Note
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try signing in or changing directories.
Access to this page requires authorization. You can try changing directories.
On September 30, 2025, Microsoft Azure will retire the Standard_NC6s_v3, Standard_NC12s_v3, Standard_NC24s_v3, and Standard_NC24rs_v3 virtual machines (VMs) in NCv3-series virtual machines (VMs). To avoid any disruption to your service, we recommend that you change the VM sizing for your workloads from the current NCv3-series VMs to the newer VM series in the same NC product line.
Microsoft is recommending the Azure NCadsH100_v5-series VMs, which offer greater GPU memory bandwidth per GPU, improved accelerated networking capabilities, and larger and faster local solid state drives. These VMs are targeted for GPU accelerated midrange AI training, batch inferencing, and high-performance computing simulation workloads.
However, depending on the workload being run, regional affinity, and cost preferences, other VMs that may be migrated to from the NCv3-series VMs include NVadsA10_v5, NCasT4_v3, and NVadsV710_v5:
| Workload | Recommended SKU to Migrate to |
|---|---|
| High GPU compute workloads such as real-time inferencing and LLM inferencing. | NCadsH100_v5 which has the best inference per dollar value. |
| Offline inferencing workloads where latency is not the primary concern, and there is an interest in purchasing smaller VM SKUs or reducing costs. | NCasT4_v3 |
| Graphics, visualization, or small AI workloads where optimal performance is not a priority. | NVadsA10_v5, NVadsV710_v5 |
How does the retirement of the NCv3-series virtual machines affect me?
After September 30th, any remaining NCv3-series virtual machines (VMs) subscriptions will be set to a deallocated state. They'll stop working and no longer incur billing charges. NCv3 will no longer be under SLA or have support included.
Note
This retirement only impacts the virtual machine sizes in the original NCv3-series powered by NVIDIA V100 GPUs. This retirement announcement doesn't apply to NCasT4_v3, NC_A100_v4, and NCadsH100_v5 series virtual machines.
What action do I need to take before the retirement date?
You need to resize or deallocate your NCv3-series VMs. We recommend that you change VM sizes for these workloads from the original NCv3-series VMs to the NCadsH100_v5-series VMs (or an alternative).
The NCadsH100_v5-series is powered by NVIDIA H100 NVL GPU and 4th-generation AMD EPYC™ Genoa processors. The VMs feature up to 2 NVIDIA H100 NVL GPUs with 94GB memory each, up to 96 non-multithreaded AMD EPYC Genoa processor cores and 640 GiB of system memory. Check Azure Regions by Product page for region availability. Visit the Azure Virtual Machine pricing page for pricing information.
Steps to change VM size
- Choose a series and size. Refer to the above tables for Microsoft’s recommendation. You can also file a support request if more assistance is needed.
- Request quota for the new target VM.
- You can resize the virtual machine.
Help and support
If you have a support plan and you need technical help, create a support request.
- Under Issue type, select Technical.
- Under Subscription, select your subscription.
- Under Service, click My services.
- Under Service type, select Virtual Machine running Windows/Linux.
- Under Summary, enter the summary of your request.
- Under Problem type, select Assistance with resizing my VM.
- Under Problem subtype, select the option that applies to you.