GPU Partitioning

[-Reece]

Good Morning All, 

I was currently researching Sharing a GPU between the host and VMs, I've seen this being achievable using Hyper-V. I currently have a Workstation Pro License and was hoping it can be done in workstation and if so how?

Thanks, 

[Mikero]

Workstation does not support this as you describe, but it is _sharing_ the GPU in practice.

VMs get a virtual graphics adapter device, (SVGA II), and that sends GPU requests to the host rendering engine (i.e. Workstation's MKSsandbox.). Each VM pipes their requests through MKSsandbox, so in a sense it is _sharing_ the Host GPU.

VMs do not get to see the 'real' GPU, there is no pass-through option, which is what I'm expecting you're looking for.

What's your use case? 

[-Reece]

Hi Michael, 

Thank you for your response, the purpose is that I'm intending to create a machine that would allow for two people to use it at once to play games etc. I'm taking inspiration from the video linked here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLLcc29EZ_8

TLDW; 

Basically, the graphics card is visible through the VM. For eg, if you're using a 3070 in the host machine, the 3070 would also appear within the Virtual machine. It's possible in Hyper-V using GPU Paravirtualization. I've attached a screenshot below. 

[Mikero]

Well firstly that violates the EULA... From Section 7.6 of the Product Guide

"[...] Concurrent use of the Software by multiple users on a single computer is prohibited."

On a technical level, having multiple users simultaneously playing games isn't a supported use case.

Regarding GPU sharing, the situation is as I described it. There's no way to pass the GPU, in part or in whole, to a VM on Workstation.

Hyper-V can do whatever it's doing (which I'm not convinced is actual passthrough) because it has full control of the Host OS (i.e. Windows). We're just an App that uses the API's which Microsoft provides for 3rd parties, and those API's don't include passthrough controls.

[Peremptor]

There is no EULA Violation in anyway. 

1. It is not Commercial

2. If commercial 7.6 reads "Customer may use the Software to host application-based dedicated services to a third party"
Gaming is or can be a application-based dedicated service

Anyway, I use my Workstation Pro just for myself but need a Win10 VM to be able to solve GPU intensive tasks similar to OP. 
I currently experience "hickups" in Framerate and over all system Stability. 
Is there any way to Optimize the VM Performance especialy for GPU intensive tasks or maybe even overall performance? 

I would take a guess and say I need more RAM anyway but here is my Hardware: 

MSI G Plus 570X 
Ryzen 3800X 
RTX 3070 TI
RAM 16GB 4400MHZ 
1TB NVME 980PRO 

VM is on the NVME as well as the GPU intensive Program.  

VM config: 
RAM 16GB
8GB GPU 
1CPU 6Cores