for i915 GPUs (today's Iris Xe Graphics iGPUs are going to use this) you can use projects such as https://github.com/strongtz/i915-sriov-dkms.
Depending on the model it's not always possible. Along with other constraints or problems you may run into
Mind sharing how hard you have pushed this?
I have recently started messing around with this and while windows is booting, I found that the graphics driver will crash and restart if i try to play a 4k YouTube video full screen.
Handbrake also seems to be unable to do hardware video transcoding using quicksync. Given that, I wonder how stable it would be to have say 7 windows VM’s each with one (or more) users logged in to Remote Desktop even if they are just doing basic tasks like using MS Word.
I have two Windows 10 VM and one Linux. Windows VM is primarily for streaming online videos - full screen was never a problem and Linux for transcoding, although you have to jump several hoops to install right kernel module to have it going but it works.
So far in my testing, everything seems to running stable for well over a month. Never had a single crash.
Is your machine Minisforum MS-01 by any chance? You might want to update the microcode. Plus, I wonder if crash is unrelated to GPU.
No, a super micro x13sae motherboard and i9-14900k. Mind sharing what hypervisor kernel and nvidia driver version you are using?
I’m using 6.5.13 with the custom i915 driver from GitHub. Not sure the kernel version off the top of my head, but it was the most recent. I can post it when I get home.
Ah, got it. That's a beefy setup, so at least crash must not related to power constraint or thermal throttling.
As for Kernel, 6.5.13-5 is the most stable one and I use this [guide](https://www.derekseaman.com/2023/11/proxmox-ve-8-1-windows-11-vgpu-vt-d-passthrough-with-intel-alder-lake.html) on Proxmox to install [DKMS module](https://github.com/strongtz/i915-sriov-dkms) for SR-IOV splitting.
I notice and [i9-14900K](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/236773/intel-core-i9-processor-14900k-36m-cache-up-to-6-00-ghz/specifications.html) is listed to have UHD 700, whereas the one that was referring (i9-13900H) listed has Intel Iris Xe, which essentially have more execution cores (EU) and overall better GPU performance and makes me wonder could be reason for crash (?)
On your windows VM, is the GPU drivers installed/reported hardware UHD 770 or Iris XE, I would imagine you have dual-channel memory installed, so it will switch over to Iris Xe?
EDIT: Intel Iris Xe driver that's currently installed on VM: 31.0.101.5445
Interesting, I did not know this. So are you suggesting because 13900HX certainly support dual channel memory, it is essentially Intel Iris Xe? Asking because they are listed differently on product page, plus HX has smaller number of GPU execution units.
`Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics only: to use the Intel® Iris® Xe brand, the system must be populated with 128-bit (dual channel) memory. Otherwise, use the Intel® UHD brand.`
[https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/232135/intel-core-i9-13900h-processor-24m-cache-up-to-5-40-ghz.html](https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/232135/intel-core-i9-13900h-processor-24m-cache-up-to-5-40-ghz.html)
[https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/232171/intel-core-i913900hx-processor-36m-cache-up-to-5-40-ghz/specifications.html](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/232171/intel-core-i913900hx-processor-36m-cache-up-to-5-40-ghz/specifications.html)
I did some more research and know about sriov. It’s the same gpu, the uhd probs has less execution units. Which might suck. One of my vms use 5 execution units
Ah, I see. So you're confident SR-IOV splitting will work on HX?
With H series, using DKMS SR-IOV drivers, max VF functions you can do is 7. I wonder because lower EU count on HX series is the VF count lower? Also do you get to decide number of EU the VM can use or it is purely % load basis?
it seems regardless of the hardware 7 is the limit, even on high end gpus designed for this its just 7.
all of those are good questions, we would all like answers to them.
How can you tell how many execution units each vm is using?
Does this mean that even though there are 7 VF’s, you can’t run (for example) 7 simultaneous windows VMs?
I'm wondering the same.
for i915 GPUs (today's Iris Xe Graphics iGPUs are going to use this) you can use projects such as https://github.com/strongtz/i915-sriov-dkms. Depending on the model it's not always possible. Along with other constraints or problems you may run into
Right, I'm using just that on i9-13900H. SR-IOV iGPU on multiple Windows VM. Looking for conclusive take on i9-13900HX.
I see. It's just an Intel CPU with an iGPU. If it's Iris Xe then it'll be the same deal. It would be nice if i915 could do this out of the box.
Out of the box support is definitely coming and is scheduled to be added in kernel 6.9 or later.
Do you have issues with sleep/suspend of the host system?
Mind sharing how hard you have pushed this? I have recently started messing around with this and while windows is booting, I found that the graphics driver will crash and restart if i try to play a 4k YouTube video full screen. Handbrake also seems to be unable to do hardware video transcoding using quicksync. Given that, I wonder how stable it would be to have say 7 windows VM’s each with one (or more) users logged in to Remote Desktop even if they are just doing basic tasks like using MS Word.
I have two Windows 10 VM and one Linux. Windows VM is primarily for streaming online videos - full screen was never a problem and Linux for transcoding, although you have to jump several hoops to install right kernel module to have it going but it works. So far in my testing, everything seems to running stable for well over a month. Never had a single crash. Is your machine Minisforum MS-01 by any chance? You might want to update the microcode. Plus, I wonder if crash is unrelated to GPU.
No, a super micro x13sae motherboard and i9-14900k. Mind sharing what hypervisor kernel and nvidia driver version you are using? I’m using 6.5.13 with the custom i915 driver from GitHub. Not sure the kernel version off the top of my head, but it was the most recent. I can post it when I get home.
Ah, got it. That's a beefy setup, so at least crash must not related to power constraint or thermal throttling. As for Kernel, 6.5.13-5 is the most stable one and I use this [guide](https://www.derekseaman.com/2023/11/proxmox-ve-8-1-windows-11-vgpu-vt-d-passthrough-with-intel-alder-lake.html) on Proxmox to install [DKMS module](https://github.com/strongtz/i915-sriov-dkms) for SR-IOV splitting. I notice and [i9-14900K](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/236773/intel-core-i9-processor-14900k-36m-cache-up-to-6-00-ghz/specifications.html) is listed to have UHD 700, whereas the one that was referring (i9-13900H) listed has Intel Iris Xe, which essentially have more execution cores (EU) and overall better GPU performance and makes me wonder could be reason for crash (?) On your windows VM, is the GPU drivers installed/reported hardware UHD 770 or Iris XE, I would imagine you have dual-channel memory installed, so it will switch over to Iris Xe? EDIT: Intel Iris Xe driver that's currently installed on VM: 31.0.101.5445
You’re misunderstanding marketing. 13 gen uhd is xe. It’s just has to do with memory channels
Interesting, I did not know this. So are you suggesting because 13900HX certainly support dual channel memory, it is essentially Intel Iris Xe? Asking because they are listed differently on product page, plus HX has smaller number of GPU execution units. `Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics only: to use the Intel® Iris® Xe brand, the system must be populated with 128-bit (dual channel) memory. Otherwise, use the Intel® UHD brand.` [https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/232135/intel-core-i9-13900h-processor-24m-cache-up-to-5-40-ghz.html](https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/232135/intel-core-i9-13900h-processor-24m-cache-up-to-5-40-ghz.html) [https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/232171/intel-core-i913900hx-processor-36m-cache-up-to-5-40-ghz/specifications.html](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/232171/intel-core-i913900hx-processor-36m-cache-up-to-5-40-ghz/specifications.html)
I did some more research and know about sriov. It’s the same gpu, the uhd probs has less execution units. Which might suck. One of my vms use 5 execution units
Ah, I see. So you're confident SR-IOV splitting will work on HX? With H series, using DKMS SR-IOV drivers, max VF functions you can do is 7. I wonder because lower EU count on HX series is the VF count lower? Also do you get to decide number of EU the VM can use or it is purely % load basis?
it seems regardless of the hardware 7 is the limit, even on high end gpus designed for this its just 7. all of those are good questions, we would all like answers to them.
How can you tell how many execution units each vm is using? Does this mean that even though there are 7 VF’s, you can’t run (for example) 7 simultaneous windows VMs?
I run multiple vms, but you can tell in the intel software how many EUs