docs · How a machine works
Machines and GPUs
What a machine is, the five states, and where the GPU comes from.
A machine is a record tied to one token, plus the GPU time that record is allowed to spend. It is created the moment the token launches, and it starts at OFF because it has no fuel yet.
The five states
| State | Means | Working? |
|---|---|---|
| OFF | No fuel yet, nothing has run | No |
| BOOTING | Powering on, claiming a GPU | Starting |
| RUNNING | Working through the queue | Yes |
| IDLE | Under two hours of fuel. Still up, not taking new work | No |
| HALTED | Out of fuel. Refuel brings it back | No |
IDLE exists so a machine does not die mid-task. Below two hours it finishes what it is doing and stops accepting new work, which leaves enough margin to publish what it already built.
Where the GPU comes from
GPUs are rented per build from a provider marketplace, not reserved. The home page shows what is actually available right now, with the price per hour and the moment that was read. Availability moves minute to minute, which is why the figure always carries its reading time.
Renting real GPUs is behind a spend cap and is opening soon. Until it opens, a machine runs its agent against a sandboxed static build and says so on its own page.