Passthrough NVMe, use NVMe Manager Software

[Vin]

Hello everybody,

is it possible to passthrough an entire NVMe to the Windows VM und use Management Software to enable "Game Modes", RAM Acceleration etc?

Thank you in advance

Regards

 

[noel.]

is it possible to passthrough an entire NVMe to the Windows VM

should be no problem: see the docs on pcie passthough[1] as well as the wiki pages [2][3]. Don't forget to add your passed-through nvme device to the boot options by going to the web interface -> your windows vm -> Options -> Boot Order and then activate your nvme and move it to the top.

Management Software to enable "Game Modes", RAM Acceleration etc?

I do not know what you mean here. Be wary of downloading "Improved ram speed" software and whatnot, it probably is a scam. If you want to change your RAM timings, you will have to do that in the BIOS (although this has nothing to do with Proxmox). Also, tweaking your timings will get you very little improvement, if any, on game performance. Bigger performance difference will be things like setting your cpu to "host" and debloating your windows install [4]. But really, if you are trying to squeeze performance for gaming out of your machine, you should not game in a vm. You could, instead, set up a dual boot [5].

PS: there is a reddit community dedicated to gaming in VMs, might be interesting to you [6].

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[1]: https://pve.proxmox.com/pve-docs/pve-admin-guide.html#qm_pci_passthrough
[2]: https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/PCI_Passthrough
[3]: https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/PCI(e)_Passthrough
[4]: https://atlasos.net/
[5]: https://wiki.debian.org/DualBoot/Windows
[6]: https://www.reddit.com/r/VFIO/

 

[Vin]

wow, i think i have never had such a comprehensive answer in my life, thank you for that
also thanks for the reddit vm gaming tip, didnt know that

I totally forgot NVMes are PCI devices, I was before passing them with
qm set 100 -scsi9 /dev/disk/by-id/nvme-WD_BLACK_SN850X_1000GB_225061442202
along with my SATA devices and couldnt get to manage the device itself, since its just emulated

With the RAM tweaking I wasnt talking about RAM improvements, but using the official management software to configure the NVMe devices

For example to extend the onboard DRAM with the PC RAM, or turn on some improvements like the "Game Mode" of my WD Black via the WD Dashboard software

 

[noel.]

For example to extend the onboard DRAM with the PC RAM, or turn on some improvements like the "Game Mode" of my WD Black via the WD Dashboard software

Ah, alright, misunderstood that. That makes more sense

wow, i think i have never had such a comprehensive answer in my life, thank you for that
also thanks for the reddit vm gaming tip, didnt know that

Glad to hear I could help