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Get your first H100 or H200 GPU instance running on Hyperbolic in just 5 minutes. This guide walks you through account setup, funding, SSH configuration, and launching your first enterprise-grade GPU cluster.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

SSH Key Pair

Required for secure instance access. We’ll show you how to create one if needed.

Terminal Access

Basic command line familiarity for SSH connections and running commands.

Step 1: Create Your Account

1

Sign Up

Visit app.hyperbolic.ai and create your account using:
  • Email address
  • Google OAuth
  • GitHub OAuth
2

Verify Email

Check your inbox for a verification email and click the link to activate your account.

Step 2: Generate & Add SSH Key

SSH keys are required for instance access. Password authentication is disabled for security.

Generate a new SSH key

# Generate ED25519 key (recommended)
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

# Or generate RSA key (legacy)
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "[email protected]"

Copy your public key

# For ED25519
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

# For RSA
cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Add SSH Key to Hyperbolic

  1. Go to Account Settings
  2. Navigate to “SSH Keys” section
  3. Paste your public key
  4. Click the “Save” button on bottom right

Step 3: Fund Your Account

Add credits to rent GPUs. New users get $10 free, but you can add more for extended usage.
  1. Go to Billing
  2. Click “Add Funds”
  3. Enter amount of credits you want to add
  4. Click “Pay Now”
  5. Complete payment via Stripe
Credit card payments are processed instantly and securely via Stripe.

Step 4: Choose Your GPU

Browse available GPUs and select based on your needs:

GPU Selection Guide

Use CaseRecommended GPUPriceWhy
Model DevelopmentH100 80GB$1.49/hrIndustry standard for AI development
Production TrainingH100 80GB$1.49/hrFast training, reliable performance
Large Models (70B+)H200 141GB$2.49/hrMaximum memory for huge models
Distributed TrainingH100 + InfiniBand$1.99/hrMulti-node clusters with fast interconnect
Ultra-Large ModelsH200 + InfiniBand$2.99/hrNext-gen performance for cutting-edge AI

Browse On-Demand GPUs

View real-time GPU availability and pricing

Step 5: Launch Your First Instance

Quick Launch (Web UI)

1

Select GPU

  1. Go to Hyperbolic
  2. Filter by GPU type, price, or region
  3. Click on an available GPU listing
2

Configure Instance

  • Storage: Add if needed (optional)
  • Label: Name your instance (optional)
3

Launch

  1. Review configuration and pricing
  2. Click “Start Building”
  3. Instance launches in less than 20 minutes
  4. Copy the SSH connection string

Step 6: Connect to Your Instance

Once your instance is running, connect via SSH:
# Basic connection
ssh ubuntu@<instance-ip>

# With specific key file
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 ubuntu@<instance-ip>

First Commands to Run

# Check GPU status
nvidia-smi

# Check CUDA version
nvcc --version

# Check available disk space
df -h

# Check Python and pip
python3 --version
pip3 --version

# Monitor GPU usage in real-time
watch -n 1 nvidia-smi

Step 7: Start Building

Quick Examples

# train.py
import torch
import torch.nn as nn
from torch.utils.data import DataLoader

# Check GPU availability
device = torch.device('cuda' if torch.cuda.is_available() else 'cpu')
print(f"Using device: {device}")

# Your model
model = YourModel().to(device)

# Training loop
for epoch in range(num_epochs):
    for batch in dataloader:
        inputs, labels = batch
        inputs, labels = inputs.to(device), labels.to(device)
        # Training code here
Run with:
python3 train.py

Managing Your Instance

Monitor Usage

Check your instance status and billing:
# On the instance - check GPU utilization
nvidia-smi

# Check running processes
ps aux | grep python

# Monitor system resources
htop

Save Your Work

Always save your work regularly to persistent storage or cloud backups!
# Save to persistent storage
cp -r /workspace/results /mnt/storage/

# Upload to cloud storage
aws s3 cp model.pth s3://your-bucket/models/

# Push to git
git add .
git commit -m "Save checkpoint"
git push

Stop or Terminate

  1. Go to My Instances
  2. Find your running instance
  3. Click “Terminate”

Common Issues & Solutions

If you’re still experiencing issues after trying these solutions, please contact us at [email protected] or use the Intercom chat widget in the bottom-right corner for immediate assistance.

Connection Issues

Problem: SSH key not recognizedSolution:
# Check you're using the right key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/correct_key ubuntu@<ip>

# Verify key is added to account
# Go to app.hyperbolic.ai/settings
Problem: Cannot reach instanceSolution:
  • Check instance is running in dashboard
  • Verify IP address is correct
  • Check firewall/security group settings
  • Try different region if persistent
Problem: SSH host key changedSolution:
# Remove old host key
ssh-keygen -R <instance-ip>

# Then reconnect
ssh ubuntu@<instance-ip>

GPU Issues

Problem: GPU memory exhaustedSolution:
# Reduce batch size
batch_size = 16  # Lower this

# Use gradient accumulation
accumulation_steps = 4

# Clear cache
torch.cuda.empty_cache()

# Use mixed precision
from torch.cuda.amp import autocast
with autocast():
    output = model(input)
Problem: nvidia-smi shows no GPUsSolution:
# Check drivers
nvidia-smi

# Reinstall CUDA toolkit if needed
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-525

# Reboot instance
sudo reboot
Still need help? Our support team is available 24/7. Email [email protected] or click the chat widget for live assistance.

Best Practices

Optimize Usage

Monitor GPU utilization to ensure you’re getting the most from your H100/H200 instances.

Save Checkpoints

Regularly save model checkpoints and important data to persistent storage or cloud.

Monitor Usage

Use nvidia-smi and billing dashboard to track GPU utilization and costs.

Terminate When Done

Always terminate instances when finished to avoid unnecessary charges.

Next Steps

Need Help?

For additional support: