9. Airgpu
Availability
Airgpu is another service that lets you rent another PC to maximize its GPU capabilities. While it also advertises its use for rendering, video editing, and other graphically intensive tasks, it should also allow you to run your own game library without being constrained to a set list. It’s available on iPhone, though you can get it running on any Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, or ChromeOS device.
However, you also have to consider setup. You’ll need to know more about what kinds of performance you’d normally get from a particular GPU, CPU, and RAM.
Game Library
This will all depend on the individual’s ability to import their own game library. However, since Airgpu offers a whole smattering of different GPUs, you might be able to run some games that do better on AMD or Nvidia graphics cards if you’re absolutely determined to maximize framerates. You should be able to install any software you find on a PC, including Steam, Epic Games Store, or whatever you have.
Pricing
This is where things can get extra complicated and extra costly. Airgpu offers five different GPUs to stream, and each comes at a different base price point where costs rack up per hour. If you want an Nvidia RTX A4000, which is equivalent to a GeForce RTX 3070, you’ll pay $1.10 per hour, whereas an RTX A5000, similar to an RTX 3080, will go for $1.55. An AMD Radeon Pro W6800, similar to a Radeon RX 6800, will be $1.45 an hour instead.
If you’re not a voracious gamer, this price scheme could save you money in the long run. However, the price is also dictated by the location of servers and what PCs are available. The RTX 4000 would cost me $.75 an hour, while the A5000 would be $1.85.
Other Considerations
Then there are the other problems with such a freeform system. You need to bring over your own Windows 10 license to use the service, which will take up storage space on your foreign-rented PC. You may also end up paying extra for more storage space. The biggest kicker here is that you may only be able to procure up to 500 GB of SSD storage on a machine, which seems paltry if all you’re trying to do is create your dream cloud gaming PC.
