GPU-accelerated instances do not come with drivers pre-installed. To use your instance for computing workloads or graphics rendering, install the appropriate NVIDIA driver based on your instance family and use case.
Driver types
| Driver | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla driver | General-purpose computing: deep learning, AI, scientific computing | Supports GPU-accelerated compute-optimized instances (gn, ebm, scc series). Install manually or automatically from the NVIDIA website. |
| GRID driver | Graphics acceleration and rendering | Required for vGPU-accelerated instances. The standard NVIDIA GRID driver does not match vGPU-accelerated instances — use a community image or Cloud Assistant instead. |
Instances with A30 GPUs (such as gn7s) support only general-purpose computing scenarios (deep learning, AI, scientific computing). They do not support graphics acceleration and rendering.
Supported instance families
GPU-accelerated compute-optimized instances (gn, ebm, and scc series): See GPU-accelerated compute-optimized instance families (gn, ebm, and scc series).
vGPU-accelerated instances (vgn and sgn series): See vGPU-accelerated instance families (vgn and sgn series).
Installation guide by instance type
GPU-accelerated compute-optimized Linux instances
Supported GPUs: T4, A10, A30, A16, V100, P4, P100
Recommended driver: Tesla driver
| Method | When to use | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic installation at instance creation | Simplest setup — the driver installs automatically on first boot | Automatically install or load the Tesla driver when you create a GPU-accelerated instance |
| Manual installation after creation | Custom driver versions or existing instances | Manually install the Tesla driver on a GPU-accelerated compute-optimized Linux instance |
| YUM installation (Alibaba Cloud Linux 3) | Quick setup on Alibaba Cloud Linux 3 | Use YUM to quickly install the NVIDIA Tesla driver on a GPU-accelerated compute-optimized Alibaba Cloud Linux 3 instance |
GPU-accelerated compute-optimized Windows instances
Supported GPUs: T4, A10, A30, A16, V100, P4, P100
General-purpose computing
Recommended driver: Tesla driver
| Method | Guide |
|---|---|
| Manual installation after creation | Manually install the Tesla driver on a GPU-accelerated compute-optimized Windows instance |
Graphics acceleration and rendering
Supported instances: gn6i, gn7i, ebmgn6i, and ebmgn7i (T4 or A10 GPUs only)
Recommended driver: GRID driver version 15.2
| Method | Guide |
|---|---|
| Community image at instance creation | Load a GRID driver by using a community image pre-installed with the driver |
| Cloud Assistant after instance creation | Install the GRID driver on a GPU-accelerated compute-optimized or vGPU-accelerated Windows instance |
Free community images from Alibaba Cloud Marketplace come with the GRID driver pre-installed and the license activated. The driver loads automatically when you create the instance — no manual installation required.
vGPU-accelerated Linux and Windows instances
Supported instances: vgn6i-vws, sgn7i-vws, vgn7i-vws, and sgn8ia (T4 or A10 GPUs)
Recommended driver: GRID driver version 13.5
The standard NVIDIA GRID driver does not match vGPU-accelerated instances. Use a community image or Cloud Assistant instead.
| Method | OS | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Community image at instance creation | Linux and Windows | Load a GRID driver by using a community image pre-installed with the driver |
| Cloud Assistant after instance creation | Windows | Install the GRID driver on a GPU-accelerated compute-optimized or vGPU-accelerated Windows instance |
| Cloud Assistant after instance creation | Linux | Install the GRID driver on a vGPU-accelerated Linux instance |
Free community images from Alibaba Cloud Marketplace come with the GRID driver pre-installed and the license activated. The driver loads automatically when you create the instance — no manual installation required.
What's next
If your current driver version does not meet your requirements, or your instance is unavailable due to an incompatible driver, uninstall and reinstall, or upgrade the driver. See Uninstall the NVIDIA Tesla or GRID driver or Upgrade the NVIDIA Tesla or GRID driver.
If you encounter issues such as a black screen after installing a driver, see FAQ for troubleshooting guidance.