How best to get acclerated graphics on a linux vm?

[dmaker99]

I recently replaced my gaming laptop. As such, I have a MSI Dominator Pro that I am trying to fit to a specific purpose. I would like to run a linux vm that uses hardware graphics. 

I tried installing ESX standalone, but the Killer NIC has no ESX drivers. Ok, I tried installing Linux on the laptop, but the laptop uses Intel RAID (RST), and I don't feel like breaking that ....just yet. 

My current thought is to use my license for Vmware Workstation Pro 16.  I have created the vm, but the only real option I had around graphics was the 8GB of video memory. 

Is there a way to passthrough, or use, the GTX 980M with a virtual machine on Workstation Pro 16? This may be extra tricky since the host laptop also has an integrated Intel GPU.

The other thing is what do people find to be the best option for remote desktop with Linux (using Mint cinnamon in this case). I've used NoMachine in the past. All I really want is a linux vm with nice, snappy graphics performance. I have an ESX standalone server and it's simple to create a linux vm, but I am curious to see if the gui performance is better using a product that does allow for some hardware graphics to be used by the vm. 

I really, really, really wish the VMRC could be used with Workstation, not just ESX. That is the absolute best remote desktop (and it's out of band too) solution for my linux virtual machines. Alas, it does not work with Workstation, I don't think, forcing me to go with VNC or NoMachine or something else. 

Thanks!

[dmaker99]

I've figured some of this out. 

I ran some OpenGL benchmarks inside the vm while watching perfmon on the host laptop and the Nvidia GPU was being utilized. The vm has a nice responsive GUI, so pretty happy about that I'm not looking to game or anything, I just wanted something that would load websites, etc a bit faster than a Xeon cpu from the ESX host. 

I'm currently using NoMachine for remote desktop. It's good, almost where I want it to be. But there is still a bit of fuzziness and stretched feeling. There are so many display options with NoMachine that it's hard to tell what would be the optimal setttings combo. But I feel if I tinker with it long enough, I'll figure it out.