(SOLVED!) Are there compatibility issues with the i9-13900K, Windows 11, and Workstation 17?

[MondoBass]

My new workstation is not performing as expected. The host machine (shown in the image below) incorporates a 13th Gen i9-13900K, 64 GB RAM, and 6TB of SSD. The OS is Windows 11 Pro version 22H2. I am running Workstation 17 Pro.

I copied 2 existing VM clients to the host machine. One is running Windows 11, and the other is Windows 10. Both VM's open normally. There is a performance issue that I cannot solve. I develop software professionally, and the application receives a low-rate (500 Kbps) data stream from a USB-connected data acquisition device. Both VMs exhibit similar weird characteristics. The data stream is losing data, running slowly, and acting "glitchy." I have tried different USB ports, USB compatibility settings in VMWare, etc. Sometimes the minimize/maximize links on the title bar disappear etc.

I spent all day trying to resolve the issue. I have disabled Hyper-V, disabled VBS, etc., and nothing has an impact. I have other PCs running the same setup (Windows 11 Host, Workstation 17, Same VMs) that work properly. 

I have included some screen captures of various settings. I would GREATLY appreciate some guidance. Thanks in advance!

[Technogeezer]

It sure looks like you got all the places to disable Hyper-V, but I'd double check that Hyper-V is fully disabled. Look in the vmware.log file generated by your VMs and see if there's a line that says Monitor mode: ULM. If so, you're still running under Hyper-V and then you haven't gotten all the places to disable Hyper-V. (it should say CPL0 if running under the VMware hypervisor)

Otherwise, have you checked the power profile of your system. If it's running balanced, then have you tried switching to Performance?

[MondoBass]

Thank you for your prompt response.

I have confirmed Monitor Mode: CPL0. (See the attached image and log file.)

The host and the guest are both set to "high performance." (I tried that this morning with no effect.

The software application works normally on the host. But there is a big problem when running on the guest VM's. I may be reaching but I am suspicious about the USB communications.

Thanks again. Please let me know if you have any additional thoughts.

[MondoBass]

Today I have been experimenting with different settings.

I disabled ALL of the e-cores in the bios and confirmed that these cores were not active by viewing the performance monitor. (Now shows 8 cores.) This had NO effect.

I then changed the VM Settings to specify 1 processor with 1 core (instead of 1 processor with 4 cores). This almost fixes the problem! To reiterate, I have 3 other platforms running the same configuration (Win 11 host with Win 10 and Win 11 VMs and they all work correctly with 1 processor / 4 cores. Only this new i9-13900 exhibits the problem.)

ANY ideas on WHY this setting would affect the application?

Thanks in advance!

[MondoBass · Accepted solution]

I found the following thread...

Workstation 16pro on alder lake system - VMware Technology Network VMTN

The solution was to disable power throttling for the vmware-vmx.exe application.

Open a command prompt with Admin rights.

1. Run the following command...
2. powercfg /powerthrottling disable /path "C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\x64\vmware-vmx.exe"

Thanks to mtomei for providing this workaround.

It is important to note that I had already configured Windows to use the "maximum performance" power plan.