. If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and "Upvote it."