New Intel Linux Graphics Driver Patches Aim For Better vGPU Performance

[phoronix]

Phoronix: New Intel Linux Graphics Driver Patches Aim For Better vGPU Performance

Proposed last year were a set of patches aiming to improve the Intel virtual GPU "vGPU" performance in para-virtualized cases by having optimizations around the shared memory region between the guest and Intel GVTg code. With optimizing the workload PV submission and PPGTT PV updates, the glxgears performance could improve by 30~50% while for large media/3D workloads was more around a 4% average improvement...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Intel-vGPU-PV-2020-Opts-Patches

[Volta]

Glxgears is not a benchmark.

[schmidtbag]

Glxgears is not a benchmark.

That's not the point... a measurable performance gain in glxgears could suggest faster/better communication to the GPU, which is important in a virtual environment.

[TMM_]

If anyone wants to try out the Intel vgpu stuff I've written a blog post about how to do this a little while back as I found the existing documentation about it kind of difficult to find. I hope that it's useful for someone else!

https://blog.tmm.cx/2020/05/15/passing-an-intel-gpu-to-a-linux-kvm-virtual-machine/

[GizmoChicken]

If anyone wants to try out the Intel vgpu stuff I've written a blog post about how to do this a little while back as I found the existing documentation about it kind of difficult to find. I hope that it's useful for someone else!

https://blog.tmm.cx/2020/05/15/passing-an-intel-gpu-to-a-linux-kvm-virtual-machine/

Awesome post! Thanks!!

According to Intel's (possibly out-dated) GVTg Setup Guide, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Generation Intel Core Processor Graphics are supported. But Intel's guide doesn't indicate whether newer processors are supported.

Sorry if I missed it in your blog post (or elsewhere), but do you know if newer processors are now supported?

[TMM_]

Sorry if I missed it in your blog post (or elsewhere), but do you know if newer processors are now supported?

I'm using it on a 9th gen mobile xeon so I'd say yes!

[GizmoChicken]

I'm using it on a 9th gen mobile xeon so I'd say yes!

Thanks! That's great news!!

GVTg runs well on my 6th gen i5, which is getting a bit long in the tooth. Hope GVTg runs as well on its eventual replacement.

[Danniello]

If anyone wants to try out the Intel vgpu stuff I've written a blog post about how to do this a little while back as I found the existing documentation about it kind of difficult to find. I hope that it's useful for someone else!

https://blog.tmm.cx/2020/05/15/passing-an-intel-gpu-to-a-linux-kvm-virtual-machine/

Wow... Your instruction is incredible! Even detailed screencast howto prepare VM and "repair" Windows resolution, etc.! Thanks sooo much!

For "average user" it is too complicated, but who knows... Maybe in the future it will be more "user friendly". For now finger crossed that Intel will not block vGPU in Xe like it is with AMD and nVidia GPUs (vGPU only available in expensive, "corporate" units)...

[TMM_]

Wow... Your instruction is incredible! Even detailed screencast howto prepare VM and "repair" Windows resolution, etc.! Thanks sooo much!

For "average user" it is too complicated, but who knows... Maybe in the future it will be more "user friendly". For now finger crossed that Intel will not block vGPU in Xe like it is with AMD and nVidia GPUs (vGPU only available in expensive, "corporate" units)...

Thank you for the kind words! And yeah, it's still a little difficult to get running. This is about as easy as I thought I could make it. I hope it's useful for you!