Target audience (Click to show)
1. Linux/Windows dual boot users
2. Users running virtual machines (VM)
3. Xen hypervisor users
4. VMware users
5. kvm users
6. Geeks interested in virtualization technology
7. IT/Computer professionals
Introduction (Click to show)
Those of you upgrading or building a new system with virtualization in mind - specifically PCI or VGA passthrough - should pay close attention as to which motherboard supports VT-d (NOT to be confused with VTx).
Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (or VT-d) provides the virtual machine manager (for example Xen) with the following capabilities:
I/O device assignment
DMA remapping
Interrupt remapping
These are needed to give a virtual machine direct access to a PCI device, without going through the underlying host. The PCI device can, for example, be a graphics card, a SATA controller, or a USB host.
Using for example a Xen hypervisor with VT-d enabled hardware allows you to build a system with 2 or more virtual machines (VM) where each VM can be assigned to a different graphics adapter/GPU for (near-)native graphics performance within the VM. Here some application examples:
1. Linux host (dom0) for everyday use with Windows gaming VM (domU)
2. Windows gaming rig (VM) and a virtual HTPC (another VM) running on a Xen hypervisor
3. Windows 7 graphics workstation (VM) running on a Xen hypervisor with Linux dom0
4. 2-seat gaming PC running 2 Windows VMs
Requirements (Click to show)
In order to use VT-d, you need the following hardware components:
1. A VT-d compatible motherboard and chipset (see below)
2. A motherboard BIOS release that supports VT-d
3. A CPU that supports VT-d (some older CPUs don't have an integrated memory controller, in which case VT-d support is entirely up to the motherboard/chipset)
4. A passthrough capable graphics adapter for VGA passthrough - see also xen-vga-passthrough-compatible-graphics-adapters
VT-d compatible motherboards
Intel desktop motherboards supporting VT-d
http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-030922.htm*
* Scroll down to "The following Intel® Desktop Boards support Intel VT with Directed I/O:"
Here a summary of the VT-d compatible Intel desktop motherboards as of December 14, 2012 (see link above for updated information):
X79 chipset: DX79SI, DX79SR, DX79TO
H77, Q77, Z77 chipsets: DH77DF, DH77EB, DH77KC, DQ77CP, DQ77KB, DQ77MK, DZ77BH-55K, DZ77GA-70K, DZ77RE-75K, DZ77SL-50K
B75, Z75 chipsets: DB75EN, DZ75ML-45K
Q67 chipset: DQ67EP, DQ67OW, DQ67SW
H61 chipset: DH61AGL
Q57 chipset: DQ57TM, DQ57TML
Q45 chipset: DQ45CB, DQ45EK
Q35 chipset: DQ35JO, DQ35MP
Asrock motherboards supporting VT-d
Asrock Z77 Extreme6 with BIOS 2.40 (see http://www.overclock.net/t/1205216/guide-create-a-gaming-virtual-machine/520#post_19281245)
Asrock Z77 Extreme4 (see here)
Asrock H61M-VS R2.0 (see here)
Asrock Z77E-ITX with BIOS 1.40 (see here and here)
See next post!
Remarks:
Some Asrock motherboard BIOS releases are NOT supporting VT-d. Please check the vendor site under BIOS updates, and if in doubt, contact the vendor.
Examples:
ASRock Z77E-ITX - BIOS 1.60 breaks VT-d, but BIOS 1.70 again supports VT-d.
ASRock Z77 Extreme6 - BIOS P2.30 breaks VT-d, but there is a report that BIOS P2.40 enables it. Best to verify with vendor.
ASUS motherboards supporting VT-d
Note: ASUS officially does not support Linux on their desktop motherboards. It has been reported that BIOS upgrades can disable VT-d support, and ASUS may or may not fix this.
ASUS Sabertooth X79 with BIOS 1203 - Marvell SATA controller needs to be disabled in BIOS (see here and here). Warning: As of this writing there is no confirmation that any later BIOS releases support VT-d. New m/b will most likely ship with 2xxx BIOS releases that may not support VT-d!
Edited by powerhouse - 4/19/13 at 11:51pm
1. Linux/Windows dual boot users
2. Users running virtual machines (VM)
3. Xen hypervisor users
4. VMware users
5. kvm users
6. Geeks interested in virtualization technology
7. IT/Computer professionals
Those of you upgrading or building a new system with virtualization in mind - specifically PCI or VGA passthrough - should pay close attention as to which motherboard supports VT-d (NOT to be confused with VTx).
Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (or VT-d) provides the virtual machine manager (for example Xen) with the following capabilities:
I/O device assignment
DMA remapping
Interrupt remapping
These are needed to give a virtual machine direct access to a PCI device, without going through the underlying host. The PCI device can, for example, be a graphics card, a SATA controller, or a USB host.
Using for example a Xen hypervisor with VT-d enabled hardware allows you to build a system with 2 or more virtual machines (VM) where each VM can be assigned to a different graphics adapter/GPU for (near-)native graphics performance within the VM. Here some application examples:
1. Linux host (dom0) for everyday use with Windows gaming VM (domU)
2. Windows gaming rig (VM) and a virtual HTPC (another VM) running on a Xen hypervisor
3. Windows 7 graphics workstation (VM) running on a Xen hypervisor with Linux dom0
4. 2-seat gaming PC running 2 Windows VMs
In order to use VT-d, you need the following hardware components:
1. A VT-d compatible motherboard and chipset (see below)
2. A motherboard BIOS release that supports VT-d
3. A CPU that supports VT-d (some older CPUs don't have an integrated memory controller, in which case VT-d support is entirely up to the motherboard/chipset)
4. A passthrough capable graphics adapter for VGA passthrough - see also xen-vga-passthrough-compatible-graphics-adapters
VT-d compatible motherboards
Intel desktop motherboards supporting VT-d
http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-030922.htm*
* Scroll down to "The following Intel® Desktop Boards support Intel VT with Directed I/O:"
Here a summary of the VT-d compatible Intel desktop motherboards as of December 14, 2012 (see link above for updated information):
X79 chipset: DX79SI, DX79SR, DX79TO
H77, Q77, Z77 chipsets: DH77DF, DH77EB, DH77KC, DQ77CP, DQ77KB, DQ77MK, DZ77BH-55K, DZ77GA-70K, DZ77RE-75K, DZ77SL-50K
B75, Z75 chipsets: DB75EN, DZ75ML-45K
Q67 chipset: DQ67EP, DQ67OW, DQ67SW
H61 chipset: DH61AGL
Q57 chipset: DQ57TM, DQ57TML
Q45 chipset: DQ45CB, DQ45EK
Q35 chipset: DQ35JO, DQ35MP
Asrock motherboards supporting VT-d
Asrock Z77 Extreme6 with BIOS 2.40 (see http://www.overclock.net/t/1205216/guide-create-a-gaming-virtual-machine/520#post_19281245)
Asrock Z77 Extreme4 (see here)
Asrock H61M-VS R2.0 (see here)
Asrock Z77E-ITX with BIOS 1.40 (see here and here)
See next post!
Remarks:
Some Asrock motherboard BIOS releases are NOT supporting VT-d. Please check the vendor site under BIOS updates, and if in doubt, contact the vendor.
Examples:
ASRock Z77E-ITX - BIOS 1.60 breaks VT-d, but BIOS 1.70 again supports VT-d.
ASRock Z77 Extreme6 - BIOS P2.30 breaks VT-d, but there is a report that BIOS P2.40 enables it. Best to verify with vendor.
ASUS motherboards supporting VT-d
Note: ASUS officially does not support Linux on their desktop motherboards. It has been reported that BIOS upgrades can disable VT-d support, and ASUS may or may not fix this.
ASUS Sabertooth X79 with BIOS 1203 - Marvell SATA controller needs to be disabled in BIOS (see here and here). Warning: As of this writing there is no confirmation that any later BIOS releases support VT-d. New m/b will most likely ship with 2xxx BIOS releases that may not support VT-d!
Edited by powerhouse - 4/19/13 at 11:51pm
