topic Re: Virtualization vs VT-D in Mobile and Desktop Processors

Virtualization vs VT-D

Bill — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 22:44:28 GMT

It is my understanding that Virtualization is NOT another name for VT-D.

Question: to enable virtualization on a motherboard is it true that the BIOS must have a feature named "virtualization" or something similar, and that just having a feature named "VT-d" and enabling it is not enough to enable virtualization.

Thanks,

Bill

Re: Virtualization vs VT-D

AlHill — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 22:49:49 GMT

Your processor should support:

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)
Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

And, you must have a motherboard whose BIOS supports and allows you to enable virtualization.

Doc

Re: Virtualization vs VT-D

Bill — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 23:01:08 GMT

I have seen postings elsewhere where people ask how to enable virtualization and the response has been look in the BIOS and enable VT-d.

Question: am I correct in thinking that enabling VT-d is not the same as enabling Virtualization.

Thanks,

Bill

Re: Virtualization vs VT-D

AlHill — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 23:09:29 GMT

I have not seen them broken apart in the bios. Enabling virtualization is the only setting I have seen. But, who knows - depends on the motherboard manufacturer's bios.

Doc

Re: Virtualization vs VT-D

Bill — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 23:33:36 GMT

Hi Doc,

Thanks for the quick responses.

I'm looking at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PYroA_whjU

Bios, Chipset menu

@6:57 into the video

shows VT-d and no Virtualization

One of the comments about the video said:

"I'm sorry but you did not mention virtualization technology on the mother board. I have the same mother board and i'm struggling with these option because I can't find it."

I am worried that if I were to buy the Gigabyte AORUS Z370 Ultra Gaming motherboard, I would not be able to enable Virtualization.

Question: is it possible that Gigabyte is using the characters "VT-d" to imply/cover Virtualization AND Intel's VT-d?

Thanks,

Bill

Re: Virtualization vs VT-D

AlHill — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 02:38:56 GMT

That is a good question for gigabyte to answer.

Doc

Re: Virtualization vs VT-D

n_scott_pearson — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 06:38:38 GMT

Since VT-d is an extension of VT-x and it is so rare to not enable VT-d along with VT-x, it is not unreasonable to say that they are synonymous. That is, since enabling VT-d requires that VT-x be enabled, let enabling VT-d (also) imply that VT-x should be enabled.

(Is that a gobbledygook statement or what? Say it quickly five times)

Bottom line, I do not believe that you have anything to be worried about. You can't have VT-d without VT-x.

Hope this helps,

...S

Re: Virtualization vs VT-D

Bill — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 18:48:58 GMT

Thanks for all of your responses.

I have been communicating with the VirtualBox forum. The consensus there seems to be that

virtualization is NOW always enabled in the BIOS and cannot be disabled.
VT-d is still a BIOS option that one can enable/disable.

I will communicate with Asus and Gigabyte and see if I the person responding sounds like they know what they are talking about.

This topic could have been avoided if Intel had added more words to this page:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/virtualization/virtualization-technology/intel-virtualization-technology.html

And the motherboard manufacturers had and done the same for their motherboards.

I have no more questions for you folks.

Thanks,

Bill

Re: Virtualization vs VT-D

AGate — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 23:30:21 GMT

Enabling or disabling Intel VT-d

From the System Utilities screen, select System Configuration > BIOS/Platform Configuration (RBSU) > System Options > Virtualization Options > Intel (R) VT-d and press Enter.
Select a setting and press Enter.
1. Enabled—Enables a hypervisor or operating system supporting this option to use hardware capabilities provided by Intel’s Virtualization Technology for directed I/O.
2. Disabled—Does not enable a hypervisor or operating system supporting this option to use hardware capabilities provided by Intel’s Virtualization Technology for directed I/O.
Press F10.

Regards,

Adrian