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Azure NVv4 was Microsoft’s all-AMD GPU virtual-machine family, announced on March 18, 2020 and initially scheduled for availability on April 1, 2020. It paired AMD EPYC Rome processors with Radeon Instinct MI25 accelerators and let customers consume as little as one-eighth of a physical GPU. Microsoft has scheduled the family’s retirement for September 30, 2026, so NVv4 is now primarily a legacy and migration subject rather than a sensible choice for a new long-term deployment.
Current status: Microsoft’s retirement notice covers the MI25-based NVv4 sizes listed below. Existing workloads need a tested replacement before the retirement date.
What Microsoft announced in 2020
The March 2020 announcement introduced Azure NVv4 as an Azure virtual-machine family, not a physical server product or a consumer cloud-gaming service. Its notable feature was an all-AMD design: a server-class AMD processor combined with an AMD data-center GPU. The launch-era report said service would begin on April 1, 2020 in South Central US, East US and West Europe, with additional regions planned later. Those were launch-era regions, not a current availability guarantee; capacity and quota must be checked in the Azure portal or Microsoft’s regional listings.
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NVv4 hardware and configurations
NVv4 uses AMD EPYC 7V12 Rome CPUs and AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 GPUs. MI25 is a Vega-generation accelerator and should not be confused with newer Radeon Pro V710, Instinct MI300, or NVIDIA data-center hardware. Across the family, Microsoft lists these ranges:
| Resource | NVv4 range |
|---|---|
| vCPUs | 4 to 32 |
| Memory | 14 to 112 GiB |
| Local storage | 88 to 704 GiB |
| GPU allocation | One-eighth, one-quarter, one-half or a full MI25 |
| GPU frame buffer | 2 GiB at one-eighth allocation to 16 GiB with a full GPU |
See Microsoft’s NVv4 size documentation for the SKU-level values. The family supports Windows guest operating systems only according to that current documentation.
How fractional GPU allocation worked
NVv4 partitioned one physical MI25 between multiple virtual machines. A customer could select a VM with one-eighth of the GPU and 2 GiB of frame buffer, or scale to a complete GPU with 16 GiB. Azure’s secure hardware partitioning was intended to prevent one VM from accessing GPU resources assigned to another.
Fractional allocation reduced the entry point for graphics workloads that did not need a full accelerator. It did not turn each fraction into an independent physical GPU, and it did not provide the memory, throughput or isolation characteristics of a dedicated modern accelerator. The usable result depended on the selected fraction, vCPU and memory ratio, driver support, application behavior, regional capacity and quota.
Exact NVv4 SKUs
Microsoft’s retirement notice names these affected sizes:
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Standard_NV4as_v4Standard_NV4ahs_v4Standard_NV8as_v4Standard_NV8ahs_v4Standard_NV16as_v4Standard_NV16ahs_v4Standard_NV32as_v4Standard_NV32ahs_v4
NV4, NV8, NV16 and NV32 indicate increasing resource tiers. The as_v4 and ahs_v4 suffixes identify SKU variants; do not infer exact memory, disk, networking or GPU values from the name. Use Microsoft’s SKU table.
Who NVv4 was designed for
NVv4 targeted GPU-accelerated graphics rather than large modern AI training. Typical uses included:
- Windows virtual desktops and remote applications
- Remote workstations and visualization
- CAD and other professional graphics software
- Graphics workloads that benefited from a partial GPU
- Some smaller AI or compute jobs compatible with the MI25 and its software stack
Microsoft’s migration guidance specifically describes NVv4 as suitable for GPU-accelerated graphics applications and virtual desktops. Its 16 GiB maximum frame buffer, older Vega architecture and retirement status make it a poor framing choice for current large-language-model training.
Operating systems, drivers and application checks
Current Microsoft documentation lists Windows guests only. Do not assume Linux support because other Azure GPU families support Linux. Use an Azure-supported Windows image and the AMD driver validated for the selected virtualized GPU environment; a generic desktop driver may not provide the expected device, display or compute behavior.
Before production use, verify DirectX, OpenGL, OpenCL or other API requirements, remote-display behavior, user-session limits and application licensing. Near retirement, an old image or driver can also complicate migration to a newer AMD or NVIDIA stack.
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Retirement: September 30, 2026
Microsoft announced NVv4 retirement on April 15, 2025. The scheduled retirement date is September 30, 2026. One- and three-year reserved-instance purchases ended November 2, 2025, and Azure Compute PrePurchase sales ended June 2, 2026.
Under Microsoft’s retirement notice, remaining NVv4 VMs are deallocated after the retirement date, stop working and stop accruing VM charges, and no longer have an SLA or included support. Persistent managed disks are separate resources: deallocating a VM does not by itself eliminate disk data, so disks, snapshots and backups need their own migration plan. See the NVv4 retirement notice and Azure retired-sizes list.
Microsoft-listed migration candidates
| Workload | Microsoft-listed candidates |
|---|---|
| Small AI workloads, including SLM inference and semantic search | NVads_V710_v5; NVadsA10_v5 |
| Graphics, virtual desktops and visualization | NVads_V710_v5; NVadsA10_v5; NGads_V620 |
| Gaming | NGads_V620 |
Microsoft describes NVads_V710_v5 as using AMD Radeon Pro V710 GPUs and AMD EPYC 9V64F Genoa processors, with up to one GPU, 24 GB of GPU memory, up to 28 multithreaded EPYC cores and 160 GiB of system memory. These are candidates, not drop-in equivalents. GPU architecture, drivers, memory, CPU-to-GPU ratio, licensing, regional capacity, price and application compatibility can all change.
NVadsA10_v5 uses NVIDIA hardware and therefore has a different driver and software ecosystem. NGads_V620 is particularly associated with gaming and may require separate validation for enterprise desktops, CAD or AI inference. Microsoft’s retirement page is the authoritative source for these recommendations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Migration procedure for existing deployments
- Inventory the workload. Record the exact NVv4 SKU, Windows image, GPU driver, application APIs, user concurrency, disks, networking, licensing and performance targets.
- Select a target series and SKU. Match GPU memory, display or compute APIs, CPU capacity and session requirements rather than choosing by product name alone.
- Check capacity and request quota. Confirm the target SKU exists in the region and obtain the required regional VM-family quota before scheduling a change.
- Protect recoverability. Capture the VM configuration, back up or snapshot important persistent disks, and document a rollback or rebuild plan. Treat temporary disks as non-persistent.
- Resize and validate. Follow Microsoft’s resize procedure, install the target driver, then test applications, remote display, licensing, networking, storage and measured performance.
- Handle the NVads_V710_v5 resize issue if it occurs. Microsoft documents a known resize error for some NVv4-to-NVads_V710_v5 moves. Its workaround is to register the subscription for the
VMTempDiskResizePreviewAzure feature and confirm registration before retrying. - Complete the cutover. Schedule a maintenance window, monitor the first production sessions and review billing after the resize.
A resize is not guaranteed between every SKU pair and may require stopping or deallocating the VM. Test AMD- and NVIDIA-dependent applications separately; a newer GPU can still produce a regression when its driver, display stack or CPU/GPU ratio differs.
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Pricing and buying considerations
There is no universal NVv4 price: Azure pricing varies by region, Windows licensing, billing model and capacity. Use the Azure pricing calculator and Virtual Machines pricing page for a specific configuration. Microsoft’s pricing page may advertise a $200 Azure credit for 30 days; promotional terms can change and should be verified at signup.
For remote-desktop deployments, Azure Virtual Desktop may provide the service layer, but it does not replace decisions about host-pool design, identity, profiles, applications, GPU sizing or licensing. Quota, capacity or retirement problems can be escalated through Azure support, but support cannot substitute for compatibility testing.
Bottom line
NVv4 mattered in 2020 because it brought AMD EPYC Rome, Radeon Instinct MI25 and secure fractional-GPU allocation to Azure virtual machines. In 2026 it is an aging, Windows-only family scheduled for retirement on September 30. Keep an existing deployment only long enough to migrate safely; choose a supported replacement family for new work and validate the workload rather than treating NVads_V710_v5, NVadsA10_v5 or NGads_V620 as automatic upgrades.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NVv4 support Linux guests?
Microsoft’s current NVv4 documentation lists Windows guest operating systems only. Confirm the supported image and driver for any replacement family separately.
Can a new production application still use NVv4?
NVv4 is scheduled for retirement on September 30, 2026, so it is not a sensible long-term choice. New deployments should target a supported successor after compatibility and capacity testing.
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