NVIDIA GRID licensing and GPU operating modes

GRID is a specialized NVIDIA driver that enables Tesla GPUs. Originally designed only for compute workloads to support graphics-intensive tasks such as:

• Running 3D applications;
• Playing games;
• Using an interactive Windows desktop.

Important: The GRID driver works only with Tesla GPUs. It does not support RTX graphic cards, as they natively operate in graphics mode using standard drivers.

GPU Operating Modes: TCC vs. WDDM

• WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model) – graphics mode required for desktop display, DirectX, and OpenGL;
• TCC (Tesla Compute Cluster) – pure compute mode optimized for workloads like AI training, headless rendering, and high-performance computing.

By default, when using GRID on our platform, GPUs operate in WDDM mode.

To switch GPU mode, run the following command as administrator:

nvidia-smi -g {GPU_ID} -dm {0|1}

• dm 0 → switch to WDDM (graphics mode);
• dm 1 → switch to TCC (compute mode)/

Note: Mode changes require a server reboot to take effect.

GRID Licensing Setup

When installing the GRID driver manually, configure the license server as follows:

• Server address: licenses.immers.cloud
• Port: 7070

Our license server is stable and available to all immers.cloud customers using NVIDIA GRID.