VMware Workstation 17 Pro supports use of host GPU?

[ImportantWindow]

I checked the compatibility guide on VMware's support pages, it does not list workstation as a supporter of host physical GPU usage in windows 10 VMs, so I take it does not support? "Shared pass thru graphics" does not list any version of workstation, others too. So how does that acceleratres 3d (such as gaming in VM) without host support? 

[ImportantWindow]

UPDATE: After enabling 3d accelerate under graphics in VMs settings panel, windows 10 VM started a process called "mksSandbox" and that is uses a bit of my host GPU at background, sandbox sounds nice since I do NOT want my vm directly access to my host GPU, is that what I think it is?

[ImportantWindow]

I'm complete beginner in this topic so forgive me if this sounds dumb, 

3D accelerate and gpu pass thru is same thing?

[wila · Accepted solution]

Hi,

GPU Passthrough means that the guest OS gets direct access to the graphics adapter.

In that case the guest OS directly controls the GPU and you need another GPU for the host OS.

VMware Workstation does not support GPU passthrough.

With 3D acceleration the guest OS gets access to a virtual GPU that understands GPU specific features such as DirectX. The VM driver+virtual hardware translates the 3D accelaration commands that it receives and executes those on the GPU hardware. Since VMware Workstation 15.5 it uses a special sandboxed process for that.

A relevant blog post is here:
https://blogs.vmware.com/workstation/2020/05/directx-11-now-with-workstation-tp20h2.html

Note that this was about a beta which is now part of VMware Workstation 16.x (as well as 15.5.x)

--
Wil

[ImportantWindow]

Thank you so much,

[Carl_Baran]

No, There is no Host GPU Support while Running Virtual Machines, It should use Guest GPU: VMware SVGA 3D

VMware SVGA 3D in Windows 7 x64

[Carl_Baran]

Yes, no Host Support for Virtual Machines Only Guest's GPU: VMware SVGA 3DVMware SVGA 3D in Windows 7

[Egemen67]

If I use 2 video cards, can I use one for Vmware only? And can I split GPU Vram into Virtual machines?

[wila]

Hi,

That's a "No" on both questions.

--
Wil