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Nvidia adds 3D tech to virtualisation

Published on 31st March 2009 by Gareth Halfacree

The new SLI Multi-OS technology built in to the Quadro FX cards allows virtualised systems to take advantage of 3D acceleration hardware.

If you use virtualisation software you'll be only too aware that, while modern CPU include extensions allowing virtual operating systems to address the hardware directly, modern graphics systems often go to waste under such systems. Thankfully, Nvidia is aware of this too – and is working on a solution.

The company's latest range of Quadro FX professional-grade graphics hardware will, according to BetaNews, include full support for 3D acceleration functionality even on a virtualised operation system – something not previously possible.

The technology, which the company has called SLI Multi-OS, is a combination of clever driver tricks and firmware hooks into Intel's Virtualization [sic] Technology built in to most of the company's current range of CPUs to allow virtual machines to address the hardware directly – benefiting from the speed boosts offered over the purely software graphics implementations they have been limited to before.

While support for SLI Multi-OS is currently limited to a single virtualisation provider – Parallels – the company has pledged to work to introduce support into other products, including Microsoft's VirtualPC and the VMware range of software.

While making use of expensive professional graphics hardware via multiple virtual machines is smart, at least one vendor has opted to use the technology from a different angle: an up-coming range of graphics workstations from Hewlett Packard is set to use SLI Multi-OS to allow multiple physical workstations to offload tasks onto a single Quadro FX card – effectively sharing its power between them. With the top-end Quadro FX 5800 card – which features 4GB of addressable RAM on-board – retailing at over £2,500, there are significant savings to be made.

Are you looking forward to the day when the SLI Multi-OS technology filters down to the gaming cards and your VirtualBox XP install will play games at a decent pace under Linux, or is the system nothing more than a high-end curiosity? Share your thoughts over in the forums.

7 Comments

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Delphium 31st March 2009, 10:59

Oh awesome, i've been waiting for this tech for over 2-3 years now, ever since I heard that such could be done since pci-e 2.0.

The Quadro price range is somewhat out of my reach, but would look forward to this technology filtering down to the average gfx card market.

bowman 31st March 2009, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphium
Oh awesome, i've been waiting for this tech for over 2-3 years now, ever since I heard that such could be done since pci-e 2.0.

The Quadro price range is somewhat out of my reach, but would look forward to this technology filtering down to the average gfx card market.

It won't, not via NVIDIA anyway.. This is the only way they can actually sell Quadros for the price tags they currently stick on them, driver feature segmentation.

VirtualBox has experimental OGL acceleration though, so it might be possible at some point - but I don't expect NVIDIA to be the enabler in such a scenario.

And given how much NVIDIA is on Microsoft's tit I doubt they would be willing to support something that would lead to a number of enthusiasts (effectively their evangelists) using Windows only for games and using Linux, BSD or Solaris for everything else.

perplekks45 31st March 2009, 14:59

That is extremely good news. What kept me from running a virtual system as my main system is that gaming is just not an option. It'll also be nice to use for testing new releases of Win7 because you will finally be able to see how it really looks.
Other than that I don't have much use for it. :p

Zurechial 31st March 2009, 15:58

Parallels have somehow managed to get 3D Acceleration on their Workstation for Macs, allowing Windows games to be played with 3D acceleration under virtualisation on a Mac.
I wish they'd port it over for their Windows version, or that VirtualPC or VMWare would do the same.

Even up to DirectX8, anything at all so that glitchy games that don't work well on XP or Vista could be played under a virtualised instance of Win98SE.
Mechwarrior 3 & Dungeon Keeper 2 under 3D-accelerated virtualization would be fantastic..

B3CK 31st March 2009, 16:48

Would so love to see it filter down as well. Finally be able to get my server to run media center for htpc, 08 server for house hold apps and file server, and freebsd for my webserver. All in one box.

Laitainion 31st March 2009, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zurechial
Parallels have somehow managed to get 3D Acceleration on their Workstation for Macs, allowing Windows games to be played with 3D acceleration under virtualisation on a Mac.
I wish they'd port it over for their Windows version, or that VirtualPC or VMWare would do the same.

Even up to DirectX8, anything at all so that glitchy games that don't work well on XP or Vista could be played under a virtualised instance of Win98SE.
Mechwarrior 3 & Dungeon Keeper 2 under 3D-accelerated virtualization would be fantastic..

Workstation 6.5 has dx9 support (and not 'experimental' either). My friend's played Flatout 2 through it, while not a particularly demanding game it was certainly at a playable frame rate. Granted, Workstation isn't free..

Saivert 1st April 2009, 03:01

Counter-Strike does not play well in Workstation 6.5's 3D.