AWS Deep Learning AMIs
AMIs with deep learning frameworks
Prebuilt AMIs for EC2 with deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow…), NVIDIA drivers, CUDA, and the Neuron SDK installed, so you can launch training/inference machines right away.
- Cost$ Low
- Difficulty●●●●●
- Costs money when idle?No
- Self-managed
Think of it asLike a computer that comes with all the software preinstalled: plug it in and start working.
When to use it
✓ Use it when
You manage your own GPU/Trainium EC2 instances for training or experiments and want to skip the setup step.
✗ Avoid it when
You don't want to manage servers → SageMaker AI; running on containers → Deep Learning Containers.
Common uses
- Quickly spin up a GPU machine to experiment with models
- Distributed training on EC2
- Run on Trainium/Inferentia with Neuron
What does it cost?
- Pricing model: The AMI itself is free; you pay for EC2 and EBS as usual.
⚠️ Cost traps
GPU instances billed hourly are very expensive if you forget to shut them down.
