# Run Real-ESRGAN

Makes small or blurry images and video sharp and four times larger. Ready in about 90 seconds on an RTX 4090, from $0.45/hr. No install, no code.

## What it does

Real-ESRGAN enlarges an image or a video frame and invents the missing detail as it goes, so the result looks sharp rather than stretched.

It is the standard tool for rescuing footage and photos that are too small to use: old client assets, phone video, scanned prints, screenshots, and stills pulled from compressed video.

It works on batches. Point it at four hundred files and it processes all of them without you touching anything.

## Your setup

We run Real-ESRGAN on an RTX 4090 with 24GB of memory, at $0.45 per hour, billed by the minute. It takes about 3 minutes per minute of footage.

Upscaling is a memory bandwidth problem more than a compute problem. Each frame has to be read, expanded four times in each direction, and written back. The RTX 4090 has the bandwidth to keep the pipeline full at 4K without tiling the frame into pieces, and tiling is what makes cheaper cards slow and occasionally leaves visible seams.

## What it costs

60 minutes of footage takes about 3 hours of GPU time, which is about $1.35.

## Two ways to run it

- **Open the app.** Drag one file in, see the before and after side by side, adjust the strength.
- **Run a batch job.** Upload a folder or connect a drive. We upscale everything and return a zip. This is the right mode for anything over about twenty files.

## Model facts

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Parameters | 17M |
| License | BSD 3-Clause |
| Memory required | 6GB minimum |
| Base model | ESRGAN, retrained on synthetic degradations |
| Publisher | Tencent ARC |
| Recommended hardware | RTX 4090, 24GB |
| Category | [Image generation](https://gpuvault.io/working-on/image-generation/) |

## Questions people ask

### Will upscaling make my footage look fake?

It can if you push it. Real-ESRGAN invents detail, and on faces that sometimes reads as plastic. The workspace defaults to a moderate setting that holds up on most footage, and there is a separate face-restoration model, CodeFormer, that handles faces better. For anything with people close to camera, run both and compare before committing a whole batch.

### How much does it cost to upscale an hour of video?

About $1.35. An hour of footage takes roughly three hours of GPU time on an RTX 4090 at $0.45 per hour. Use the calculator above to check your own footage length. Batch jobs shut the GPU off the moment the last frame is written, so you pay for processing time and nothing else.

### Do I need to install anything to use Real-ESRGAN?

No. We start a machine with Real-ESRGAN already loaded and hand you a link. Everything runs in your browser, there is nothing to download, and nothing is left on your computer afterwards. It works the same on a Mac, a Windows laptop, or a Chromebook. A workspace is usually ready in about 90 seconds.

### How much does it cost to run 60 minutes of footage?

About $1.35. Real-ESRGAN takes about 3 minutes per minute of footage on the RTX 4090 we recommend, so 60 minutes of footage is roughly 3 hours of GPU time at $0.45 per hour. Billing is by the minute, and a batch job shuts the GPU off the moment the last item finishes. The calculator above works this out for your own numbers.

### Can I run Real-ESRGAN on a cheaper card?

Sometimes, and the calculator will not always make it look worth it. Upscaling is a memory bandwidth problem more than a compute problem. Each frame has to be read, expanded four times in each direction, and written back. The RTX 4090 has the bandwidth to keep the pipeline full at 4K without tiling the frame into pieces, and tiling is what makes cheaper cards slow and occasionally leaves visible seams. If you want to try a different card anyway, the advanced catalog lets you pick one and shows the estimated time before you commit.

### Can I use Real-ESRGAN commercially?

Yes. Real-ESRGAN is released under the BSD 3-Clause license, which permits commercial use with no conditions worth worrying about. You can use the output in paid client work and in products you sell.

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*Source: https://gpuvault.io/model/real-esrgan/ — GPUVault, GPU rental by the minute.*