SkyRig

Setting Up Your Cloud PC

Last updated: October 21, 2025

Overview

SkyRig makes it easy to create and manage high-performance cloud PCs for gaming, content creation, and professional workloads. This guide will walk you through the entire process from creating your first instance to connecting and managing it.

Before You Start

Minimum Balance Requirement

You need a balance of at least double the hourly cost of your instance to create it. For example, if your instance costs $1.00/hour, you need at least $2.00 in your account. This ensures you have sufficient funds to cover usage.

You can add credits to your account at any time from the billing dashboard. Unused credits roll over indefinitely.

Step 1: Choose Your GPU

SkyRig offers two tiers of GPUs to match your needs and budget:

Datacentre GPUs

Enterprise-grade reliability with Datacentre GPUs like the Nvidia Tesla T4 (similar to RTX 2060) and Nvidia A10G (similar to RTX 3080).

  • Starting at $0.89/hour
  • Maximum uptime and stability
  • Available in Oregon (soon to expand)
  • Great for gaming and professional work

RTX GPUs

Gaming-optimized GeForce RTX cards including RTX 3090, 4080, 4090, and 5090 for maximum gaming performance.

  • Starting at $0.26/hour
  • Best gaming performance
  • Multiple locations available
  • Cost-effective for gaming

Step 2: Configure Your Instance

After selecting your GPU, configure the resources for your cloud PC:

vCPU Cores

Choose the number of virtual CPU cores. For gaming, 4-8 cores is typically sufficient. For content creation or streaming, consider 8+ cores.

RAM

Select your RAM amount. 16GB is good for most games, 32GB for multitasking or demanding titles, and 64GB for professional workloads.

Storage

Minimum 100GB required. Consider your game library size - modern AAA games can be 50-150GB each. Storage is billed hourly even when your instance is stopped.

Tip: For Datacentre GPUs (Oregon), we automatically match your CPU and RAM preferences to an available configuration. For RTX locations, you have full control over exact specifications.

Step 3: Set Your Password

Your Windows password setup depends on which tier you choose:

Datacentre GPUs (Oregon)

We automatically generate a secure Administrator password. After your instance launches, open the instance page and click "Show Administrator Password" to decrypt and view it. The password is encrypted and only decrypted on demand.

RTX GPUs

You set your own Windows password during instance creation. Choose a strong password - Make sure not to forget it, as you'll use this to connect via RDP or other remote desktop tools.

Step 4: Create Your Instance

Once you've configured everything:

  1. Review the estimated hourly cost in the summary panel
  2. Ensure you have sufficient balance (at least 2x the hourly cost)
  3. Click "Create Instance"
  4. Your cloud PC will be ready in 30 seconds to a few minutes

Operating Systems: Datacentre GPUs run Windows Server 2025, while RTX instances run Windows 10. Both provide full desktop experiences with administrator access.

Step 5: Connect to Your Cloud PC

SkyRig supports multiple connection methods. Choose the one that works best for you. We go more into detail about connecting to your instance here.

Parsec (Recommended for Gaming)

Parsec offers the lowest latency and best gaming experience.

  1. Download Parsec from parsec.app
  2. Install on both your local device and cloud PC
  3. Connect using RDP first to install Parsec on your cloud PC
  4. Sign in to Parsec on both devices and connect

RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol)

Built into Windows, good for initial setup and general use.

  1. Open Remote Desktop Connection on your Windows PC (or download Windows app on Mac/mobile)
  2. Enter your cloud PC's IP address from the instance page
  3. Username: Administrator (Datacentre) or User (RTX)
  4. Enter your password when prompted

Steam Remote Play

Ideal if you primarily use Steam. Steam is preinstalled on Datacentre Cloud PCs, sign in, and use Steam's built-in streaming to connect from your local device.

Managing Your Instance

Access your instance management from the dashboard. Click on any instance to view details and controls:

Start

Powers on your cloud PC. Billing begins immediately at the full hourly rate.

Stop

Shuts down your cloud PC. You'll only be charged for storage while stopped (approximately $0.00014/GB-hour for Datacentre, $0.0001/GB-hour for RTX).

Delete

Permanently removes your instance and all data. Billing stops immediately. This action cannot be undone.

Billing Tip: Always stop your instance when not in use to minimize costs. You're billed per minute at the hourly rate, so even short sessions are cost-effective.

Understanding Pricing

SkyRig uses transparent pay-as-you-go pricing with no subscriptions or tiers:

  • When Running: You pay the full hourly rate (compute + GPU + storage)
  • When Stopped: You only pay for storage (very minimal cost)
  • Billing Frequency: Charged per minute, priced per hour
  • Datacentre Tier: Includes outbound data transfer costs
  • No Hidden Fees: What you see in the estimate is what you pay

View your current balance and usage at any time from the billing dashboard.

Troubleshooting

Insufficient Balance Error

You need at least double the hourly cost in your balance, and you always need atleast $1 in your balance (Eg. an instance is $0.30/hour, you need $1.60 in your balance). Add credits from the billing page and try again.

GPU Unavailable

GPU availability changes in real-time. Try a different location or GPU type, or check back later. Our AI assistant can check current availability for you.

Password Not Ready (Datacentre)

Datacentre instances may take 5-15 minutes after first boot for the password to become available. Wait a few minutes and try clicking "Show Administrator Password" again.

Can't Connect

Ensure your instance is running (green status). Check that you're using the correct IP address and password. For RDP, verify your using the RDP IP adress.

Next Steps

Now that your cloud PC is set up:

  • Install your favorite games from Steam, Epic Games Store, or other platforms
  • Set up Parsec for the best gaming experience
  • Install any software you need - you have full administrator access
  • Remember to stop your instance when not in use to save costs

Need More Help?

Our AI assistant is available 24/7 in the dashboard chat widget, or you can contact human support at support@skyrig.cloud.